The Post’s CHSAA baseball beat writer Dylan Butler breaks down Saturday’s first round qualification games for the Class A intersectional tournament at Mount St. Michael in The Bronx.
Here’s the schedule:
11 a.m. – No. 15 Monsignor McClancy vs. No. 18 LaSalle
2 p.m. – No. 16 Mount St. Michael vs. No. 17 St. Edmund Prep
For live updates during the games, check out Dylan Butler’s Twitter page here.
Monsignor McClancy Crusaders
Head coach: Nick Melito
Record: 9-8
Probable starter: RHP Michael Dagostino, Jr.
LaSalle Cardinals
Head coach: Luis Lopez
Record: 4-14
Probable starter: RHP Max Reyes, Sr.
Outlook: The last time LaSalle advanced to the playoffs, the Cardinals were the No. 18 seed and shocked the CHSAA by winning the Class A intersectional title. LaSalle coach Luis Lopez is hoping history repeats itself, but more than anything he’s hoping for a strong defensive effort from his team on Saturday.
“That team was a better team talent-wise and in terms of power, while we play small ball for the most part,” Lopez said. “I would say our strength is our defense, which is also our weakness. When we play solid ‘D,’ we stay in every game and when the ‘D’ folds, so does the game.”
Max Reyes, who is a two-time team MVP, will be on the mound for LaSalle, which endured a 4-14 season, but stunned Xavier and upset eventual champion Fordham Prep last year. Reyes, who twice beat Cardinal Hayes, has good control and a quality breaking ball.
“The one thing he has that others don’t is that, even when we’re losing, he stays in the game mentally,” Lopez said. “We’re pretty confident behind him and the rest of the lineup is pretty solid.”
Lopez’s son, Christian, is a talented freshman first baseman, while senior second baseman Frank Nunez and junior catcher Ivan Rodriguez have also played well for the Cardinals.
Monsignor McClancy has the heavy hitters in its lineup that are not in LaSalle’s, namely Luis Perez and Alex Miden. Perez has hit nine home runs this year, but he’s cooled off a bit recently. Miden has seven jacks and was the team’s ace until he was shelved because of tenderness in his pitching shoulder.
“Hopefully a couple days off will get [Perez] out of the funk he was in,” McClancy coach Nick Melito said. “We’ve played close games and the pressure is on because it could be the last game for seniors. This group has been through it, so hopefully we come out on top.”
Melito will call on junior right-hander Michael Dagostino tomorrow. It’s a big spot for the junior right-hander, but he’s also pitched against Molloy and Bishop Ford this year so Melito believes he is battle-tested.
“Hopefully our kids play free and easy,” Melito said. “Whatever happens, happens.”
Mount St. Michael Mountaineers
Head coach: Wally Stampfel
Record: 6-12
Probable starter: Marcos Perez, Sr. RHP
St. Edmund Prep Eagles
Head coach: Joseph Romano
Record: 5-12
Probable starter: Eric Cooper, Sr. LHP
Outlook: Wally Stampfel was going to be at Mount St. Michael tomorrow morning regardless as the league chairperson, but it was the last place he wanted to coach when the season started. That’s because it means his team is on the outer edges of qualifying for the Class A intersectional playoffs.
As the No. 16 seed, the Mountaineers will need to win two single elimination games and then take two-of-three from a higher seed just to get into the dance. But that’s the consequence for a 6-12 regular season.
“It’s been a bit of a disappointment,” Stampfel said of the regular season. “We thought we’d contend, if not for the division, at least [avoiding the opening round].”
Of course, the Mountaineers are confident in ace Marcos Perez. The New York Institute of Technology-bound senior righty has been Mount’s best player all year, but he’s elevated his pitching recently, tossing back-to-back no-hitters.
“I’m not concerned about Marcos,” Stampfel said. “I know the pressure is not going to get to Marcos. He’s got to do his thing and we have to put more balls in play, bunt a bit more than we usually do. We have to put the ball in play.”
That’s been Mount’s bugaboo all season, especially of late. The Mountaineers have been shutout in back-to-back games to end the regular season and are averaging three hits per game over the last five.
“We cannot fall behind,” Stampfel said.
St. Edmund Prep is returning to the postseason for the first time since 2004, when the Eagles advanced to the quarterfinals. But the Brooklyn squad isn’t just happy to be there.
“We don’t want to just play one more game than the other teams,” St. Edmund Prep coach Joseph Romano said. “Obviously we don’t want tomorrow to be our last game. Every at-bat has to be a big at-bat, every pitch has to be a big pitch.”
Led by Chris Pacifico, Brian Doyle and Eric Cooper, who tripled in a win at Christ the King Thursday, the Eagles are hitting the ball well at the end of the season, while the pitching has always been there. Cooper will get the nod on the hill.
“He’s our hardest thrower, probably our best guy to have out there tomorrow,” Romano said.