Cortland has company at the top of NY Region

By John McGraw, for D3baseball.com

While a team from the New York region has not won a national championship since Ithaca College hoisted the Walnut and Bronze in 1988, national eyes should be focused on the Empire State in 2011. Joe Brown’s Cortland State Red Dragons have earned national runner-up status twice in the last six years (2005, 2010) and according to Baseball America, two of the top professional prospects in all of Division III play in the region – Clarkson’s Jerry Coleman and Ithaca’s Tucker Healy.

Cortland has plenty of regional trophies but is still looking for that elusive national championship. Cortland photo by Dary Zehr Photography

Cortland State was one victory away from the national championship last year after a thrilling and offensive-minded run through the bracket that ended at the hands of Illinois Wesleyan. The Red Dragons have been the New York region’s representative in Appleton three out of the last four years and most impressively, Cortland has made 18 consecutive appearances in the NCAA tournament with 10 trips to the World Series since 1995.

The 2010 season saw a round-up of the usual suspects in New York with perennial regional powers predicated for the top. And while Cortland topped the Auburn regional, Ithaca missed out on the NCAA tournament for the first time since 1996 and only the second time under George Valesente while RPI ended up on the outside looking in for the second-straight year. Together, Ithaca and RPI had not both missed the NCAA postseason since 1975 (before the Division III era).

Overall parity looks to be the norm in 2011 as no one team or teams stand out as the favorites. Almost every usual contender has one or two big guns to replace and each club has its flaws. On top, defending regional champion Cortland will have an overhauled starting line-up and needs to replace among others two-time SUNYAC Player of the Year Jason Simone and World Series all-tournament team selection Anderson Gardner (.500 BA, 4 HR in World Series).

Empire 8 champion St. John Fisher pushed Cortland to the bottom of the ninth inning in last year’s Auburn, N.Y., regional championship game. The Cardinals, who won their first-ever conference championship in 2010, boast several veteran bats and a strong offensive game but will have a revamped pitching rotation without 2010 Atlanta Braves draft pick Dan Jurik on top. Conference-mate Ithaca should have the pitching but the question for the Bombers will be can they score enough runs?

Farmingdale State was the last team other than Cortland to advance to the World Series. After a gut-wrenching exit from the 2010 regionals, sixth-year head coach Keith Osik should have his team, with 23 returnees, poised to head back to Auburn and contend.

The Liberty League will boast its’ usual cadre of regional contenders from perennial power RPI to 2009 darling Clarkson, defending champion Skidmore and always tough Rochester. The 24-game conference schedule and four-game weekends usually take a toll on all those involved though whichever team survives will be battle tested enough to provide a stiff test in Auburn. Each team has its’ positives and negatives though the most intriguing side will be RPI. The Engineers missed out on the conference tournament last year for the first-time ever and should be poised to make a return to the top of the league with a team of youthful experience.

The dark horse of the region may reside in the most northern-most reaches of the Empire State in Plattsburgh or potentially on Staten Island. Kris Doorey’s Plattsburgh Cardinals won 30 games last year though a quick exit from the conference tournament and a strong national Pool C field kept the Cards in the North Country during the NCAA tournament. Staten Island is in competition for a Pool B bid as a member of the CUNYAC. The Dolphins won their league last year and 28 games overall. With all of the parity in the region, this could be the year they sneak into the playoffs.  

Jerry Coleman, a catcher and relief pitcher last spring in Potsdam, turned heads over the summer in the Atlantic Baseball Confederation Collegiate League in New Jersey. The 6-foot-4 junior can play any position and he is one of the favorites to be the Player of the Year in the Liberty League. Tucker Healy, a relief pitcher from Ithaca College, has already signed with the Cape Cod Baseball League’s Chatham Anglers for the 2011 summer season. The Needham, Mass., native went 3-0 with 43 strikeouts in 27.1 innings last summer in the New England Collegiate Baseball League and he was selected as the NECBL’s Relief Pitcher of the Year. Healy is a two-time Empire 8 all-league selection. 

In his only season as the interim Head Coach, Brandon Potter led Fisher to a 31-14 overall record. St. John Fisher sports information

New Faces: Brandon Potter, St. John Fisher: The interim tag has been removed from the St. John Fisher skipper. Last season, Potter guided the Cardinals to their first-ever Empire 8 conference championship and a school record 31 victories. Potter’s St. John Fisher side experienced the most successful season in program history (31-14) and advanced to the title game of the Auburn, New York, regional against Cortland State.

Michael Barry, Keuka: There is a new leader in the eye of the Storm for 2011. Former Haverford assistant coach Michael Barry will be the new bench boss at Keuka this season. Barry spent four seasons as the pitching coach for the Fords, a team that finished as the runner-up in the Centennial Conference last season to Johns Hopkins. Barry brings a wealth of experience to Keuka Park with assistant coaching stops at Catholic, Centenary (La.), Virginia Wesleyan and Andrew (Ga.) College. Barry played collegiately at Virginia Wesleyan.

Pete Hoy, St. Lawrence: Tom Fay spent 38 seasons at St. Lawrence and amassed 522 victories. However, because of Fay’s retirement at the end of the 2010 season, a new manager will be in the St. Lawrence dugout for 2011. The school hired former Boston Red Sox pitcher and LeMoyne College pitching coach Pete Hoy to replace Fay. Hoy spent 12 seasons as an assistant coach at Division-I LeMoyne and helped the team amass 361 victories and three NCAA tournament appearances. Hoy pitched professionally for four seasons and was a relief pitcher for the Red Sox in 1992. The St. Lawrence position is Hoy’s first as a head coach.

John Torres, NYU-POLY: John Torres takes over the Blue Jays after spending the last two years as the head coach at St. Joseph’s of Brooklyn. Overall, Torres has six seasons of coaching experience in the tri-state area between St. Joseph’s, New Jersey City and Manhattan Community College. The John Jay College graduate has also worked professionally for the New York Mets as an associate scout.

Paul Mound joins the Dutchmen after spending the past 12 years as the head coach and general manager of the Saratoga Stampede. Union photo by Saratogian

Paul Mound, Union: A brand new coaching staff takes the helm in Schenectady for the 2011 season. Interim head coach Gary Reynolds has returned to his duties as the associate head football coach and with that, the school has brought on Paul Mound to guide the Dutchmen’s efforts on the diamond. Mound assisted under Reynolds last season. His most experience comes over the last 12 years as the head coach and general manager of the Saratoga Stampede American Legion club.

Rod Stephan, Old Westbury: Former Old Westbury pitching coach Rod Stephan was promoted to interim head baseball coach in early December. Stephan replaces John Lonardo who helmed the Panthers for 14 years and also served as the school’s Athletic Director. Under Stephan’s guise, the Panthers produced 2009 Chicago Cubs draft pick Robert Whitenack and three-straight Skyline Conference Pitcher of the Year award winners. Stephan, a 1981 Queens College graduate, is a former New York City Department of Corrections officer and he has over 30 years of coaching experience.

City University of New York Athletic Conference (CUNYAC): The CUNYAC, much like the Empire 8, is not an automatic bid conference. The champion is not guaranteed a spot in the NCAA tournament and needs to traverse through the national wilds of Pool B. Staten Island stormed through the CUNYAC last year, compiled an 11-1 league record and nearly gained an NCAA tournament slot with a 28-11 overall mark. The Dolphins have all but three seniors back from last year’s team and will be led by 2010 CUNYAC Player of the Year Pat Gale (.418, 47 RBI, 69 H; 8-2, 2.09 ERA, 77.2 IP, 105 K). Of Staten Island’s 11 all-league selections last season, eight were underclassmen for second-year head coach Mike Mauro and all but one are back. Freshman slugger Joe Falcone joins the Dolphins after spending six years in the Navy that included three combat tours of duty in the Middle East. The 6-foot-6, 24-year-old is the son of former New York Mets pitcher Pete Falcone, the third overall pick in the 1973 Major League Baseball draft.  The biggest question in the CUNYAC is not whether Staten Island will repeat, but will the Dolphins be able to put together a resume worthy of a Pool B selection? The CSI schedule includes two games with NJAC-powerhouse Kean, a doubleheader at Salisbury, an early season contest against Cortland and a trip to always-tough William Paterson.

Ithaca junior Tucker Healy was named the top relief pitcher in the New England Collegiate Baseball League last summer. Ithaca sports information

Empire 8: Last spring, St. John Fisher ended Ithaca’s run of nine-straight Empire 8 crowns and ended up advancing all the way to the championship game of the Auburn, N.Y., regional. The road to the regionals may again roll through Pittsford, N.Y., however the winner of the conference between Ithaca and St. John Fisher will be the team that can best replace its frontline starting pitching. The Fisher offense that averaged over seven runs per contest will have most of its big sticks back including Ben Bostick (.369, 2 HR, 32 RBI, 11 SB), Marc Montesano (.385, 13 RBI, 8 SB), Leo Fusilli (.339, 3 HR, 26 RBI) and Steven Karnyski (.330, 1 HR, 18 RBI). Departed veterans Kevin Wing and Jason Nevada will be hard to replace though each remains on with the team as a coach. The issue for Fisher will be on the mound where the Cardinals need to re-tool their starting rotation with the loss of all-conference arms Dan Jurik (7-3, 1.99 ERA, 85 K, 77.0 IP) and Michael Craig (3-0, 4.27 ERA). Converted reliever Tim Johnson (3-2, 3.00 ERA, 2 saves, 13 APP) and Adam Petinella (3-2, 4.19 ERA) top the returning staff with expected contributions also to come from several freshman including Justin D’Amato, Nate Harris and transfer Josh Cox (Jefferson C.C.).

Prior to last season, Ithaca had been the darling of the Empire 8 and the Bombers had won every crown dating back to 2001. But, a 20-18 Bomber team missed out on a Pool B bid into the NCAA tournament. Ithaca returns mostly intact, a young team now a year older and wiser that should be led by two-sport star David Ahonen (.371, 3 HR, 31 RBI) and ace reliever Tucker Healy (2-1, 1.17, 3 saves, 47 K, 30.2 IP). However, the rest of the pitching staff will need to improve upon a 4.50 overall team ERA (up from 3.18 in 2009) and a replacement will need to be found at the top of the rotation for workhorse number one Tom Fishback (82.2 IP, 2010). Andrew Wall (4-3, 3.64 ERA, 47.0 IP, 47 K), Aaron Sapp (2-4, 6.82 ERA) and Dan Lynch (2-4, 5.05 ERA, 41.0 IP) will anchor the pitching rotation and look to revert to their 2009 form when the Bombers won 37 games. At the plate, Trevor Wolf (.364, 4 HR, 31 RBI) had a breakout 2010 in which he missed only one game..  

Outside of the top two, it’s a knock-down, drag-out between Stevens, R.I.T. and Utica. The Tigers must replace three-time Empire 8 Player of the Year Geoff Dornes (.333, 2 HR, 32 RBI; 4-4, 2.48 ERA, 48 K) while Stevens will be without ace Joe Finora (7-3, 3.00 ERA, 61 K, 75.0 IP). The Ducks have a little more in the cupboard with the departure of only four seniors. Heading up the way for the Ducks are dual-threat Ken Meerendonk (.326, 5 HR, 29 RBI; 4-5, 4.73 ERA, 43 K), Russ Grimes (.316, 10 HR, 42 RBI) and Dennis Ackerman (.328, 2 HR, 24 RBI). Meanwhile in Rochester, the top returning Tigers are Dave Kernan (.290, 3 HR, 30 RBI), Justin Smith (.331, 18 RBI, 16 SB) and Mike Marsilio (4-4, 4.29 ERA, 42.0 IP). Utica won seven games overall last season and two in the Empire 8 under new manager Andrew Weimer. Expect the turnaround to continue this season though the Pioneers are still a few years away from doing any damage at the top of the loop.

Senior lefty Alex Giovannone is one of several returners to the Clarkson pitching staff. Clarkson Photo by Tom Chudy

Liberty League: All bets are off in the Liberty League this year where everything is literally up for grabs and there is no clear-cut favorite. The usual suspects are likely to be near the top – that means Rochester, RPI, Clarkson and Skidmore. St. Lawrence begins a new era with a new coach as does Union and while Vassar could be a playoff dark horse out of Poughkeepsie.

Rochester has been the perennial bridesmaid in the Liberty League and never the bride – the Yellow Jackets have hosted two out of the last three Liberty League tournaments but have fallen short of the crown each time. Six Rochester starters return topped by offensive sparkplugs Matt Francis (.387, 3 HR, 37 RBI, 22 SB), Alex Caghan (.316, 6 HR, 39 RBI, 30 SB) and Steve Just (.377, 3 HR, 38 RBI). While a potent offense is mostly back (minus Liberty League Player of the Year Nate Stein and several others) along with talented freshman Nate Mulberg, Rochester’s pitching could be an issue with only half of the four-man weekend rotation returning in Dan Ludwig (7-2, 2.95 ERA, 58.0 IP) and Jon Menke (5-2, 4.26 ERA, 50.2 IP). The bullpen however will be stout with Corey King (2-0, 0.93 ERA, 15 APP, 3 saves, 13.1 IP), Nick Cacciola (3-3, 4.46 ERA, 4 saves, 19 APP) and Ned Chanatry (1-0, 4.88, 3 saves, 17 APP).

Skidmore finished as the runner-up to Rochester during the regular season and then emerged in the conference tournament to take the title. Half of Skidmore’s conference rotation is back with strikeout leader Trevor Brucato (3-4, 2.16 ERA, 4 CG, 49 K) and Nick Laracuente (8-1, 2.67 ERA, 64.0 IP, 47 K) while closer Zach Rudman (0-2, 0.68 ERA, 7 saves, 13.1 IP) should buoy the pitching staff on the back end. Rudman should also be a force at the plate where he drove in 31 runs a year ago and Brian Lowry (.314, 4 HR, 23 RBI, 16 SB) will be counted upon to drive in runs with few regulars returning on a team featuring 12 rookies.

Clarkson squared off with Skidmore in the Liberty title tilt in May and Jim Kane’s Golden Knights always seem to hit their stride at the right time. The one-two junior punch of David Kinney (.374, 8 HR, 27 RBI) and Jerry Coleman (.359, 6 HR, 22 RBI, 10 SB) will guide the offensive that has to replace some key components but a young 2010 pitching staff is now older and conference-tested. The majority of conference starters return to the mound including workhorse David Goerold (5-3, 2.59 ERA, 62.2 IP, 7 CG) and fire-baller Bryan Chudy (2-4, 4.12 ERA, 43.2 IP, 2 CG). Clarkson and Skidmore both have the pitching but could struggle to score runs.

Mike Perrone was the Liberty League Rookie of the Year and ECAC Division III Upstate Rookie of the Year in 2010. Vassar sports information.

With all due respect to St. Lawrence’s Chris Cook, the 2010 Liberty League Pitcher of the Year, RPI’s Mike Cieszko (5-2, 1.04 ERA, 4 GS/CG, 2 saves, 42.0 IP, 45 K) might be the best pitcher in the conference. The Rensselaer senior was converted from a shutdown closer to a starter late last season and finished the campaign as the national leader in ERA (1.07). He whirled four-straight complete games to help RPI make a run at the playoffs. Cieszko, who worked as a starting pitcher this past summer in the NYCBL, should form a solid top of the RPI rotation with Dan Duval (4-3, 3.18 ERA, 51.0 IP). Duval enjoyed a successful 2010 summer in the NECBL. All-in-all, the Engineers overall will be young in 2011 and likely will feature a batting order with just one senior. Sophomores Sujith Murali (.397, 8 RBI) and Johnny Rio (.312, 4 HR, 29 RBI) will be counted upon offensively along with junior Kyle Lavigne (.300). But, given RPI’s past success, the Engineers should be right back in the thick of things in 2011.

St. Lawrence has two shutdown arms in Chris Cook (7-2, 2.96 ERA, 67.0 IP, 52 K) and Pat Considine (4-3, 2.72 ERA, 49.2 IP, 48 K) though new head coach Pete Hoy needs his staff in general to drop a 5.03 team ERA from last season. Overall, the Canton, N.Y., side boasts a veteran club that lost just four seniors and last year featured 15 freshmen and sophomores. Carter Franz (.326, 29 RBI, 21 BB, 12 SB) had a tremendous freshman season and was part of a class that also included Matt DeLuca (.365, 3 HR, 15 RBI) and Ethan Braddock (.303, 15 RBI).

Vassar could be a party crasher at the Liberty League tournament. The Brewers batted .292 as a team last season, averaged almost six runs per game and swiped 111 bases. Last year’s Liberty League Rookie of the Year Michael Perrone (.434, 66 H, 39 R, 19 RBI, 36 SB) will look to avoid a sophomore slump leading a young and experienced team that contains only four seniors. Other offensive weapons include Devin Luongo (.339, 22 RBI, 15 SB), Liam Lee (.281, 31 R, 14 SB) and Sal Costanzo (.277, 2 HR, 26 RBI). To make an impact, the Brewers must improve their pitching; Vassar posted a 7.50 team ERA last season and had just one hurler with an ERA below 6.00.

Union, like Vassar, also has the majority of its roster from last season however the Dutchmen will be comprised of mostly freshman and sophomores. The Schenectady ball club could be a one or two away from competing on a regular basis.

Sophomore righthander Chris Phelan is 11-5 over two seasons for Farmingdale State. Farmingdale State sports information

Skyline Conference: The last three Skyline tournament championships have been won by Farmingdale State and in each of those years; the Rams captured a share of the regular season conference crown. Given the success of the Farmingdale State program under Keith Osik, it’s no surprise that the Rams are favored to win a fourth-straight title. Kevin Curtis, the 2009 Skyline Conference Player of the Year, is back as a senior along with outfielder Frank Yera (.395, 18 RBI, 11 SB) and part-time starters Ryan Rubenstein (.381, 2 HR, 18 RBI) and Terrance Bohanon (.314, 1 HR, 23 RBI). Staff ace Chris Phelan (6-4, 3.22 ERA, 67.0 IP, 62 K) will again top the rotation and he will be joined by strikeout artist Vinny Messana (4-2, 5.23 ERA, 41.1 IP, 50 K) and transfer C.J. Bula (Purchase). The biggest Farmingdale area for improvement has to be defense after the Rams committed 17 errors in the regionals last year and 14 of those came in just two games.

St. Joseph’s of Long Island finished second behind Farmingdale State last season though the Eagles lose too much through graduation to be near the top of the heap in 2011. Old Westbury does have the returning Skyline Conference Player of the Year Josef Schaetzle (.391, 1 HR, 39 RBI, 61 H) and Skyline Pitcher of the Year Marvin Rosario (6-3, 4.39 ERA, 55.1 IP, 47 K) along with a healthy Ryan Blanco (.353, 33 RBI, 20 SB) though the Panthers could use depth both at the plate and on the mound. Mount St. Mary also finished near the top last year though graduation losses could keep the Blue Knights from contending. The dark horse candidate to challenge Farmingdale could come from Mt. St. Vincent. The Dolphins bring back most of their offensive weapons including John McManus (.414, 7 HR, 36 RBI, 14 SB), James Labartino (.346, .436 OBP, 21 SB) and Mike Pope (.342, 28 RBI, 11 SB).

State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC): For only the second time since the turn of the century (to 2000), a team other than Cortland State advanced to the NCAA regionals as the league playoff champion. Brockport State, the 2004 SUNYAC and regional champion, won a weather-shortened conference tournament in early May to gain the NCAA automatic bid. The SUNYAC favorites again reside at Wallace Field in Cortland but if there is a year when the Red Dragons are vulnerable, this might be it.

The strength of the defending national runners-up will be on the mound with starters Travis Ratliff (9-1, 4.64 ERA, 70 K, 64.0 IP), Scott Hartling (4-1, 4.59 ERA), Mike Assmann (7-5, 5.57 ERA, 62 K, 72.2 IP) and Kris Gentzke (2-0, 4.70 ERA) all back. The rotation will be bolstered by the return former starter Michael Mahay (3-1, 4.32 ERA, converted to relief in 2010) and hard-throwing transfer Aaron Schuldt (Binghamton). The biggest questions for Cortland come in the form of the starting line-up and the bullpen. The Dragons return just two starting position players in Matt June (.414, 2 HR, 33 RBI) and Andrew Pezzuto (.282, 24 RBI, 10 SB – 2009); Pezzuto missed last season due to injury. Cortland veterans Alex Coffey, Dan Kaplan and Justin Fredenburg are expected to step into the starting line-up which will also be aided by transfers Tim Panetta (UCONN), Zach Gracyzk (C.W. Post) and Mike Casabona (Orange C.C.).

The "Red Menace" at the top of the conference also includes first-place suitors Oneonta and Plattsburgh. The Red Dragons will certainly miss D3baseball.com All-American Dave Filak (8-1, 2.00 ERA, 104 K, 67.1 IP) but a good young core of last year’s surprise NCAA tournament team is back. Like the other Red Dragons, Oneonta’s strong point is pitching with a staff topped by A.J. Bates (4-6, 3.60 ERA, 5 saves, 57 K), Joshua Herzenberg (1-0, 1.64 ERA, 2 saves, 38.1 IP), Ken Smith (3-1, 4.24 ERA, 19 K) and Jeff Carter (3-1, 4.89 ERA). Bates is projected to move into the rotation and transfer Chris Tyson (Mohawk Valley C.C.) will try to fill the shoes of Filak. Offensively, Kevin Knack (.348, 3 HR, 34 RBI, 10 SB) is the top returning batsmen for a team that losses four of its top five hitters from last year. Transfer catcher Eric Wells (Southern Vermont) hit .408 and drove in 33 runs in the NECC last spring.

Meanwhile Plattsburgh won 30 games last season but hit what for it has become the glass ceiling in the conference tournament. Pitching is also the name of the game up north where Dan Tracey (9-0, 4.43 ERA, 63.0 IP) leads a potent and veteran Cardinal staff that accounted for 20 victories in 2009. Tracey has not lost a game in two years. Of the top contenders, Plattsburgh has the most back offensively with all top five hitters paced by run producers Donny Coolidge (.349, 44 RBI, 22 SB), Pat Shaughnessy (.367, 6 HR, 37 RBI, 15 SB) and Tory Bouyea (.392, 1 HR, 28 RBI, 12 SB). That said, Plattsburgh’s biggest stumbling block remains the same, winning the games it should win (i.e. no bad losses) and overcoming the conference tournament hump.  

Defending SUNYAC tournament champion Brockport is always in the mix. The Golden Eagles advanced to the NCAA playoffs for the second time in seven years by virtue of last year’s 2-0 mark in the league postseason. Like everyone else, Brockport has big holes to fill due to graduation. Atop the Eagles’ nest should be slugger Max Zimmerman (.344, 8 HR, 47 RBI), speedster Max Keado (.384, 30 BB, 18 SB) and top pitcher Kyle Smith (3-1, 5.72 ERA, 53 K, 56.2 IP). Immediate offensive help should come in the form of NJCAA All-American Corey Booth (Orange C.C., .535, 34 SB, 54 RBI) while several JUCO arms should bolster the pitching staff. Fredonia made the SUNYAC playoffs several years ago though missed out last season. The Blue Devils are deep on the mound with 20 of 21 victories returning. Offense appears to be the weak link as Fredonia must replace its’ two, three and four hitters.

The biggest change this year in the SUNYAC will be the conference schedule. One-day doubleheaders and a 12-game conference slate are for the time being, a thing of the past. Beginning this year, teams will play conference foes three times in a three-game weekend series. This won’t be your typical Friday through Sunday set rather a doubleheader on Saturday and then a single game on Sunday. The number of conference games increases from 12 to 18 meaning fewer non-league tilts.