Well, we had it all planned to cover the showdown between Notre Dame and Amity Monday, but Mother Nature had other ideas, so the game was pushed to Tuesday.
(For what happened in that game, check www.twitter.com/currenscc or www.currenscc.blogspot.com)
But the little break in the action gives us a chance to see where we are in the 2010 SCC season. Believe it or not, Wednesday marks the halfway point of the regular season, and in four weeks we'll be watching the SCC Tournament. And we now have enough information to talk intelligently (well, semi-intelligently) about all the teams.
So that's what I'll try to do. Again, I'll repeat that these power rankings are just an opinion of how good the teams are, and have been proven wrong more times than I'd like to count.
But we're just trying to have some fun here. It's safe to say that this could be a banner year for the SCC, and a look at the teams will show you why:
1) Amity (8-0)
It's not surprising that Amity is undefeated (although as we've said about Amity many times in the past that winning as much as they do in baseball is much tougher than it looks), but what takes you back a little is the Spartans' offense. Take out a 3 (in a 3-2 win over Branford), and you get 10, 6, 7, 9, 7, 15, and 8. And they're not playing chumps, either.
2) Notre Dame (8-0)
Got a report that their pitching had been hit around in the scrimmages, but the Green Knights have allowed more than three runs just once this season, and this was in "garbage time" in a lopsided victory. They have enough experience to win the close games, and they are legit.
3) Shelton (6-2)
The Gaels had a tough loss to Guilford, and then nearly beat Notre Dame, which dropped them at the time to 3-2. But they've reeled off three straight wins, and just have the look of a team that will be heard from in June. I don't think their lineup has completely clicked yet.
4) Cheshire (6-2)
The Rams saw how difficult life could be in the SCC with losses to Amity and Shelton last week. There are questions about their pitching, but there are few questions about their offense, having scored 72 runs in eight games. They have some winnable games, but inconsistent pitching may give them a few more losses before all is said and done.
5) Sheehan (5-3)
The third straight Housatonic Division team in the countdown, and fourth overall (poor Lyman Hall). The Titans probably should have knocked off Amity last week, and certainly don't face the non-division schedule that the teams above them do. But nothing is that easy in the SCC.
6) Foran (5-3)
The Lions started the season No. 1 in the rankings, but their pitching has not materialized the way we thought it was, even giving up eight runs to Guilford last Friday (in a 13-8 win). Still, their record is not alarming, and they have some time to get it together to make a run at both the SCC and Class M crowns.
7) Jonathan Law (5-3)
If you had to give an MVP for the young season, it would probably be Brett Michael Doran (who was originally at ND by the way as a freshman). Doran is not only crushing the ball, but outdueling stud pitchers like Foran's Brian Ward, which helped the Lawmen navigate a tough early-season schedule, and put them in a position to maybe defend their SCC crown.
8) Xavier (5-3)
The Falcons will finish up their road schedule this week, meaning a long, long homestand and a chance to do some damage. They have scored a total of one run in their three losses, so they'll have to find a way to hit good pitching if they want to make the SCC Tournament, though.
9) North Haven (4-4)
I understand that I might catch some grief from the Hamden people here, but the Indians have that impressive win over Foran last week, and appear to have at least gotten their pitching somewhat in order (although a disappointing 7-6 loss to Branford to end the week). This week will be big to see if they deserve the spot here.
10) Hamden (5-3)
The Dragons haven't racked up the quality points for wins, but they should be in the state tournament, which is a marked improvement over last year, and they could make a run in a relatively soft Quinnipiac Division. Consistent pitching will be the key.
11) Fairfield Prep (5-4)
The Jesuits had a chance to get higher, but three straight losses last week bounced them down. Nick Vig has pitched well, but they gave up 10 runs in back-to-back losses to Xavier and Hamden and stand at 0-3 in the division.
12) Branford (3-5)
The Hornets seem to have turned the corner after a 1-5 start, the fifth loss coming 6-2 against then 0-5 East Haven. They do face Notre Dame and Amity in back-to-back games this week, and can probably forget about the SCC Tournament, but have a good chance to get to eight wins, and won't be someone people want to draw in Class L.
13) East Haven (3-5)
The hottest team in the SCC? Entirely possible as of Monday, the Yellowjackets had won three straight, and while none of them had winning records, it's a start. Their pitching has been good of late, after giving up double figures in all of their first five games.
14) Guilford (3-5)
The Indians also appear to have their act together of late, but their schedule is quite vicious. They - like many others - are having trouble with their pitching depth, which showed prominently in a 13-8 loss to Foran last Friday. But they have the talent to go on a run in the second half.
15) Hand (2-6)
It's been a tough ride for the Tigers in the early season, and (stop me if you've heard this before) it starts with the pitching. Other than a tough 2-0 loss to Branford, Hand has allowed 10 or more runs in all five of their other losses. Seems like it's going to be tough to get to eight wins.
16) West Haven (1-7)
You knew it was going to tough for the Westies this year, and they've been close in a couple of contests, but their only win is over Platt Tech. Still, you think they'll beat some teams at some point, maybe in the division this week.
17) Career (1-6)
The Panthers had a couple of tough battles early on, but have slumped of late, particularly on the mound, where they've given up 65 runs in their last four losses. Some home games await, and that may be a chance to do some damage.
18) Wilbur Cross (3-5)
Yea, they have two wins over O'Brien Tech and Hillhouse, but consider the Governors were down 20-0 after their first three innings of the season (to Hamden). That's quite a turnaround, and the team deserves plenty of credit for it.
19) Lyman Hall (2-6)
The Trojans began the season with a couple of wins, giving hope that this was the turnaround season, but things have fallen off pretty quickly. With the Housatonic Division soaring around them, they'll have to regroup and pick up a few wins where they're not supposed to to make a state tournament run.
20) Hillhouse (0-7)
The Academics have allowed less than 10 runs in their last three games, which is certainly progress. They've also been good for at least one upset in the last couple of seasons, so we'll see if they can pull it off again this time around.
AROUND THE HORN: Monday's rainouts were among the first of the season, and it looked like most of those games were going to get played on Tuesday, meaning a pretty calm season as far as makeups go. It also means that pitching staffs can be shortened, although it hasn't seem to have helped this season with plenty of runs being scored ... If you're reading it here for the first time, you need to get out of your cave, but former Amity star Brian Kownacki made the national media rounds at Fordham by jumping over the catcher, touching home plate with his hands, then completing the somersault past the bewildered catcher. I was trying to figure out if such a play was legal under high school rules, but there was not a conclusive answer. Kownacki's former teammate, Jason Esposito, is also starring at Vanderbilt, who should be NCAA Tournament bound in a few weeks ... Thankfully we did get a Notre Dame-Amity game this season, and an Amity-Foran tilt, but Notre Dame does not play Foran, although they did play Shelton, obviously. No Cheshire or Jonathan Law, though. I guess we can hope to see some of those games in the SCC Tournament.
PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Ryan Zahornasky, Shelton - After the sophomore nearly beat Notre Dame the week before, he threw a gem in the Gaels' 3-1 win over Xavier last Friday. Zahornasky also bats in the middle of the powerful Shelton lineup, and - needless to say - has a very bright future in this league.
GAME OF THE WEEK
Sheehan at Foran, Friday, 3:45 p.m. - This is a big game for two teams that seem to have hopes to upset the top two (Notre Dame and Amity) in the SCC. But they have to get to the SCC Tournament first, and a win in this game would make things much easier.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
10
Number of teams with records between 5-3 and 3-5 in the SCC thus far this season. Yes, it's a league of parity, just as everyone wants.
POWER RANKINGS (see above)
1) Amity (8-0; Last Week 1) – .
2) Notre Dame (8-0; LW 3) – .
3) Shelton (6-2; LW 5) – .
4) Cheshire (6-2; LW 2) – .
5) Sheehan (5-3; LW 6) – .
6) Foran (5-3; LW 4) – .
7) Jonathan Law (5-3; LW 7) – .
8) Xavier (5-3; LW 10) – .
9) North Haven (4-4; LW 12) – .
10) Hamden (5-3; LW 11) – .
11) Fairfield Prep (5-4; LW 9) – .
12) Branford (3-5; LW 8) – .
13) East Haven (3-5; LW 18) – .
14) Guilford (3-5; LW 14) – .
15) Hand (2-6; LW 13) – .
16) West Haven (1-7; LW 16) – .
17) Career (1-6; LW 17) – .
18) Wilbur Cross (3-5; LW 19) – .
19) Lyman Hall (2-6; LW 15) – .
20) Hillhouse (0-7; LW 20) – .
Monday, April 26, 2010
Sunday, April 18, 2010
SCC baseball - Week 2: Keniry and ND chase another title
They've been on plenty of bus rides in their high school careers, but last Friday's seemed slighty de ja vu-ish for Conor Keniry, Sean Goldrich, and some other members of the Notre Dame baseball team.
On a cold, wet morning, the stars of Notre Dame's amazing football run to the state championship in the fall, took a trip down memory lane, back to the scene of the triumph - Shelton High School, where the Knights beat Pomperaug on a wet and raw December afternoon.
"It's funny, Conor and I were just talking about it on the way here," Goldrich said. "It brings back good memories, the surroundings, and everything that happened that day. It's good to be back."
Of course, memories are memories, and the present doesn't look too bad for the Green Knights baseball team. The business for Keniry and Goldrich (who bat 3-4 in ND's powerful lineup) Friday was a few hundred feet up the Shelton High hill to the baseball diamond, where the Knights look like they might have the squad to make some more memories this spring.
It was Keniry - who else? - that delivered the killer blow against a good Shelton team, a long home run in the top of the seventh that gave Notre Dame a 4-3 win, its fifth straight to start 2010.
It was a decade ago that the Knights won their last state title (over Cheshire, who is also off to a fine start this season), but led by Keniry and a brutal lineup, it looks like ND might at least be in the mix this season.
How brutal is the lineup? Ask Shelton sophomore Ryan Zahornasky, who did a really good job against it Friday. But after getting the first two outs in the second inning, he faced No. 9 hitter Matt Murray (also a member of the state champion football team).
Zahornasky grooved a fastball - why wouldn't he? - and Murray turned on it and not only hit it over the left field fence, not a cheap shot at Shelton High, but well over. Now that's a deep high school lineup.
What has helped carry Notre Dame to its perfect start, though, has been its pitching. It's not as star-studded as Amity's, but it has allowed more than three runs only once this season, and that was in a 24-7 rout of Career.
Last Friday it was Gary Flowers (yet another football player) who threw a complete game. It wasn't terribly flashy with only three strikeouts, but against Shelton, it was enough to get the job done.
Keniry, who will play baseball at Wake Forest, is finding out the hard way, that making a difference - as he seemed to do in almost every football team when his team needed him most - is not quite as easy on the diamond, especially when his reputation now precedes him.
"In baseball, you have to be a lot more patient and wait your turn," Keniry said. "In football, you can get mad and go out there and rip someone's head off or something, but even as a team that's not going to work in baseball. You have to be patient."
But when he gets his turn, there may be no one in the SCC better than Keniry. Like a Derek Jeter-type, there is just something about Keniry that seems to have him pop up in the big spot (both in football and in baseball). Once or twice, it might be luck. But when done on a consistent basis, and when whatever team he's on seems to end up on top more often than not, it's not luck, folks.
Friday, with one out and no one on in the top of the seventh, Keniry was having a pedestrian day, 1-for-3 with a bloop double. But with the game on the line and hard-throwing Dan St. George on in relief, Keniry took a fastball and drilled it over the center field fence for the game-winning home run.
"We got beat by the best player in the state," Shelton coach Scott Gura would say afterward.
And if you're worried about motivation from a senior leader who's already got a state championship and will head off this fall to play Division I baseball down south, you needn't.
"That was the longest winter ever," said Keniry. "I was definitely ready to go this spring. This is fun."
Winning a state or SCC title (which ND did win, led by MVP Keniry in 2008) in single-elimination baseball can sometimes be a crapshoot, but with Keniry and the veterans Notre Dame runs onto the field this spring, it might not be wise to bet against them.
AROUND THE HORN: Wouldn't you know that the netting at Bob DeMayo Field was not only up, but effective for the North Haven-Notre Dame contest last Wednesday? Just as I walked into the park in the first inning, the new netting grabbed back-to-back balls down the left-field line. Alas, it didn't help the Indians on the field as they fell 9-0, but did rebound to beat Guilford 13-5 later in the week ... Hey, stop the presses, Amity actually gave up four runs in a game this week. Of course, the Spartans still beat Jonathan Law 7-4, but at least the rest of the league can hope ... Division play started this week, meaning some brutal stuff in some divisions, including the Housatonic, where Cheshire put its undefeated streak on the line in back-to-back games against Amity and Shelton ... What happened to the nice weather? On the plus side, most of the games were played, but it was chilly out there. The weather looks like it will be better this week.
PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Dan Manke, Cheshire - Manke continued his torrid start to the season, picking up a double and three more RBIs in Cheshire's win over Xavier last Friday Special mention to the pitcher that day, Dom Severino, who tossed a two-hitter against the Falcons.
GAME OF THE WEEK
Amity at Notre Dame, Monday, 3:45 p.m. - Will both these teams make it to Monday undefeated? We can only hope so, but even if they don't, it's a great game, and one that's turning into a little bit of a rivalry. ND beat the Spartans for the SCC title two years ago, while Amity won a rematch in the SCC quarterfinals last year. And Conor Keniry plays Legion ball with plenty of the Spartans in the summer as well.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
3
Number of different weeks SCC school systems have their April vacations this season, which has led to less early starts, if you've noticed. For instance, West Haven and New Haven (among others) are off this week, which is why Hillhouse and Wilbur Cross could play a 10:30 a.m. game at Rice Field on Monday.
POWER RANKINGS
1) Amity (5-0; Last Week 2) – Will certainly be tested in the next four games by some very good lineups.
2) Cheshire (5-0; LW 4) – Four out of first five were at home, tough road contests coming up soon.
3) Notre Dame (5-0; LW 5) – Appear to be the class of Quinnipiac, but no easy division games.
4) Foran (4-1; LW 1) – Scoring plenty of runs as well, that will be big plus if they can keep it up.
5) Shelton (3-2; LW 3) – Shouldn't be overly concerned by ND loss, bigger fish to fry in Housatonic.
6) Sheehan (4-1; LW 6) – Don't get too many points for schedule strength, but that will change.
7) Jonathan Law (2-3; LW 7) – Doran doing his best to keep Lawmen afloat, slate early was brutal.
8) Branford (1-4; LW 8) – Speaking of tough starts, they will be most concerned with the lack of offense thus far.
9) Fairfield Prep (5-1; LW 9) – Can score runs, but have beaten up on the bottom half of these rankings.
10) Xavier (3-2; LW 10) – Like Branford, having some offensive troubles, been blanked in both losses.
11) Hamden (3-2; LW 17) – Dragons seem much more feisty this season, eight wins should happen.
12) North Haven (2-3; LW 13) – Offensive output: 17, 0, 8, 0, 13. Guess it's all or nothing for Indians.
13) Hand (1-4; LW 11) – Rough start for Borelli, but once pitching gets sorted out, they should be fine.
14) Guilford (1-4; LW 12) – Disappointing start to season, big stretch coming up for Indians this week.
15) Lyman Hall (2-2; LW 18) – Like Hamden, seem more feisty this season, and that should bode well.
16) West Haven (1-4; LW 14) – Schedule doesn't get any easier for defending LL champs in Quinnipiac.
17) Career (1-3; LW 15) – Seven-game homestand coming up for Panthers, better not rain much at East Shore.
18) East Haven (0-5; LW 16) – Have yet to give up less than 10 runs in game this season. Ouch.
19) Wilbur Cross (1-3; LW 19) – Did get a win over O'Brien Tech, which is good for confidence of squad.
20) Hillhouse (0-4; LW 20) – Anyone else notice Hillhouse is Class M, while Wilbur Cross is LL? Strange.
On a cold, wet morning, the stars of Notre Dame's amazing football run to the state championship in the fall, took a trip down memory lane, back to the scene of the triumph - Shelton High School, where the Knights beat Pomperaug on a wet and raw December afternoon.
"It's funny, Conor and I were just talking about it on the way here," Goldrich said. "It brings back good memories, the surroundings, and everything that happened that day. It's good to be back."
Of course, memories are memories, and the present doesn't look too bad for the Green Knights baseball team. The business for Keniry and Goldrich (who bat 3-4 in ND's powerful lineup) Friday was a few hundred feet up the Shelton High hill to the baseball diamond, where the Knights look like they might have the squad to make some more memories this spring.
It was Keniry - who else? - that delivered the killer blow against a good Shelton team, a long home run in the top of the seventh that gave Notre Dame a 4-3 win, its fifth straight to start 2010.
It was a decade ago that the Knights won their last state title (over Cheshire, who is also off to a fine start this season), but led by Keniry and a brutal lineup, it looks like ND might at least be in the mix this season.
How brutal is the lineup? Ask Shelton sophomore Ryan Zahornasky, who did a really good job against it Friday. But after getting the first two outs in the second inning, he faced No. 9 hitter Matt Murray (also a member of the state champion football team).
Zahornasky grooved a fastball - why wouldn't he? - and Murray turned on it and not only hit it over the left field fence, not a cheap shot at Shelton High, but well over. Now that's a deep high school lineup.
What has helped carry Notre Dame to its perfect start, though, has been its pitching. It's not as star-studded as Amity's, but it has allowed more than three runs only once this season, and that was in a 24-7 rout of Career.
Last Friday it was Gary Flowers (yet another football player) who threw a complete game. It wasn't terribly flashy with only three strikeouts, but against Shelton, it was enough to get the job done.
Keniry, who will play baseball at Wake Forest, is finding out the hard way, that making a difference - as he seemed to do in almost every football team when his team needed him most - is not quite as easy on the diamond, especially when his reputation now precedes him.
"In baseball, you have to be a lot more patient and wait your turn," Keniry said. "In football, you can get mad and go out there and rip someone's head off or something, but even as a team that's not going to work in baseball. You have to be patient."
But when he gets his turn, there may be no one in the SCC better than Keniry. Like a Derek Jeter-type, there is just something about Keniry that seems to have him pop up in the big spot (both in football and in baseball). Once or twice, it might be luck. But when done on a consistent basis, and when whatever team he's on seems to end up on top more often than not, it's not luck, folks.
Friday, with one out and no one on in the top of the seventh, Keniry was having a pedestrian day, 1-for-3 with a bloop double. But with the game on the line and hard-throwing Dan St. George on in relief, Keniry took a fastball and drilled it over the center field fence for the game-winning home run.
"We got beat by the best player in the state," Shelton coach Scott Gura would say afterward.
And if you're worried about motivation from a senior leader who's already got a state championship and will head off this fall to play Division I baseball down south, you needn't.
"That was the longest winter ever," said Keniry. "I was definitely ready to go this spring. This is fun."
Winning a state or SCC title (which ND did win, led by MVP Keniry in 2008) in single-elimination baseball can sometimes be a crapshoot, but with Keniry and the veterans Notre Dame runs onto the field this spring, it might not be wise to bet against them.
AROUND THE HORN: Wouldn't you know that the netting at Bob DeMayo Field was not only up, but effective for the North Haven-Notre Dame contest last Wednesday? Just as I walked into the park in the first inning, the new netting grabbed back-to-back balls down the left-field line. Alas, it didn't help the Indians on the field as they fell 9-0, but did rebound to beat Guilford 13-5 later in the week ... Hey, stop the presses, Amity actually gave up four runs in a game this week. Of course, the Spartans still beat Jonathan Law 7-4, but at least the rest of the league can hope ... Division play started this week, meaning some brutal stuff in some divisions, including the Housatonic, where Cheshire put its undefeated streak on the line in back-to-back games against Amity and Shelton ... What happened to the nice weather? On the plus side, most of the games were played, but it was chilly out there. The weather looks like it will be better this week.
PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Dan Manke, Cheshire - Manke continued his torrid start to the season, picking up a double and three more RBIs in Cheshire's win over Xavier last Friday Special mention to the pitcher that day, Dom Severino, who tossed a two-hitter against the Falcons.
GAME OF THE WEEK
Amity at Notre Dame, Monday, 3:45 p.m. - Will both these teams make it to Monday undefeated? We can only hope so, but even if they don't, it's a great game, and one that's turning into a little bit of a rivalry. ND beat the Spartans for the SCC title two years ago, while Amity won a rematch in the SCC quarterfinals last year. And Conor Keniry plays Legion ball with plenty of the Spartans in the summer as well.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
3
Number of different weeks SCC school systems have their April vacations this season, which has led to less early starts, if you've noticed. For instance, West Haven and New Haven (among others) are off this week, which is why Hillhouse and Wilbur Cross could play a 10:30 a.m. game at Rice Field on Monday.
POWER RANKINGS
1) Amity (5-0; Last Week 2) – Will certainly be tested in the next four games by some very good lineups.
2) Cheshire (5-0; LW 4) – Four out of first five were at home, tough road contests coming up soon.
3) Notre Dame (5-0; LW 5) – Appear to be the class of Quinnipiac, but no easy division games.
4) Foran (4-1; LW 1) – Scoring plenty of runs as well, that will be big plus if they can keep it up.
5) Shelton (3-2; LW 3) – Shouldn't be overly concerned by ND loss, bigger fish to fry in Housatonic.
6) Sheehan (4-1; LW 6) – Don't get too many points for schedule strength, but that will change.
7) Jonathan Law (2-3; LW 7) – Doran doing his best to keep Lawmen afloat, slate early was brutal.
8) Branford (1-4; LW 8) – Speaking of tough starts, they will be most concerned with the lack of offense thus far.
9) Fairfield Prep (5-1; LW 9) – Can score runs, but have beaten up on the bottom half of these rankings.
10) Xavier (3-2; LW 10) – Like Branford, having some offensive troubles, been blanked in both losses.
11) Hamden (3-2; LW 17) – Dragons seem much more feisty this season, eight wins should happen.
12) North Haven (2-3; LW 13) – Offensive output: 17, 0, 8, 0, 13. Guess it's all or nothing for Indians.
13) Hand (1-4; LW 11) – Rough start for Borelli, but once pitching gets sorted out, they should be fine.
14) Guilford (1-4; LW 12) – Disappointing start to season, big stretch coming up for Indians this week.
15) Lyman Hall (2-2; LW 18) – Like Hamden, seem more feisty this season, and that should bode well.
16) West Haven (1-4; LW 14) – Schedule doesn't get any easier for defending LL champs in Quinnipiac.
17) Career (1-3; LW 15) – Seven-game homestand coming up for Panthers, better not rain much at East Shore.
18) East Haven (0-5; LW 16) – Have yet to give up less than 10 runs in game this season. Ouch.
19) Wilbur Cross (1-3; LW 19) – Did get a win over O'Brien Tech, which is good for confidence of squad.
20) Hillhouse (0-4; LW 20) – Anyone else notice Hillhouse is Class M, while Wilbur Cross is LL? Strange.
Monday, April 12, 2010
SCC baseball - Week 1: DeMayo deserves better from town
DeMayo's Indians began the season with a wacky 17-9 extra-inning victory over defending Class LL champion West Haven (before losing to Sheehan over the weekend), DeMayo's 778th career victory, a number that if broken will only come because of advances in medical science that allow people to live forever. And even then it would be tough.
But DeMayo recently called this year "the most stressful spring I've ever had here (at North Haven)". It had nothing to do with today's youth, or the fact that he was getting tired of coaching. It had to do with North Haven's brand new home for baseball, once whose opening was six years in the making.
A facility, ironically, named after him.
To complete the whole story, you have to go back a decade when North Haven's long-time home Sachem Field was renamed Robert E. DeMayo Field, an honor that even then was long overdue.
The next chapter was really no one's fault, the town of North Haven came up with the funds to build a brand new high school and the best place to do so was on top of their former athletic facilities. But the idea was to build brand new and improved athletic facilities for everything but football (Vanacore Field was not in the construction zone) where the old school was.
New and improved NHHS opened in 2005, but with other things going on, the Indians were content to move to antiquated, but serviceable Bailey Road for 2005 and 2006. But then glass was found (among other things) and the potential new field was deemed unplayable for another season in 2007. Then 2008 also went by. Finally, on May 18 of last year, the new Robert E. DeMayo Field was dedicated, including a statue of a baseball player that was a collaborative work, with DeMayo and his wife Betty coming up with the idea and many, many others contributing to the sculpting and engraving of it.
North Haven beat Guilford that night, and the saga of DeMayo Field seemed to finally be over, allowing DeMayo to finally enjoy a decent home field.
Unfortunately, and sadly, our story is just beginning.
You see one thing that was forgotten was some high fencing down the lines - particularly the left-field line - where some houses sit on nearby streets. The backyards of these houses, some with young children, are in the line of fire of stray foul balls.
No problem, you say, put up some netting. Ah, but this is a government operation (and although I'm a fan of a government health care plan, this story does show why so many people are so against it), and the funding for the field said nothing about any netting.
"It didn't seem that hard when it was first brought up," DeMayo said. "But everything kept getting put off, everything was manana."
Which got DeMayo (among others) even more angry, because in DeMayo's world, nothing is "manana". He finally e-mailed former players around Thanksgiving time, asking for a donation to help him pay for these fences and nettings he needed to be able to play on his field.
That's the part of the story that galls me the most, a legendary figure whose own field has been off-limits to him for six years having to basically beg for money to play there.
Of course, his players came through, and with new First Selectman Mike Freda (whose son was DeMayo's captain just a couple of years back) in office, again it appeared everything was taken care of.
But as the scrimmages began, the Indians were again back at Bailey Road. Sigh.
Finally, hours before the home opener against Sheehan on Saturday, they got permission from the neighbors and the town to play the game there as a special exemption. But there's no guarantee that the next home game (Wednesday against Notre Dame) would be played there.
"My understanding is that all the materials for the fencing are there," DeMayo said. "They need sleeves to put the fencing in, though, and I guess those haven't arrived yet. Until then, we can practice there because he hit in a cage, but who knows if we can play there? I'm completely confused. It's killing our program because we're trying to fit a varsity, JV, freshman, and middle school program basically on two fields.
"I don't blame the neighbor personally, he's got to look out for his children, and I completely understand that. People say, 'Why don't you get on the Building Committee?', and my response is, believe me, I've tried."
Eventually, these things will probably be worked out and the field will be up and running permanently. Deep down, Bob DeMayo will be thrilled that his team and program will finally be back to full speed and he can just worry about baseball again.
He never should have had to worry about these things in the first place.
AROUND THE HORN: This just in, Amity is good. Their pitching will be tough to stop, but Foran's 1-2 punch of Ward and O'Keefe is also going to be difficult to score on. They played each other Monday after our deadline, and they'll meet again later in the season ... I'm actually pretty proud of the fact that my Power Rankings weren't all that far off in the first week. Notre Dame's pitching held up, and if it does they'll be dangerous ... But not many other teams got great pitching performances in the season's first week, those that do will have a leg up on the rest of the league ... Looks like life will be tough for the New Haven schools this season, particularly usually competitive Wilbur Cross, who found itself down 20-0 after the first three innings of the season against Hamden last week. No one likes to see that. But Career, although 0-2, was very competitive, taking Shelton to the brink after nearly knocking off Xavier in the opener ... Speaking of the Falcons, they played their opener against Career at Xavier High, and will play their next 10 games on the road while Palmer Field is allowed to dry and undergo some work. They will finish the season with nine straight home games ... As it was last year, it looks like easy wins for the most part, will be few and far between this year in the SCC.
PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Brett Michael Doran, Jonathan Law - There was talk of an injury, but obviously he felt fine in throwing a three-hit shutout against Xavier on Saturday, allowing the defending SCC champs to even their record at 1-1 and beat Xavier ace Shaun Coughlin. With a tough schedule, the Lawmen will need performances like that to make a return to the SCC Tournament.
GAME OF THE WEEK
Notre Dame at Shelton, Friday, 11:30 a.m. - This should be a slugfest between two of the top offenses in the SCC (and maybe the state). But these teams will go as far as their pitching will take them at the end of the season, and for both (at least in the season's first week), it was so far, so good.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
2
Number of runs allowed by both Amity and Foran in their first two games. One run per game. If you're going to knock these teams off, you're going to have to find a way to keep them off the scoreboard.
POWER RANKINGS
1) Foran (2-0; Last Week 1) – Sheehan had them on the ropes, but Ward sparked late comeback to start season.
2) Amity (2-0; LW 2) – This has the look of one of those vintage Spartan teams, how do they do it over there?
3) Shelton (2-0; LW 4) – Nearly went to sleep after opening victory, were fortunate to get past game Career squad.
4) Cheshire (1-0; LW 5) – Pitching is the question mark, four games this week may answer that question.
5) Notre Dame (2-0; LW 6) – For those scoring at home, the Green Knights are in Class L this season.
6) Sheehan (1-1; LW 12) – Should have remembered the Titans always have great pitching and this year no different.
7) Jonathan Law (1-1; LW 8) – Big win over Xavier, but Cheshire, Amity, and Foran all await in next four games.
8) Branford (0-2; LW 3) – Easier part of the schedule awaits, but would have liked to have a win in their opener.
9) Fairfield Prep (2-0; LW 14) – Might be the biggest surprise of the first week, put up 21 runs and got some pitching.
10) Xavier (1-1; LW 7) – Falcons will embark on a 10-game road trip while Palmer Field undergoes some work.
11) Hand (0-1; LW 10) – We'll know a lot more about the Tigers after this difficult four-game week.
12) Guilford (0-2; LW 9) – Not exactly the start the Indians wanted, must make some progress in three home games.
13) North Haven (1-1; LW 13) – Blanked by Sheehan after scoring 17 runs against West Haven. Strange game.
14) West Haven (0-2; LW 11) – In first two games after Lawrence graduated, Blue Devils give up 32 runs.
15) Career (0-2; LW 18) – Looked feisty even though lost first two, should serve them well in mediocre Oronoque.
16) East Haven (0-2; LW 15) – Brutal week coming up, could use some confidence, or could be uphill climb to states.
17) Hamden (2-0; LW 16) – Hard to get much of a read with first two games against Cross and Hillhouse, but they count.
18) Lyman Hall (1-0; LW 17) – Like Hamden, just one game and impossible to get a read, but a win nonetheless.
19) Wilbur Cross (0-1; LW 19) – Did sneak in a game against O'Brien Tech this week, tough opener.
20) Hillhouse (0-2; LW 20) – Scored a couple of runs, if they could keep people off board, could spring an upset.
Sunday, April 4, 2010
We're baaaack - SCC baseball preview
In his first full season in charge of the Shelton baseball program, Scott Gura admitted he was pleasantly surprised that his team advanced to the state semifinals, ahead of the schedule even he had set for the Gaels.
But with the state finals in Shelton's grasp last season against West Haven (and therefore Shelton's first appearance in the finals since 1990), it slipped away it a 3-2 loss. And getting that close means that the Gaels have had a taste.
"Last year, we set the bar pretty high," Gura said. "We wanted to make Shelton baseball a program that would be near the top of the SCC every year, but that's easier said than done. But last year was a great first step, but we want to be more consistent from year to year."
Gura, of course, took over in the middle of the 2008 season after the untimely death of long-time coach Ed Marocco, but has been around the program basically since he was a player two decades ago. Shelton has always had competitive teams, and has always been a threat, but hasn't quite been able to put it together consistenly. The Gaels won the 2000 SCC title, but have not won a game in that competition since, and have spent the last decade or so trying to be a thorn in Amity's side, which - at times - they've done quite well.
But Gura looks at his program, and sees the potential for maybe being the hunted instead of the hunter. He's got Bryant-bound Dan St. George, who will pitch and play some shortstop. The Gaels have leadoff hitter Eric Christiansen, an all-division selection last year. And they have plenty of other players, like catcher Ryan Daiss and Jimmy Pjura, that Gura thinks have big futures with Shelton.
He also knows that Shelton (with plenty of recent success, including a trip to the Little League World Series) has one of the best youth programs in the area, one that he hopes will mean long-term success.
"We're extremely deep in both pitching and hitting, although some of that is untested at this level," Gura said. "The guys are excited, we know we have a tough schedule in a very tough league so nothing will be easy. Our sophomore class is very good, our freshmen seem like they're good. It seems like things are looking good here for the future."
THROW 'EM IN A HAT: Unfortunately for Gura and the rest of the league, there are a lot of coaches that seem very positive about their team this season. In case you'd forgotten, the SCC final was an all-Milford affair last season with Jonathan Law beating Foran, and both teams return enough players to make them a factor this season. Foran, particularly, returns pitcher Brian Ward and many others from that cast including Brian O'Keefe. Also, Foran is the only Class M school in the SCC this season, which means high hopes for the Lions.
Law will have a tougher time replacing its championship parts (remember, Law has actually won titles two years in a row after their unexpected Class L title in 2008), but should have Brett Michael Doran - who hit six home runs last year - back to lead the offense.
Guilford, which didn't make the tournament last year, and Hand - with new coach Chris Borrelli at the helm and Nick Merullo behind the plate - both figure to be able to make some noise this season as well, making for a brutal Hammonasset Division.
Of course, the Housatonic Division is no joke, either. Amity lost an uncharacteristic nine games last season, but figures to reload behind pitcher Lou Concato (next to unhittable last summer in Legion ball) and junior Mark Esposito. We've already mentioned Shelton, but Cheshire - who like Shelton lost to West Haven by one run in the state tournament (quarterfinals) - is a sleeper - and Sheehan is always a factor in the end (the Titans went to the Class L semifinals last year, losing to Berlin).
In case you wondered if the remaining divisions (Quinnipiac and Oronoque) could keep up, consider that both boast defending state champions.
In the Oronoque, Branford was only 12-8 in the regular season, but fought through some adversity to win another state title. The Hornets feature a few players with some good bloodlines, like Tyler Olt, that should be able to carry them in a relatively weak division.
Finally, in the Quinnipiac, West Haven rode the right arm of Tom Lawrence to its first state title since 1988 last season, and will help the supporting cast drew enough experience out of that to drive them forward. The Blue Devils have enough coming back and enough tradition to stay competitive, but they will be pushed by cross-town rival Notre Dame - with Wake Forest-bound Conor Kinary, who already has a state title this year on the football field. The Green Knights (SCC champions in 2008) don't return much pitching experience, but their lineup is as good as anyone's in the league. Xavier is also looking to rebound from a mediocre 2009, and return pitcher Shaun Coughlin as well as plenty of other players with varsity experience.
The Power Rankings follow below, but - especially at this time of the season - they are a hypothesis at best, a wild guess at worst. And that should make for some serious entertainment in the months to come in the best baseball league in the state, the SCC.
PLAYER OF THE WEEK
GAME OF THE WEEK
Amity at Branford, Friday, 3:45 - There are a few other programs that can put themselves in the discussion, but these are probably the best two consistent successes in the SCC over the last decade. Both have mutiple state titles and always seem to be in the mix. Some of the Spartans' ridiculous streaks (like seven straight SCC finals) went by the boards last year, and they're looking to get back to the top, while the Hornets think they have the goods to have a memorable season.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
4
Number of SCC teams in the semifinals of the Class LL and Class L tournaments last season, and yes, even if you didn't major in math, that's half of the field. The interesting thing, though, of the four teams: West Haven, Shelton, Branford, and Sheehan; none of them even made the SCC semifinals. West Haven, Shelton, and Branford were beaten in the quarterfinals and Sheehan didn't even qualify for the tournament.
POWER RANKINGS
1) Foran (19-6; Last Season 2) – Just tough to see how you're going to score runs off these guys this season.
2) Amity (15-9; LS 4) – That 2009 record means the Spartans will have a little bit of a chip on their shoulders.
3) Branford (17-9; LS 7) – Defending state champion with a lot of their team returning? Could be very dangerous.
4) Shelton (17-8; LS 6) – Gaels finding out that its tough to be a consistent winner in this league from year to year.
5) Cheshire (17-7; LS 8) – Wasn't too long ago, they were right at the bottom here, but tradition has returned.
6) Notre Dame (14-9; LS 5) – If Knights can figure out the pitching, they could move up this list pretty quickly.
7) Xavier (10-12; LS 12) – Falcons really underachieved last season, but it did give them a favorable 2010 schedule.
8) Jonathan Law (20-5; LS 1) – Lawmen were most consistent SCC team in 2009, only one not to lose in division.
9) Guilford (6-14; LS 16) – We'll give the Indians a pass on 2009, reports have them much improved outfit in 2010.
10) Hand (11-12; LS 14) – Borrelli brings new blood to Tigers, who - like ND - if they get pitching could be a big factor.
11) West Haven (21-5; LS 3) – Always tough to follow up run for the ages, but won't fall as far as some people think.
12) Sheehan (15-9; LS 9) – Won't be as easy to get results in the division as it has been in past seasons.
13) North Haven (12-10; LS 10) – Some reasons for optimism (like a field), but also a lot of question marks early.
14) Fairfield Prep (10-11; LS 11) – Much improved last year, may be able to surprise some people this season.
15) East Haven (8-13; LS 17) – Yellowjackets also have a lot of pitching returning, could jump up with some luck.
16) Hamden (5-15; LS 15) – Managed to win a couple at the end last season, but no easy ones in the Quinnipiac.
17) Lyman Hall (5-15; LS 18) – Beat West Haven last season, but didn't manage to win a game in the Housatonic.
18) Career (14-9; LS 13) – Went 7-3 in Oronoque last year and will have to do damage in division again to go places.
19) Wilbur Cross (2-16; LS 20) – Governors were young last season, we'll see that can carry over to 2010 and beyond.
20) Hillhouse (2-17; LS 21) – Well, they moved up to No. 20 when Derby left the league, so that's a good start.
But with the state finals in Shelton's grasp last season against West Haven (and therefore Shelton's first appearance in the finals since 1990), it slipped away it a 3-2 loss. And getting that close means that the Gaels have had a taste.
"Last year, we set the bar pretty high," Gura said. "We wanted to make Shelton baseball a program that would be near the top of the SCC every year, but that's easier said than done. But last year was a great first step, but we want to be more consistent from year to year."
Gura, of course, took over in the middle of the 2008 season after the untimely death of long-time coach Ed Marocco, but has been around the program basically since he was a player two decades ago. Shelton has always had competitive teams, and has always been a threat, but hasn't quite been able to put it together consistenly. The Gaels won the 2000 SCC title, but have not won a game in that competition since, and have spent the last decade or so trying to be a thorn in Amity's side, which - at times - they've done quite well.
But Gura looks at his program, and sees the potential for maybe being the hunted instead of the hunter. He's got Bryant-bound Dan St. George, who will pitch and play some shortstop. The Gaels have leadoff hitter Eric Christiansen, an all-division selection last year. And they have plenty of other players, like catcher Ryan Daiss and Jimmy Pjura, that Gura thinks have big futures with Shelton.
He also knows that Shelton (with plenty of recent success, including a trip to the Little League World Series) has one of the best youth programs in the area, one that he hopes will mean long-term success.
"We're extremely deep in both pitching and hitting, although some of that is untested at this level," Gura said. "The guys are excited, we know we have a tough schedule in a very tough league so nothing will be easy. Our sophomore class is very good, our freshmen seem like they're good. It seems like things are looking good here for the future."
THROW 'EM IN A HAT: Unfortunately for Gura and the rest of the league, there are a lot of coaches that seem very positive about their team this season. In case you'd forgotten, the SCC final was an all-Milford affair last season with Jonathan Law beating Foran, and both teams return enough players to make them a factor this season. Foran, particularly, returns pitcher Brian Ward and many others from that cast including Brian O'Keefe. Also, Foran is the only Class M school in the SCC this season, which means high hopes for the Lions.
Law will have a tougher time replacing its championship parts (remember, Law has actually won titles two years in a row after their unexpected Class L title in 2008), but should have Brett Michael Doran - who hit six home runs last year - back to lead the offense.
Guilford, which didn't make the tournament last year, and Hand - with new coach Chris Borrelli at the helm and Nick Merullo behind the plate - both figure to be able to make some noise this season as well, making for a brutal Hammonasset Division.
Of course, the Housatonic Division is no joke, either. Amity lost an uncharacteristic nine games last season, but figures to reload behind pitcher Lou Concato (next to unhittable last summer in Legion ball) and junior Mark Esposito. We've already mentioned Shelton, but Cheshire - who like Shelton lost to West Haven by one run in the state tournament (quarterfinals) - is a sleeper - and Sheehan is always a factor in the end (the Titans went to the Class L semifinals last year, losing to Berlin).
In case you wondered if the remaining divisions (Quinnipiac and Oronoque) could keep up, consider that both boast defending state champions.
In the Oronoque, Branford was only 12-8 in the regular season, but fought through some adversity to win another state title. The Hornets feature a few players with some good bloodlines, like Tyler Olt, that should be able to carry them in a relatively weak division.
Finally, in the Quinnipiac, West Haven rode the right arm of Tom Lawrence to its first state title since 1988 last season, and will help the supporting cast drew enough experience out of that to drive them forward. The Blue Devils have enough coming back and enough tradition to stay competitive, but they will be pushed by cross-town rival Notre Dame - with Wake Forest-bound Conor Kinary, who already has a state title this year on the football field. The Green Knights (SCC champions in 2008) don't return much pitching experience, but their lineup is as good as anyone's in the league. Xavier is also looking to rebound from a mediocre 2009, and return pitcher Shaun Coughlin as well as plenty of other players with varsity experience.
The Power Rankings follow below, but - especially at this time of the season - they are a hypothesis at best, a wild guess at worst. And that should make for some serious entertainment in the months to come in the best baseball league in the state, the SCC.
PLAYER OF THE WEEK
GAME OF THE WEEK
Amity at Branford, Friday, 3:45 - There are a few other programs that can put themselves in the discussion, but these are probably the best two consistent successes in the SCC over the last decade. Both have mutiple state titles and always seem to be in the mix. Some of the Spartans' ridiculous streaks (like seven straight SCC finals) went by the boards last year, and they're looking to get back to the top, while the Hornets think they have the goods to have a memorable season.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
4
Number of SCC teams in the semifinals of the Class LL and Class L tournaments last season, and yes, even if you didn't major in math, that's half of the field. The interesting thing, though, of the four teams: West Haven, Shelton, Branford, and Sheehan; none of them even made the SCC semifinals. West Haven, Shelton, and Branford were beaten in the quarterfinals and Sheehan didn't even qualify for the tournament.
POWER RANKINGS
1) Foran (19-6; Last Season 2) – Just tough to see how you're going to score runs off these guys this season.
2) Amity (15-9; LS 4) – That 2009 record means the Spartans will have a little bit of a chip on their shoulders.
3) Branford (17-9; LS 7) – Defending state champion with a lot of their team returning? Could be very dangerous.
4) Shelton (17-8; LS 6) – Gaels finding out that its tough to be a consistent winner in this league from year to year.
5) Cheshire (17-7; LS 8) – Wasn't too long ago, they were right at the bottom here, but tradition has returned.
6) Notre Dame (14-9; LS 5) – If Knights can figure out the pitching, they could move up this list pretty quickly.
7) Xavier (10-12; LS 12) – Falcons really underachieved last season, but it did give them a favorable 2010 schedule.
8) Jonathan Law (20-5; LS 1) – Lawmen were most consistent SCC team in 2009, only one not to lose in division.
9) Guilford (6-14; LS 16) – We'll give the Indians a pass on 2009, reports have them much improved outfit in 2010.
10) Hand (11-12; LS 14) – Borrelli brings new blood to Tigers, who - like ND - if they get pitching could be a big factor.
11) West Haven (21-5; LS 3) – Always tough to follow up run for the ages, but won't fall as far as some people think.
12) Sheehan (15-9; LS 9) – Won't be as easy to get results in the division as it has been in past seasons.
13) North Haven (12-10; LS 10) – Some reasons for optimism (like a field), but also a lot of question marks early.
14) Fairfield Prep (10-11; LS 11) – Much improved last year, may be able to surprise some people this season.
15) East Haven (8-13; LS 17) – Yellowjackets also have a lot of pitching returning, could jump up with some luck.
16) Hamden (5-15; LS 15) – Managed to win a couple at the end last season, but no easy ones in the Quinnipiac.
17) Lyman Hall (5-15; LS 18) – Beat West Haven last season, but didn't manage to win a game in the Housatonic.
18) Career (14-9; LS 13) – Went 7-3 in Oronoque last year and will have to do damage in division again to go places.
19) Wilbur Cross (2-16; LS 20) – Governors were young last season, we'll see that can carry over to 2010 and beyond.
20) Hillhouse (2-17; LS 21) – Well, they moved up to No. 20 when Derby left the league, so that's a good start.
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