The LoHud Baseball Blog

Class AA
No. 5 Fox Lane at No. 1 Mamaroneck: Exactly what you expected is exactly what Fox Lane has shown. In two playoff games the Foxes have 26 runs on 25 hits, including 14 for extra bases, and 17 walks. With eight regulars slugging .600 or better for the season, they look a lot like what Mamurdaneck looked like in 2008-09. In fact, during those two state championship seasons Mamaroneck knocked Fox Lane out of the postseason. Outside of their ballpark, they can be stopped by a true ace. But does Mamaroneck have that guy? In a fun game, I think Fox Lane wins. Prediction: Fox Lane

No. 3 Arlington at No. 2 Ketcham: Dutchess County’s Big 3 of Ketcham, Arlington, and John Jay-EF has been so good that I’m glad the Class AA final breaks down the way it does. The two best Westchester teams are in one semifinal and the two best Dutchess teams are in the other. So the final will pit the two county representatives against each other. Ketcham already won twice vs Arlington so why not a third? Prediction: Ketcham

Class A
No. 21 Port Chester at No. 16 Somers: Every time I look at Port Chester’s name in the schedule I think it’s a typo. How did the Rams make it this far? Before a 7-3 win over Harrison on May 21, the Rams hadn’t held an opponent under four runs since Rye Neck on April 15. But since that confidence-inducing Harrison win, pitchers Christian Nichols and D.J. Sabato have helped them do it twice in the playoffs. Somers, despite the seed, is a less implausible story, because the Tuskers had shown flashes during the regular season. Coach Joe Wootten has been through the wars and brings a quiet confidence to his young team. Prediction: Somers

No. 11 Tappan Zee at No. 7 Harrison: Dropping three of four to close the regular season, the Husky title hopes were shrinking. A year after losing the final to Lakeland, was this team that much better that it could dethrone the Hornets? But then No. 1 Lakeland and No. 3 Pearl River got knocked out, Harrison beat No. 2 Kennedy, and just like that the Huskies are title favorites. Amazing what a difference a couple days makes. I’m curious what pitching strategy they’ll use against Ryan O’Rourke and a TZ lineup that’s posted 31 runs in three playoff games. Do you start Brian Lobel on full rest or Max Bruckner on three days? I have a weird feeling that TZ is going to avenge last year’s 12-0 quarterfinal shellacking. Prediction: Tappan Zee

Class B
No. 9 Albertus Magnus at No. 4 Briarcliff: For most of the season it felt like something was missing from Briarcliff. I’d picked the Bears in preseason as a contender but losses to Croton, Saunders, and Ossining gave me pause. But they closed well, and now have won 10 in a row. While runs are still too dependent on John Fussell’s .500 bat, co-aces Paul Henshaw and Josh Miller have been superb. Albertus has gotten here behind the bats of Casey Kern and Brandon Ballane. It’s also gotten here by the skin of its teeth. Both playoff wins were by one run. Miller won’t let it get into that woolly 9-run range where anyone can win. Prediction: Briarcliff

No. 3 Hastings at No. 2 Valhalla: In two playoff games, the Vikings already have more runs (32) than they did in the seven-game playoff run of last year. Never did they plate more than six during that entire state run. It’s incredible when you look back on it. This may be the same personnel but it’s obviously a different team. Between the Cassinellis and Mark DeMilio and John Meany and everybody else, these guys can score six runs in an inning no problem. Hastings, no slouches with the sticks, will have a hard time keeping up. Its best hope is that Andrew McGowan paralyzes the bats or a couple of its own fly balls float over Valhalla’s short right field wall. Prediction: Valhalla