BASEBALL PLAYOFF BRACKETS RELEASED
La Salle nabs No. 4 in Class AA
LATHAM >> The Section II baseball seeds have been set.
And during the process of formatting the top six teams in Class AA, there was a question — where should La Salle be slotted?
The Cadets are the lone Class AA school that does not play in the Suburban Council. La Salle played in the Colonial Council for first time this spring after the Big 10 disbanded and the Cadets dominated their competition.
La Salle finished 14-2 in league play and 15-3 overall, winning the Colonial Council in impressive fashion. However, the Cadets played just one Class AA team, it was Schenectady, a team that didn’t qualify for sectionals.
When it came down to it, the selection committee decided the Cadets did a enough to secure a quarterfinals game at home and slotted them into the fourth seed.
“With their league record, they had a great year,” Section II baseball coordinator Mike DeMagistris said of La Salle. “The committee felt to put them as a four seed, the body of work that they did all year deserved a home game. That’s why the committee thought they’d be perfect at the four slot.”
Shenendehowa earned the No. 1 overall seed, while CBA is second and Ballston Spa was given the third seed.
Giving the four seed to the Ca-
dets knocked defending Section II champion Saratoga Springs out of the top five, which means the Blue Streaks now have to play a first-round game. The Cadets will host No. 5 Guilderland in the quarterfinals, while the Blue Streaks will host No. 11 Niskayuna in the first round on Tuesday.
“We talked a little bit about it at the coaches’ meeting (Sunday) night and the whole LaSalle seeding is kind of upsetting for us because they don’t really play many (Class) AA schools,” Saratoga Springs head coach Andy Cuthbertson said. “For them to get seeded above us isn’t the greatest, but we’re fortunate enough to be in the playoffs and we’ll make due with whatever seed that we get.
“I think being the sixth seed I’m going to sell that as a motivation factor for these guys, that we really didn’t get the respect that maybe we should have got with La Salle being a seed higher than us, we’re going to have to go out there and prove it.”
And with defending champion Saratoga Springs on the bottom half of the bracket, and runner-up Shenendehowa on the top half, could be a Section II Class AA final rematch from a year ago.
“We have to win the first inning,” Shenendehowa head coach Greg Chirstodulu said, after his team’s second straight loss to end the season. “That’s our concern right now. Can we go out there Thursday, first inning, and win the inning? And then can we win the bottom of the inning? And then go to inning number two? What you saw (Saturday) is how you lose a tight play-off game and how you win a tight play-off game. It’s not piling up 10, 12, 15 runs.
It’s taking advantage of your opportunities and defending and throwing strike one.”
Returning a roster of 12 seniors, the Plainsmen are looking to finish the job this season. Poised as the No. 1 overall seed in Class AA, Shen will try to win its first sectional title since 2014. The Plainsmen were the New York State runner-up that year.
“I’m very excited, it should be awesome,” Shenendehowa pitcher Ian Anderson said. “I think we have a team that’s primed to make a run in the postseason. I think these last two games have been a little bump in the road and we can take positives out of both games. I think we should be ready to roll.”
Competing in the Suburban Council for the first time this season, the Brothers handled themselves well in elevated competition. With two wins over Ballston Spa and a victory over the Plainsmen, CBA did enough to prove it deserved the second seed.
“This is our first year in the Suburban Council and it just felt like every game was a close game from top to bottom and I think that’s going to help our kids when we get into sectional baseball, where every game is close,” CBA athletic director Blaine Drescher said. “Not to mention some of the arms our kids went up against day-in and day-out.”
As the two seed, CBA will host the winner of No. 10 Behtlehem at No. 7 Colonie on Thursday for a home quarterfinals matchup. Ballston Spa hosts the winner of No. 11 Niskayuna at No. 6 Saratoga Thursday at 4 p.m. in the quarterfinals. No. 4 LaSalle hosts No. 5 Guilderland Thursday at 4 p.m. for a trip to the semifinals.
Class A
The Class A bracket features undefeated Queensbury at the top, who is coming
off of an impressive 2-1 victory over Shenendehowa on Saturday.
Scotia-Glenville, Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake and Amsterdam round out the topfour seeds in Class A. Troy comes in slotted as a seven seed.
Burnt Hills is coming off of an impressive Suburban Council season, with wins over Class AA sectional-qualifiers Shaker and Colonie. The Spartans face No. 6 South Glens Falls in the quarterfinals.
The Flying Horses are taking on Scotia in the quarterfinals, while No. 5 Lansingburgh squares off against No. 4 Amsterdam.
Class BB
Saratoga Catholic is rolling into sectionals.
After a one-loss regular season, the Saints are slotted in to the No. 1 overall seed for the Class BB tournament. Saratoga Catholic will face the winner of No. 9 Ravena at No. 8 Broadalbin-Perth Thursday at home at 4 p.m.
Catskill, Hudson and Albany Academy round out the top four.
Schuylerville opens its postseason with a firstround matchup against Johnstown Tuesday at home with first pitch scheduled for 4 p.m.
The winner of the Class BB final will play the winner of the Class B final in the Class B/BB playoff on May 28 for a spot in states.
Class B
The Class B field is led by Hoosic Valley.
The Indians open their postseason schedule with a quarterfinals home matchup against Fonda Thursday at 4 p.m.
Voorheesville, CoxsackiAthens and Granville round out the top four.
No. 5 Hoosick Falls is set to take on No. 4 Granville Thursday on the road at
4 p.m. No. 6 Tamarac will travel to No. 3 CoxsackiAthens for quarterfinals matchup on Thursday. No. 7 Stillwater will take on Voorheesville on the road Thursday in the quarterfinals.
Class C
The top seed in the Class C field went to Greenwich, the only team to earn a firstround bye.
Bishop Gibbons, Lake George and Maple Hill round out the top four.
When the Witches play their first game of the postseason, Thursday in the quarterfinals, it will be against the winner of No. 9 Schoharie at No. 8 Corinth.
No. 4 seed Maple Hill will take on No. 13 Hadley Luzerne Tuesday in the first round. The game is at 4 p.m. at Maple Hill. No. 6 Waterford-Halfmoon will host No. 11 Canajoharie Tuesday at 4 p.m. No. 7 Rensselaer will host No. 10 Greenville Tuesday at 4 p.m.