I’m here at Davis Elementary in New Rochelle at 4:55 and Ossining just started taking infield and outfield. So for those of you who didn’t think you could make it over, this game is going to start about 45 minutes or an hour late. There’s plenty of time.

I just talked to Ossining coach Bill Casey, who said his game today at New Rochelle is on as scheduled. Its the only game in town today. I plan on catching a few innings and then checking back in later with the result.

Class AA opening round:
Ossining-New Rochelle winner at No. 1 Mamaroneck, 11 a.m. — Isn’t this like Florida A & M winning the play-in game in the NCAA basketball tournament before getting slaughtered by North Carolina in the first round?. Sorry Ossining and New Ro, but only your booster clubs are picking you here. Prediction: Mamaroneck wins 12-2.
No. 15 White Plains at No. 2 Arlington, 1 p.m. — Not only did White Plains lose to Arlington 9-2, it also lost 9-2 to Mahopac, which got swept in three games by Arlington. Whatever voodoo the Tigers used during their near-defeat of Mamaroneck, they need to look up the witch doctor again. Prediction: Arlington wins 8-1.
No. 14 John Jay-East Fishkill at No. 3 Ketcham, 11 a.m. — Take a closer look at Fishkill’s 9-11 record. Seven of those losses were by two runs or less. And we’re talking formidable opponents like Arlington, Mamaroneck, Carmel, and yes, Ketcham. The Patriots lost three straight to Ketcham but two of those were one-run games. I say the luck pendulum swings the other way, providing the big first-round upset. Prediction: John Jay-East Fishkill wins 5-4.
No. 13 Scarsdale at No. 4 Fox Lane, 1 p.m. — Whether it’s Brian DeVoto or Brandon Serio on the hill for Fox Lane shouldn’t matter. DeVoto has given up one run over his last 19 innings and Serio has given up one run over his last 16 innings. While the sticks get most of the attention, that’s quite a 1-2 punch. Prediction: Fox Lane wins 8-3.
No. 12 Yorktown at No. 5 Saunders, at Fleming Field, 1 p.m. — In Peter Gordon, Matt Clayton, and Andrickson Zorilla Saunders has three guys who stole double-digit bags. Speed, often a characteristic of Yonkers schools, hasn’t won them too many playoff games in the past. It would be fun to see someone swipe their way to a playoff victory. Prediction: Saunders wins 4-2.
No. 11 Clarkstown South at No. 6 North Rockland, 1 p.m. — Josh thinks John Veltri will pitch for North Rockland. I say it’s Frank Rosario, who’s been a de facto ace (although Tom Lynch spreads his innings fairly equitably. I agree that John Tricario gets the ball for South. They dueled this year in 7-6 South win in which both went five innings, allowing five runs and three earned runs. I say one of them cleans that up a bit this time. I just don’t know which one. And since I’m covering this game, I’ll refrain from making a guess. Prediction: Yankees over Red Sox in ALCS Game 7, 18-1.
No. 10 Horace Greeley at No. 7 Carmel, 1 p.m. — Greeley is coming off six games against Yonkers, Port Chester, Harrison, and Gorton. Are the Quakers prepared for Zack Graczyk blasting lasers through the infield, or Volpe throwing smoke?. Prediction: Carmel wins 9-4.
No. 9 Suffern at No. 8 John Jay, 1 p.m. — Two years in a row a Rockland team has taken a bus up I-64 and ended John Jay’s season. Last year it was Suffern and Jimmy Brennan, who kept the ball in the park in a 9-2 laugher. You have to think the Indians took a couple of notes (probably with lots of angry stabbing doodles in the margins). If I were Suffern I would throw Brennan again and save Aviles for Mamaroneck. Either way they should make it to Round 2. You know the axiom about good pitching vs good hitting…  Prediction: Suffern wins 5-2.
Class A opening round:
No. 14 Tappan Zee at No. 3 Hen Hud, 1 p.m. — Josh has been talking about this as his upset pick since the minute the seeds came out. I don’t buy it. Yeah, the Sailors are without their full squad. This lineup is more than a two-trick pony, though. Look at Matt DeSilva, who’s got his average over .500 and just scored his 30th run. Prediction: Hen Hud wins 7-1.
No. 13 Panas at No. 4 Ardsley, 1 p.m. — Mike Swerdloff’s ERA is below 1.00. Is that a guy you really want to be facing in the first round? This time Ardsley’s advance is no upset. Prediction: Ardsley wins 8-0.
No. 12 Harrison at No. 5 Brewster, 1 p.m. — Funny, Josh called Brewster inconsistent. What about Harrison? As I mentioned in my preview, the Huskies can never be counted out—or in. You can never be sure which Harrison is going to show up. Maybe the fact that these games are do or die will keep Dr. Jekyll on the field. Prediction: Harrison wins 10-9.
No. 11 Rye at No. 6 Beacon, 3 p.m. — Can Chris Triano’s lumber overcome Anthony Cervone’s arm? Scroll up for my opinion on good pitching vs good hitting. Prediction: Beacon wins 4-1.
No. 10 Byram Hills at No. 7 Eastchester, 1 p.m. — Eastchester beat Pearl River and Hen Hud last year to make it to the semifinals. Tom Medico started against Pelham, and, ah, didn’t fare so well in a 17-9 loss. He’s a better pitcher this time around, though. Byram doesn’t have nearly the firepower of the 2008 Pelicans, although Joe Mandel has heated up of late. Eastchester in a close one. Prediction: Eastchester wins 6-4.
No. 9 Pelham at No. 8 Pearl River, 1 p.m. — Pearl River doesn’t knock your socks off when you watch them. In fact I’d call them the opposite of last year’s Pelham, where you looked around the diamond and said “That guy’s a stud, that guy’s a stud, that guy’s a stud…” A few of those guys are still left on Pelham’s roster. Somehow, though, the Pirates have figured out how to get things done. Prediction: Pearl River wins 7-6.
Class B opening round:
No. 11 Bronxville at No. 6 Briarcliff, 4 p.m. — True, Bronxville’s league schedule did not adequately prepare it for sectionals. It’s a problem Bronxville constantly faces (in many sports) as a Class B team stuck in a Class C league. I respect the fact that the Broncos scheduled Nanuet and Hastings for the end of the season since that’s exactly who they might see down the road. It’s not as though Briarcliff’s league is amazing either, though, outside of Kennedy. I’ll say Bronxville challenged itself at the right time. Luke Devlin keeps the Bears under wraps enough to pull out a win. Prediction: Bronxville wins 5-3.
No. 10 Croton-Harmon at No. 7 Albertus Magnus, 1 p.m. — While both have that warm and fuzzy feeling about making it this far, these teams are not equal. Albertus was rolling in midseason and picked up solid wins over Hastings and Pearl River. There is plenty of hitting talent on this roster, headlined by Ryan Sullivan and Mike Velazquez. Croton, while a vast improvement over 2008, is still under .500. Albertus could make noise in the playoffs, and it starts with an easy win here. Prediction: Albertus Magnus wins 10-3.
No. 9 Pawling at No. 8 Pleasantville, 11 a.m. — Other than Croton (which, as I just mentioned, barely made sectionals) and Valhalla (which made sectionals only because of the small Class C field) Pleasantville didn’t beat a playoff team this year. Not that Pawling was so spectacular, but at least it has the Keio victory under its belt. That’s enough to convince me. Prediction: Pawling wins 8-5.

Class AA opening round:
Ossining-New Rochelle winner at No. 1 Mamaroneck, 11 a.m. — Mamaroneck swept three from New Rochelle. Ossining hasn’t faced a team like this all season. I expect the Tigers will be ready, and their bats will lead them. Prediction: Mamaroneck.
No. 15 White Plains at No. 2 Arlington, 1 p.m. — White Plains hung close with Arlington earlier this season. It led the Admirals 1-0 until falling apart in the bottom of the fifth, when their opponent scored eight runs. Arlington won’t take White Plains lightly, and it has higher aspirations than a first round exit. Prediction: Arlington.
No. 14 John Jay-East Fishkill at No. 3 Ketcham, 11 a.m. — You know who I like here because I picked Ketcham to make a deep run. That doesn’t mean it’ll be easy. With its ace on the bump, John Jay is a different team. But Ketcham beat the Patriots three straight. Although this isn’t an ideal first round matchup against a League 1-C foe, Ketcham should advance, even if it’s close for the Indians’ comfort. Prediction: Ketcham.
No. 13 Scarsdale at No. 4 Fox Lane, 1 p.m. — Scarsdale has been up and down this season. You can’t say the same about Fox Lane. After the Raiders upset John Jay-East Fishkill last season, they may be somewhat of a trendy upset pick. Fox Lane is too solid to fall victim. Prediction: Fox Lane.
No. 12 Yorktown at No. 5 Saunders, at Fleming Field, 1 p.m. — I’ll be interested to see what you think about this one. Hopefully, you realize Saunders is not your typical Yonkers league champ. The Blue Devils are legit, and I think they prove it. Prediction: Saunders.
No. 11 Clarkstown South at No. 6 North Rockland, 1 p.m. — So what do you lean toward here? History, which tells us South won the season series 2-0-1, or the hot team, which is North Rockland? I expect Tricario and Veltri to pitch. I expect a low-scoring game. What I can’t predict is the unknown. But something tells me a crazy play decides this one, like a squeeze or an error or a big stolen base. That’s how close they are. Prediction: North Rockland.
No. 10 Horace Greeley at No. 7 Carmel, 1 p.m. — Carmel can’t hold back Mike Volpe because Greeley and Trevor Ganzi are too good. The Rams must respect them. They will, and Volpe will extend his career another couple days. Prediction: Carmel.
No. 9 Suffern at No. 8 John Jay, 1 p.m. — Here’s the thing about the debate over who Suffern should pitch: Both of its top guys are excellent. Either one is capable of beating anyone. Yeah, John Jay can have a powerful offense, but Suffern is the more complete team. If the Mounties can score three or four runs, they can definitely advance. Prediction: Suffern.
Class A opening round:
No. 14 Tappan Zee at No. 3 Hen Hud, 1 p.m. — My upset special. Not only is Hen Hud smarting, but Tappan Zee is better than a 14 seed. The Dutchmen would be tough if Hen Hud entered the game at 100 percent. It won’t, and TZee will move on. Prediction: Tappan Zee.
No. 13 Panas at No. 4 Ardsley, 1 p.m. — Ardsley is as tough to beat with its ace, Mark Swerdloff, on the mound as anyone in Class A. Unfortunately for Panas, it may find that out tomorrow. Prediction: Ardsley.
No. 12 Harrison at No. 5 Brewster, 1 p.m. — I find this game awfully hard to predict. Brewster has been too inconsistent, making it especially hard to read in a one-and-done situation. The Bears could win by six runs, but they could score two and lose. This may be the biggest coin flip of the first round. Prediction: Brewster (I think).
No. 11 Rye at No. 6 Beacon, 3 p.m. — Does Rye draw Anthony Cervone here? Probably. Not only is he a true ace, but Beacon has been tested during a more rigorous league schedule. I expect the Bulldogs to move on. Prediction: Beacon.
No. 10 Byram Hills at No. 7 Eastchester, 1 p.m. — These clubs split during the regular season. They are separated by very little at this point. Eastchester has two good pitchers in Tom Medico and Andrew Nickoletos. Paul Baumann pitched both games against Eastchester. Will Byram Hills go with Matt DiPietrantonio instead to give the Eagles a different look? Prediction: Eastchester.
No. 9 Pelham at No. 8 Pearl River, 1 p.m. — I said last night that this is a referrendum game for these teams, which are hot. Are they really that good? Can they produce in the playoffs when the competition get tougher? I think Pelham’s pitching wins it on the road. Prediction: Pelham.
Class B opening round:
No. 11 Bronxville at No. 6 Briarcliff, 4 p.m. — No matter who gets the ball (Jordan Sacks, Dan Gillet or James Lombardi) he should be too tough for Bronxville, which played a much weaker schedule than Briarcliff. The Bears are ready to move to the quarters. Prediction: Briarcliff.
No. 10 Croton-Harmon at No. 7 Albertus Magnus, 1 p.m. — Two teams having dream seasons are happy to have arrived in the playoffs. I just think Magnus got over the excitement in late April and believes it has the talent for a deep run. Prediction: Albertus Magnus.
No. 9 Pawling at No. 8 Pleasantville, 11 a.m. — Pawling opened my eyes earlier this season when it beat Keio. But much like Bronxville, another Conference 4 team, I don’t think the Tigers were tested quite like Pleasantville, which faced the likes of Kennedy and Briarcliff on a regular basis. Prediction: Pleasantville.
Class C quarterfinals:
No. 6 Valhalla at No. 3 North Salem, 1 p.m. — I said it yesterday: This will be close. Valhalla has nothing to lose. North Salem, as we’ve heard the last two days, has its eyes on a championship. Don’t look ahead too soon Tigers. Prediction: North Salem.
No. 5 Tuckahoe at No. 4 Haldane, 12 p.m. — Haldane is better than you think. The Blue Devils already beat Tuckahoe, 9-5 in early April, and they truly believe they can compete with Keio in the semis. Keio beat Haldane by just two runs in the regular season finale. Don’t think it didn’t pique the Blue Devils’ interest in winning the whole thing. Prediction: Haldane.

Jake and I will post our predictions tomorrow, but I want to post the schedule below and invite everyone to make picks of his or her own.

Let’s hear who you like in the first round:

FRIDAY
Class AA outbracket:
No. 17 Ossining at No. 16 New Rochelle, 4:30 p.m.

SATURDAY
Class AA opening round:
Ossining-New Rochelle winner at No. 1 Mamaroneck, 11 a.m.
No. 15 White Plains at No. 2 Arlington, 1 p.m.
No. 14 John Jay-East Fishkill at No. 3 Ketcham, 11 a.m.
No. 13 Scarsdale at No. 4 Fox Lane, 1 p.m.
No. 12 Yorktown at No. 5 Saunders, at Fleming Field, 1 p.m.
No. 11 Clarkstown South at No. 6 North Rockland, 1 p.m.
No. 10 Horace Greeley at No. 7 Carmel, 1 p.m.
No. 9 Suffern at No. 8 John Jay, 1 p.m.
Class A opening round:
No. 14 Tappan Zee at No. 3 Hen Hud, 1 p.m.
No. 13 Panas at No. 4 Ardsley, 1 p.m.
No. 12 Harrison at No. 5 Brewster, 1 p.m.
No. 11 Rye at No. 6 Beacon, 3 p.m.
No. 10 Byram Hills at No. 7 Eastchester, 1 p.m.
No. 9 Pelham at No. 8 Pearl River, 1 p.m.
Class B opening round:
No. 11 Bronxville at No. 6 Briarcliff, 4 p.m.
No. 10 Croton-Harmon at No. 7 Albertus Magnus, 1 p.m.
No. 9 Pawling at No. 8 Pleasantville, 11 a.m.
Class C quarterfinals:
No. 6 Valhalla at No. 3 North Salem, 1 p.m.
No. 5 Tuckahoe at No. 4 Haldane, 12 p.m.

Jake invoked Jim Mora to kick off his sectional overview. I cannot be as clever, but I can link to another embarrassing rant by a man who, at the time, coached Jake’s favorite team, the lowly Jets.

Remember Section 1 ballers, on the eve of these playoffs: YOU PLAY TO WIN THE GAME!

On to the overview…

Class AA

Best opening round game: No. 9 Suffern at No. 8 John Jay. It doesn’t matter who pitches for Suffern, this will be power vs. power. Robbie Aviles and Jim Brennan both bring it, but few teams hit homers like John Jay, which has four guys with multiple home runs. The combination of Suffern’s heat and John Jay’s powerful bats will make for an interesting matchup, particularly on John Jay’s tiny homefield. A lot of people have penciled Suffern into Monday’s quarterfinals for a rematch with mighty Mamaroneck, and don’t think the Indians haven’t noticed. Also keep in mind, Suffern won on John Jay’s homefield in last year’s semis behind a strong effort from Brennan.
Best storyline: Who will take down the champ? Last year several of Section 1’s best teams lined up and took their shot at Mamaroneck. This year won’t be any different. The Tigers have so much talent and so much experience, but with it comes an inordinate amount of pressure. Eight of their starters are seniors. From now on, every game they play could be their last together. Mamaroneck’s opponents will try to use that pressure to their advantage. They’d be crazy not to. The bottom line is, if anybody ends Mamaroneck’s reign, they instantly become the story of the playoffs. Just ask ‘07 Carmel.
Best potential later round game: No. 7 Carmel and/or No. 3 Ketcham at No. 2 Arlington. I’m going to let Jake have at the Suffern-Mamaroneck game. But another one (or two) to watch are the potential League 1-C rematches. I can’t even imagine how much Ketcham must want another chance at Arlington after it lost three straight one-run games in four days to the Admirals earlier this season. Same for Carmel, which lost two games to Arlington 9-8 in the span of 48 hours. What possible scenario could help an underdog get up for a game any more than these?
Prediction: No. 1 Mamaroneck over No. 3 Ketcham. Ketcham over Carmel in the semifinals. Mamaroneck over Fox Lane. The Tigers win a close, low-scoring game in the quarterfinals over Suffern. Carmel earns its revenge over Arlington, but can’t get past Ketcham. Mamaroneck then hits its way to another title.
Surprise: Saunders. The Blue Devils beat Yorktown, then push Fox Lane to the brink in the quarterfinals, proving themselves for real.

Class A

Best opening round game: No. 9 Pelham at No. 8 Pearl River. Both teams enter very hot. Pelham pushed Ardsley for the League 3-B title, and Pearl River rallied to win its final seven games after falling three below .500. Pelham cost itself homefield advantage in this matchup by losing its finale to New Rochelle, a game many of us expected the Pelicans to win. Still, Zack Baker has been $$$ lately, erasing memories of his slow start. But what makes this one intriguing isn’t the pitching matchup or the fact that the winner has the right to play Lakeland. What I find interesting is I’m not sure where these teams stand. Did either of them thrive because of easier competition? Or did one or both blossom into serious Class A contenders? We’ll know by Monday at the latest, but this should provide some indication one way or another.
Best storyline: Does Somers just have that “it” factor? Somers has won Class A twice in a row. It beat Sean Giblin in 2007 on a walkoff home run. It then shutout Pelham, with its assortment of college-bound baseball studs. How can you not expect a big postseason from the Tuskers at this point? They have earned that respect. I don’t know how they’ll do it, and I don’t know who they’ll pitch, but they won’t abdicate the throne easily.
Best potential later round game: No. 4 Ardsley at No. 1 Lakeland. You wanna talk about revenge? No one looking at these brackets thought about revenge quite like Lakeland, or so I imagine. Ardsley daggered Lakeland on Kioyta Gomi’s homer off the prodigious Brendan Hourihan, sending the top-seeded Hornets home in the quarterfinals. The teams would have to wait until the semis to meet this season, but it would determine a spot in the final.
Prediction: No. 2 Somers over No. 1 Lakeland. I toyed with taking Beacon into the final, but something about Somers’ resolve made me think otherwise. I expect the Tuskers to beat Beacon in the semis. I like Lakeland to earn its revenge and ride the Arena-de Marte combo into the final, but I believe Somers has a better lineup that can help it win the third straight game. I expect a great final.
Surprise: No. 14 Tappan Zee upsets No. 3 Hen Hud. The Dutchmen are vastly improved. They prove it against a Hen Hud team without all its weapons.

Class B

Best first round game: No. 5 Rye Neck at No. 4 Hastings. I don’t know if Ryan Pennell has faced a team this season as potentially formidable as Hastings, so that alone make this one intriguing. Pennell will be under pressure to perform in the playoff spotlight, but remember: he’s been there and won before. The rest of the team will need to score a few off Ryan Blicker to support its ace. Blicker will be out to prove he’s no slouch after a couple close losses earlier this season.
Best storyline: Albertus Magnus. The Falcons had a strong season under a new coach. Their start wasn’t a fluke, and they may have a chance to prove it against Dobbs Ferry lefty Zach Avalos in the quarterfinals. The best part of Magnus’ season has been its ability to compete with anyone. Does that make this team more dangerous than most No. 7 seeds? Absolutely. The Falcons aren’t in the playoffs to pat themselves on the back. They came to win. Ka-boom!
Best potential later round game: No. 3 Nanuet at No. 1 Kennedy. The one I’d most want to see is this final. Put Dan Diaz on the hill and let him fire away against Section 1’s highest-scoring offense. You’d have to figure any team that faces Kennedy is a huge underdog. That should remove all the pressure, giving a guy like Diaz all the chance to wing-it, even if it’s in relief.
Prediction: No. 1 Kennedy over No. 3 Nanuet. Problem is, I don’t think Kennedy can be stopped. Even when teams have quieted the Gaels’ attack, their pitchers, like Nick Modico, Rich Lennox and Tom Baroni, pitched like studs. I expect Kennedy to beat Rye Neck in the semis, and Nanuet to defeat Dobbs Ferry, which will win behind Avalos.
Surprise: No. 2 Dobbs Ferry. The Eagles will look like a formidable team in the opening round. They are better than last year, their first in Class B, because their pitching is often spectacular. I’m sure a lot of folks have them pegged as upset candidates.

Class C

Best first round game: No. 6 Valhalla at No. 3 North Salem. Sure, Valhalla wouldn’t have qualified in a normal Section 1 tournament, but the Vikes are hardly a pushover. They lost 6-5 to North Salem on May 11. Yeah, they lost by 10 earlier in the season, but which one will they remember? (Hint: the second one.) The game was actually a heartbreaker. Valhalla actually led 5-2 before surrendering four runs in the top of the seventh. Had it not been for the rally, we’d look at this one even more closely. As it is no one should sleep on it.
Best storyline: Tuckahoe, without its best player, will go all the way to Cold Spring on Saturday in search of a small measure of success to help stamp its season. The Tigers fell below .500 without Pat Siciliano. Where would they be with him? We can’t say. His loss really does reset their expectations. A win over Haldane on Saturday would be like a championship for them.
Best potential later round game: No. 3 North Salem at No. 1 Keio. Offense vs. pitching. That would be the matchup in this possible championship game. Keio is among the area’s stingiest clubs, but isn’t it always? And how many innings can Kenta Miyoshi throw next week? Will he be on the hill in the seventh still baffling hitters? Can Keio win three straight? North Salem, which beat the Unicorns earlier this year, probably have the best shot of stopping them.
Prediction: No. 1 Keio over No. 3 North Salem. The whole bracket goes chalk except for North Salem winning a close one over Blind Brook in the semis. That one could go either way. I can’t say the same about Class C, which is Keio’s to lose. The Unicorns have the experience and the tournament setup favors them.
Surprise: Haldane plays Keio tight. The Unicorns won’t pitch Miyoshi the entire semifinal, giving them a few heartaches against Haldane, which has had a very underrated season.

Before sectionals open with tomorrow’s outbracket between Ossining and New Rochelle, Josh and I want to offer our playoff overviews for each class. Yes Jim Mora, we’re talking about the playoffs. Josh will be along with his shortly.

We’ll check in again tomorrow with predictions for each game.

Class AA

Best opening round game: No. 11 Clarkstown South at No. 6 North Rockland. It’s true that North Rockland didn’t take a game off the Vikings in three attempts. That’s misleading, though. One game was the infamous 10-inning tie in which both teams scored in the tenth and were chomping at the bit to get at each other. Another game was a 7-6 South win in which N-Rock went ahead 6-5 in the top of the seventh before Alex Lorenc’s triple helped South come back in the bottom half. Despite losing the series the Red Raiders will enjoy home-field advantage, which evens things a little. The teams have combined to win 11 of their last 12 – the only loss was by North Rockland to South. So you’ve got two rosters that know each other inside and out, always play close, and are executing their best baseball at the moment. Sounds like a battle to me.
Best storyline: Saunders. Every year we get a Yonkers school among the top five seeds, and every year some low-seeded team gets incredibly lucky to face it. It’s like a bye in the first-round. The Yonkers school will beat up on the other teams in its league, inflate its record for a high seed, and never make it out of the first round. For the first time in a while that is not the case. Saunders is legit. Are the Blue Devils great? No. Are they as good as their 15-5 record? Probably not. But opponents, starting with Yorktown, overlook them at their own risk.
Best potential later round game: Suffern at Mamaroneck in the quarterfinals. What else could it be? I know Josh is picking this too. Consider the following. 1) It’s a finals rematch. 2) That final brought out a raucous crowd that is sure to show up again. 3) Suffern was the only Section 1 team to beat Mamaroneck this year. 4) You could potentially see Robbie Aviles vs Sean Hagan, two of the top aces in the section who have dueled twice already. It all depends on whether Suffern coach Ron Gamma opts to start Aviles or Jimmy Brennan in the first round against John Jay. 5) For all the Tiger bashers out there, it might be your best chance to see Mamaroneck unseated.

Class A

Best opening round game: No. 9 Pelham at No. 8 Pearl River. The 8-9 matchup is usually where you turn first for competitive first-rounders. There’s nothing that grabs me about Class A’s first round, unlike AA where you have four really interesting matchups. Pelham-Pearl River has some potential. A Pirate hot streak (seven in a row) to close the year nudged them ahead of Pelham for home-field advantage, meaning Pelham must cross the river. The Pelicans have a scorching hitter in Andrew Camardella (10 for 14 with 10 RBI in four games). Pearl River counters with Nick Mart (9 for 10 with 6 RBI in three games). It In Zach Baker and Mike Scarinci the clubs have two inconsistent aces who are pitching their best as the season winds down.
Best storyline: T.J. Olesczuk. The best hitter in Class A only seems to get hotter by the day. Hen Hud has risen to contender status on the strength of the junior shortstop’s tremendous bat. He leads the area in homers (nine), ribbies (39), is third in hits (35) and sixth in average (.556). Strangely he has but one walk. How are teams not pitching around this guy? Clearly he will kill anyone. I think Hen Hud has a real shot at a title. If so, Olesczuk will have to rake against the Zlotniks and de Martes of the world. With Mike Tandy apparently out until at least Monday, the burden of victory rests on T.J.’s shoulders.
Best potential later round game: Somers at Lakeland. Is it a copout to look all the way ahead to the finals, and furthermore to put the No. 1 and 2 seeds in it? Maybe. You just have to love these two superpowers clashing. Especially if it’s Joe Arena vs Dan Zlotnick on the hill. That could be a 2-1 nailbiter for sure, with the winning run coming on a squeeze bunt in the seventh inning. If you want an earlier matchup that caught my eye, take a look at Harrison-Ardsley. Harrison has proven it can beat anyone (Somers, Hastings) and lose to anyone (Nyack, Port Chester). If it gets past Brewster it could definitely upset Ardsley.

Class B

Best opening round game: No. 10 Croton-Harmon at No. 7 Albertus Magnus. There are only three first rounders in B and none are a lock to be competitive. Croton vs Albertus is noteworthy only because both clubs are feel-good stories. Last year at this time the only thing these kids were preparing for was Spanish exams. Croton won three games and had a team batting average below .200 (it’s true, look it up). Albertus won seven games and made 625 errors (don’t look that up, that’s not true. They did make a lot though). Now both are respectable clubs and one of them is guaranteed a quarterfinal berth. Nice turnaround.
Best storyline: Is Kennedy beatable? More than in any other class, the “contenders” in Class B go into the tournament knowing they’ll need a warehouse full of luck win it all (although Class C is close with Keio lording over a small field). Dobbs is very good. Nanuet is very good. Hastings is very good. They’re just not Kennedy. In any other year I’d say Nanuet has a great shot. This year, unless you’re picking just to be different there’s no way you can pick against Kennedy. With one caveat. Here’s the best chance I see for the rest of Class B. Rye Neck decides to sit Ryan Pennell against Hastings and throw him in the second round against Kennedy. It’s not going to happen because the Panthers need Pennell to beat Hastings. But if it did, he could potentially shut down that lineup.
Best potential later round game: Rye Neck at Hastings. This isn’t a potential game at all. It’s happening in the quarterfinals. Assuming Pennell takes the mound, Rye Neck becomes a huge favorite. Greg Pezzuto, Alex Walton, and company can swing the bats though. If Ryan Blicker holds Rye Neck to one or two runs, Hastings might be able to push a couple across against Pennell. I just don’t see a team as solid as Hastings laying down to anyone.

I asked Casey Oronzio today how often he thought about the fly ball he couldn’t find in the darkness in the bottom of the 10th, the one that would’ve been the final out in White Plains’ 5-3 upset win over Mamaroneck, the one that led to the umpires immediately stopping play and led to White Plains needing to win Tuesday against Scarsdale just to qualify for the playoffs.

“Every single day,” the White Plains left fielder said. “It wasn’t fun.”

That game, as you know if you read this blog, reverted to the bottom of the ninth and became a 3-3 tie. Even Mamaroneck players and coaches have admitted they lost, but rules were rules and White Plains went into Tuesday 7-11-1 – still one win shy of meeting the minimum requirement to qualify for sectionals.

In recent weeks, Oronzio’s teammates tried to console him. There was nothing he could have done different. The sky had been too dark as Taylor Mondshein’s fly ball sailed toward him and he looked back in to the rest of his teams and raised his hands in that “I’ve-got-no-clue” way.

“It still didn’t feel that great,” he said. “Ya know, there was nothing I could do about. I wish I could have, but I don’t know what would have done differently.”

On Tuesday, at home against Scarsdale - a team that daggered the Tigers two days after the Mamaroneck tie with Troy Rolnick’s game-winning grand slam - White Plains led 7-2 going into the top of the seventh but coughed up its lead, allowing six runs – and allowing itself to consider the absolute worst before last licks.

“It crossed my mind standing in the outfield, wondering what we were doing, why we always put ourselves in that position,” Oronzio said. “But we knew we were supposed to be in the playoffs. We knew we were good enough and had enough talent. We should’ve won more games than we did.”

The situation grew even more grim for the Tigers when Scarsdale recorded the first out to leadoff the bottom of the seventh. But they managed to scrap together a rally. Finally, with the bases loaded, Ben Garterberg walked to force in the tying run. White Plains could exhale. It hadn’t blown it. But with a spot in the postseason just one hit, walk or sac fly away, guess who came to bat: Oronzio.

In the third-base coaching box, Marcel Galligani called for a suicide squeeze.

“The kid threw the ball up toward my head and I just tried to get the bat to the ball,” Oronzio said. ”(The bunt) was high. I actually thought (Scarsdale pitcher Marc Wolfer) was going to catch it.”

Wolfer laid out in front of the mound. As he ran to first, Oronzio felt his heart sink, believing he his bunt was out No. 2. But the ball hit off the heel of the glove of a diving Wolfer, and Ryan Flynn raced home with the winning run.

White Plains went crazy. It was in the dance.

“It was pretty relieving,” Oronzio said. “To know that we were finally in it and we could finally come through. And that I could finally come through for my team when it needed me.”

As I said last night, baseball has the most unpredictable playoffs in high school sports, which also makes its postseason the best. Hands down.

The tournament is quick, exciting and leaves you unprepared for what may happen next. I once watched a game (the 2003 Class A final) where one team (Fox Lane) hit a bases-loaded ground ball with two outs in the bottom of the seventh—and scored two runs and won the game all on the same play. In what other sport’s playoffs are agony and ecstacy so undeniably mixed?

The current format is solid. Outbracket games Friday, first round Saturday, quarters on Monday, semis on Tuesday and finals on Thursday. Mix in a few tweaks to the Class C schedule and it’s a busy week filled with baseball. But here are the six quick fixes I’d make that would leave the tournaments more fan friendly – and may help Section 1 succeed in states, too.

1. End the season two Sundays before Memorial Day. Because the holiday was early this season, Memorial Day wasn’t in the heart of the tournament, but it normally is. Instead of ending the regular season on the Tuesday before, end it the weekend before. Why?

2. Hold the seeding meeting Monday. My plan would start the playoffs a couple days early, so the brackets would have to come out two days early, too. With a 20-game regular season, this shouldn’t be a problem.

3. Start the tournament on Wednesday. Hold the outbracket round on Tuesday, then have the first round games played on Wednesday. It basically provides teams the same amount of time they have to prepare now. (Very few would play the previous Sunday anyway.) You would then host the quarters Thursday, and the semis on Saturday morning/afternoon. … Semifinalists should have the day off before they play. It’s unnecessary to have the day off between the opening round and the quarterfinals because the pitching is fresh.

4. Hold all four championship games on Memorial Day. What would be a better way for high school baseball players, coaches and fans to spend a beautiful, sun-splashed Memorial Day than with 12 hours of Section 1 baseball? Everyone has off from work. Teams would still have the previous day to rest/prepare. And baseball would have the day to itself for its championship games.

5. Host the four finals at a neutral site. This is a major gripe of mine and has been for years. Yes, they were held at Dutchess Stadium earlier this decade, but rain washed out the finals and rescheduling became a mess. I don’t care. Neutral-site finals really needs to return. … I know some Section 1 administrators believe, like me, that baseball should return to neutral sites for the finals, and why not? There are too many intangibles to account for playing on the home fields of the higher seed. It really can have an impact on how the game is played. The coaches prefer the current setup and I’m not really sure why. … In my Memorial Day scenario, the four championship games would merge into one giant barbeque. The fan turnout would be enormous. Two years ago approximately 1,200-1,500 fans watched Carmel-North Rockland, the famous No. 17 vs. No. 15. But what if the Class A, B and C finals were played before them? How much larger would that crowd have been?

6. Section 1 pitchers would be well-rested for states. This isn’t as much of a concern, but Section 1 teams still can’t pitch its championship-game pitchers (Thursday) on full rest in the regional semifinals (the following Monday). Under my proposed schedule, teams would have an entire week to rest, recuperate and prepare for states. At that time of year, they need it.

Thoughts?

I just wanted to check in one more time tonight to set up what Jake and I will have to offer over the next two days.

First of all, I just want to thank everyone for the enthusiam today. It’s one of my favorite days of the baseball season, and it seems like you feel the same way. We had over 2,100 visitors and over 7,600 page views, which is pretty darn good. Hopefully, it’s just getting started.

Now on to the previews…

If you missed it, I went on VC Chat tonight and talked about the brackets. I also answered some of your questions, and gave my preliminary predictions. The link to the chat hasn’t been posted, but I’ll toss it up here when it is.

Tomorrow (Thursday), Jake and I will each post a bracket breakdown – best opening round game, best potential matchup, key players who could help swing the tournament, etc. A few of you have mentioned the games you’re watching, Hopefully this will continue the discussion.

I’ll also have the story of an unsung hero from Tuesday, someone who helped his team make the tournament…after almost watching it miss it altogether. … First up in the morning, I’ll have my thoughts on the playoff format, and what I would do to change it.

On Friday, Jake and I will each post our predictions for all of Saturday’s games. Of course, we’ll want to hear yours as well. … I think all of us will have a different take, and that’s exactly what makes the baseball playoffs more unpredictable than those in any other high school sport.