As always, the Class A playoffs will be a roller coaster of emotions. It brings high energy, closely contested match ups and upsets. The factor that makes these playoffs so great, is that there’s 18 teams competing for the ultimate goal of a county championship. As we’ve seen in previous years, there’s been clear favorites heading into the postseason. However, this year, it’s anybody’s title to win. With that being said, let’s take a look at the Class A playoffs.
Play-In Games:
#18 South Side vs. #15 Island Trees
For several reasons, this is a great match up. Not only do both teams have great arms, but they both struggle to hit high-end pitching. For South Side, expect Dan Kelleher to take the mound. Kelleher features a lively fastball, along with the ability to strike anybody out. Behind Kelleher is Tyler Costaro, who has done a fantastic job of keeping hitters in check all season long. Island Trees is expected to send ace Greg Carita to the mound. Judging by the pitching match up, it’s expected to be a closely contested game. However, I believe South Side will prevail in a close one.
#17 Wantagh vs. #16 Mepham
After winning three consecutive Long Island championships, Wantagh now finds themselves on the brink of elimination. This time, it’s coming against a scorching hot Mepham team that can flat out hit. After beginning the year 1-5, Mepham has now won eight of their last nine and has home field advantage for the play-in game. Wantagh’s focal point will be Mason McLane. The senior will undoubtedly get the starting nod for this game. Don’t expect to see the end of the Wantagh Warriors just yet. I believe McLane will bring his best stuff to the ballpark, and Wantagh will advance.
Pool A:
TBD {#18 South Side} vs. #1 Garden City
#9 Plainedge vs. #8 MacArthur
Perhaps the most talented playoff bracket out of the four, Pool A hoists intriguing match ups. Evidently, this is headlined by the top seeded 14-1 Garden City Trojans. As of now, they seem unstoppable as they present one of the deepest lineups in Nassau County. Tommy Reilfer poses a top of the lineup threat to any team, as he finished the regular season with a .565 AVG. Their only struggle seems to be lack of pitching depth. Plainedge and MacArthur are on the opposite side of the spectrum, as they carry a solid pitching staff, but feature inconsistency offensively. This is a highly competitive pool, but Garden City is the favorites to advance to the semifinals.
Pool B:
#13 Valley Stream North vs. #4 Calhoun
#12 Carey vs. #5 Bethpage
In a pool that features two conference winners, expect to see some huge offensive performances. Valley Stream North ended their season on a high note, as they defeated Wantagh twice last week. However, Calhoun has the dangerous 1-2 punch of Ben Kovel and Jake Edwards on the mound. Bethpage also has flamethrowers in their staff, consisting of Richie Gennaro and Nick Wendling. This pool seems as if it will come down to two conference winners, but you never know in the postseason.
Pool C:
#14 Hewlett vs. #3 Division
#11 Herricks vs. #6 Seaford
Division seems to be the clear favorites in this pool. The main reason for that is the competition. Due to the fact that they’re in the toughest conference in Nassau County, they face three teams who haven’t panned out so well against tough competition. However, Seaford brings a few threats to the table that might spell trouble for Division. A likely Diamond Award finalist in Chris Pupa is one example. Herricks also poses some threats, as they feature Chris Marshiano and Peter Carreca at the top of their rotation. However, Robert Bradley, Jake Lombardi and Colin Diez is the superior rotation in this pool.
Pool D:
TBD {#17 Wantagh} vs. #2 Clarke
#10 Manhasset vs. #7 North Shore
If Wantagh wins their play-in game, this pool becomes a lot more interesting. If they lose, it seems as if it will be a two horse race between Clarke and North Shore. Aside from Jay Schlaefer taking the hill for Manhasset, North Shore seems to match up better than them in every category. The offensive minded Clarke team led by CJ Cumbo and Chris Giardino, also posses difficulty for Wantagh and Manhasset. A Brendan Turton vs. David Aufiero match up would be extremely intriguing. In this pool, it’s difficult to say there’s a clear favorite.
Predictions:
Pool A Winner: #1 Garden City
Pool B Winner: #4 Calhoun
Pool C Winner: #3 Division
Pool D Winner: #7 North Shore
Semifinals:
#1 Garden City defeats #7 North Shore (2-1)
#3 Division defeats #4 Calhoun (2-1)
County Championship:
#3 Division defeats #1 Garden City (2-0)
