by Vinny Messana
This was the type of week we live for here at Baseball on the Island. On Tuesday, it was the Skyline Conference championship, today was the ECC championship as well as as the NJCAA championship.
Being that only a handful of teams remain, we will keep the rankings to top 5 this week.
1.St. Joseph’s
Record: 24-11, Stock UP
Photo Credit: Vinny Messana
They retain the top spot after going undefeated in the Skyline Conference playoffs. They didn’t have an easy route either–having to win four games and play the final three on the road at the place that has caused them huge issues in the past. Additionally, they trailed 5-0 in the first inning of the championship game. To their credit, Josh Outsen did a great job of holding the fort while their offense went to work. Nick Girardi went 5-for-5 and was named Most Outstanding Player of the tournament. They will advance to the NCAA regionals. Now, they did get no-hit this week against Kean on Tuesday, but they did not play any of their starters. It’s never a good thing to have happen but considering the circumstances it doesn’t mean much at all. They will have their work cutout in the regionals but they are senior-laden and have proven their mettle.
2. Suffolk
Record: 25-6, Stock UP
Photo Credit: Nakeem Grant
They cruised in the first two games of the regionals–surprise, surprise–as they mercied both Queensborough and Nassau. It was a much different story today, though, as they trailed 4-2 entering the bottom of the ninth against Nassau. They mounted a rally and completed the comeback on an infield grounder that the third baseman overthrew to the catcher. Kristopher Killackey was named Region XV Pitcher of the Year: 8-0, 0.99 ERA with 67 Ks in 45.1 IP. They have a 2.75 team ERA, but that is not even as dominant as their offense. Nicholas VonOhlen will enter the World Series hitting an unfathomable .500 (44-for-88) with seven HRs and Angel Rodriguez is right behind at .481 (39-for-81). They have a shot to win it all.
3. Dowling
Record: 27-23, Stock UP
Photo Credit: Vinny Messana
What a phenomenal weekend it was for the Golden Lions. They defeated two very tough teams in Molloy and the University of Bridgeport. They showed their mettle by bouncing back from a loss in yesterday’s game and having to face the thought of falling just shy of the finish line once again. Mike Jeannetti threw the game of his life and Vinny Orlando had three hits. Cody McPartland came in just two days after throwing 7.2 innings to record the save and pitch his team to the NCAA regionals. Chris Cepeda threw a CG on Friday to improve to 7-0 in his freshman year. The offense has been night-and-day compared to the first month of the season. The Going brothers, Chris Appell, Bobby Morse, Michael Rizzitello, Tyler Piccolo and Michael Richter all played crucial roles this week and it really took the entire roster to overcome their playoff demons. They’ll look to ride this hot streak through the regionals and into Carey, NC.
4. Molloy
Record: 31-21, Stock DOWN
Photo Credit: Vinny Messana
They entered the tournament as the favorite but immediately fell behind 8-2 in the second inning of the first game with their ace on the hill. They rebounded their next game with sophomore Anthony Catinella on the hill and eliminated St. Thomas Aquinas–a 35-win team. It appeared they were about to waltz through the loser’s bracket final against Bridgeport. Bobby Kelly threw a gem and they led 8-2 in the seventh inning, but they came unglued and lost 14-12 in heartbreaking fashion. They will still most likely receive an at-large bid to the regionals and get another shot at Dowling, but it was certainly not the way they had envisioned they would enter the tournament. Their defense came apart in that ninth inning and they need to hope there are no lingering effects moving forward.
5. Stony Brook
Record: 22-24, Stock UP
Photo Credit: Vinny Messana
They rebounded this weekend, defeating Maine two of three on the road. Bret Clarke and Tyler Honahan both had encouraging performances. It was a throwback performance for Honahan, who fired a three-hit shutout with 10 Ks. If they can get that version of him, they are formidable in the postseason. Chad Lee also had a great outing on Friday, throwing 8.0 IP and allowing just two ER but he was handed the tough-luck loss. A great sign for the offense is the hot-streak of Bobby Honeyman. The sophomore has a five-game hit streak and had five hits in the DH yesterday. They have one more series remaining against Albany this weekend as they look to gain momentum heading into the America East playoffs.
