Syracuse, N.Y. — The Section III baseball season will be underway soon. Here’s what to know about Class B, C and D this season.
>> Section III baseball media day roll call: Photos from every team (39 photos)
Class B
Teams (2022 record in parenthesis)
Adirondack (13-12), Bishop Grimes (8-10), Camden (13-8), Canastota (4-13), Cazenovia (15-9), Chittenango (7-11), Clinton (7-10), Cortland (20-3), Central Valley Academy (8-12), General Brown (3-13), Hannibal (7-13), Holland Patent (13-6), Homer (15-6), Jordan-Elbridge (1-15), Lowville (11-9), Marcellus (11-11), Mexico (3-13), Oneida (8-8), Phoenix (11-8), Skaneateles (14-7), Solvay (14-7), South Jefferson (17-3), Vernon-Verona-Sherrill (7-13), Westhill (18-5)
Players to watch
Caden Albright, Cortland: Albright had a .438 batting average, scored 35 runs, tallied 28 RBIs and 13 stolen bases. He was named first-team all-league.
Tristan Allen, Homer: The second-team all-league selection led his team with 24 hits as a freshman. He had a .387 batting average on struck out 26 batters.
Zach Blevins Jr., South Jefferson: The All-CNY and first-team all-league selection had a .453 batting average and drove in 18 RBIs.
Jack Byrnes, Cazenovia: Byrnes was named All-CNY and first-team all-league after striking out 99 batters over 62.2 innings pitched. He surrendered just seven earned runs all season. At the plate, he collected 31 hits and 19 RBIs.
Ty Corey, Phoenix: As a freshman, Corey was named first-team all-league after hitting .423, driving in 15 runs, pitching 52.2 innings and striking out 79 batters.
Jack Donlin, Cazenovia: The first-team all-league selection racked up 74 strikeouts over 51.1 innings pitched and had a team-high .506 batting average and 27 RBIs.
Jordan Dippold, Solvay: Dippold’s junior season resulted in a first-team all-league selection after he hit .365, collected 12 RBIs and led the team with nine stolen bases.
Mitchell Earle, Homer: Earle struck out 64 batters over 34 innings pitched and at the plate, he had 21 hits and 11 RBIs. He was named second-team all-league.
John Francesconi, Marcellus: The first-team all-league selection starred on the mound for the Mustangs. he led the team with 70 strikeouts over 45.2 innings pitched.
Aiden Kerr, Westhill: Kerr led the team with 37 hits as a junior. He also added 14 RBIs and 10 stolen bases on his way to being named first-team all-league.
Tyrus Kelly, Chittenango: Kelly was a first-team all-league selection as a junior. He led the team with 18 hits to go with 10 RBIs and 10 stolen bases. He also contributed 21 strikeouts over 11.1 innings pitched.
Michael Madigan, Westhill: Madigan was named All-CNY and first-team all-league after leading the team with 62 strikeouts. Offensively, he had a .358 batting average and drive in 21 runs.
Andrew Partigianoni, Cortland: Partigianoni hot .366 last season and drove in 18 RBIs for the Class A champions. He was named first-team all-league.
Colin White, Adirondack: White was a force on the mound and at the plate for the Class C champions last season. He was named All-CNY and league player of the year after he struck out 83 batters over 75.2 innings pitched and posted a .463 batting average while driving in a team-high 28 RBIs.
Team outlooks
Adirondack: The defending Section III Class C champions make the jump up to B this spring. The Wildcats made a surprise run all the way to the state semifinal game last year despite entering the playoffs with just a 9-11 record. Adirondack returns almost every player from that team and looks to put Class B on notice this season.
Bishop Grimes: The Cobras hovered around .500 last season and were led by a host of underclassmen. With most of its core set to return, Bishop Grimes could be a team to watch in a loaded Class B.
Camden: The Blue Devils had a solid season in Class A last season that resulted in the team earning the fifth seed for sectionals. Camden lost some important seniors, but they still have a young group of talented players that can help them. Camden last played in Class B in 2021. In that season, the Blue Devils won the Class B-1 section championship.
Canastota: The Raiders relied on lots of underclassmen last season and struggled. With a year of experience under their belts, the group will look to turn things around.
Cazenovia: “Obviously, we made the sectional championship last year, lost a close game to Westhill. We have almost everybody back, which is great, but we also have a league full of really good players and really good coaches. So we’re just going to be there competing every game and trying to ride our two horses in Jack Donlin and Jack Byrnes, and then we have some pieces around them like Taven Reilley that are going to help us compete in every game and see how it goes really. Just kind of get after it and do our best.” — Tim Mascari, Cazenovia coach
Chittenango: “We’ve taken a step towards our goal and that’s motivated our guys to kind of continue that hard work through the offseason and now it’s time to make that next step. We’ve opened the door and now we have to kind of walk through it.” — Michael Stump, Chittenango coach
Clinton: The Warriors were a very young team last season and finished the year 7-10. After gaining valuable experience, Clinton could be a team that turns heads this spring.
Central Valley Academy: The Thunder was the 16 seed in last season’s sectional tournament. CVA returns a lot of players who will look to make more noise this season.
Cortland: “Expectations have been high for quite a while. We won our first sectional title in 2013 in our program ever. So in a sense, other than one year, we’ve been able to stay at the top and compete, and that’s the word we like to use, compete. We’ll go out and we’ll play anybody and the guys know when they’re between the lines, they’re focused and ready to go and they’ve done a good job of it.” — Ben Albright, Cortland
General Brown: “We’ve got to learn how to win. I think that’s one of the biggest things. We’re not going to change everything in one year, but we have to win those close games. I think if we’re able to do that, I think we’ll be alright.” — Shawn McManaman, General Brown coach
Hannibal: The Warriors missed the playoffs last season. They are a team that has a lot of its roster coming back and could be a team that takes advantage of the open sectional format this spring.
Holland Patent: The Golden Knights were the second-place team in Division I of the Center State Conference last season. This year, they make the move to the Tri-Valley League and will try to build on last year’s success.
Homer: The Trojans were a senior-heavy group that experienced success a year ago. Even with seniors leading the way, Homer had plenty of help from underclassmen that will be back to try and make a run at the section crown.
Jordan-Elbridge: “Our outlook is just to improve upon what we started last year. Keep building the program, moving in a positive direction.” — Ryan Cooper, Jordan-Elbridge coach
Lowville: The Red Raiders are a team that finished just above .500 last season. They lost a few key players and retained some and hope to be a team in the mix this spring.
Marcellus: “We’ve lost some key seniors from last year’s team, so we’re going to need some guys to step in. We’re going to have some younger guys that may have the opportunity to get in the lineup and contribute. So, I think the key for us is just going to be kind of building that team culture and just a winning mentality and playing good baseball.” — Brian Petrick, Marcellus coach
Mexico: The Tigers have struggled for the past few seasons but will have a large group of returners this season. With the team looking much more experienced this fall, Mexico hopes to start turning things around.
Oneida: Coming off a season where Oneida won just one game, the team finished with eight wins last season. The group was led by mostly sophomores and juniors and looks to be trending in the right direction.
Phoenix: “Trying to gain more experience. Last year we started five, sometimes six freshmen. We were able to win 11 games, get into sectionals. So hopefully this year you build on that, get a little deeper into sectionals. You’d like to think, well, it’s their second year of varsity, but again, they’re only going to be sophomores, so it’s going to be young. We’ve only got a couple seniors, but it’s kind of nice to have open sectionals, knowing that going into the season. Just try and get as many kids ready as you can so at the end of the season, they can at least try and make a run.” — Chuck Chawgo, Phoenix coach
Skaneateles: “I have a large group of seniors that have been playing a long time. A lot of them are third-year players. They’ve had some success. We won the sectionals two years ago and then we fell short last year. I think it’s a motivation to go out and at least give it a good fight.” — Tom Warner, Skaneateles coach
Solvay: “We’ve always had a really good program. Coach (Darren) Lee left us in a really good spot and I would expect that to continue. I have a really good group of seniors that have made this transition really easy and I can’t thank them enough.” — Joe Kesler, Solvay coach
South Jefferson: The Spartans were one of the top teams in Class B last season. The team finished with a 17-3 record and were the top seed in sectionals. South Jefferson was upset by Cazenovia in the quarterfinals last season. With the memory of defeat on their mind, South Jefferson should be a determined team to keep an eye out for this spring.
Vernon-Verona-Sherrill: “This is my first year in the program, so we really want to continue the tradition that we have at V-V-S to be competitive within our league. We will be a young team, but I think we’ll be a competitive team. ... The culture that we have in our program, I think really kind of pairs well with the talent we have.” — John Protheroe, V-V-S coach
Westhill: “We return a lot of players from a sectional championship team, but we also had some key losses. If we work hard and perform, I think we’ll be pretty good. But again, you know, it’s expectations. You can return a lot of guys and that doesn’t necessarily mean you’re going to win.” — Ted Klamm, Westhill coach
Key games
Cazenovia vs. Westhill, April 27: The Warriors bested the Lakers in the section championship last spring. This midseason game will give Cazenovia a chance to get its revenge and gain the edge before playoffs.
Cortland vs. Auburn, May 4 and May 5: The Purple Tigers are the reigning Class A champions and they defeated Auburn in that championship game. Neither team is in Class A anymore, but you can bet that the stakes will still be high when these teams meet on the diamond this spring.
Class C
Teams (2022 record in parenthesis)
Alexandria (8-11), Altmar-Parish-Williamstown (2-10), Beaver River (19-2), Bishop Ludden (11-11), Cato-Meridian (2-12), Cooperstown (10-7), Frankfort-Schuyler (8-8), Herkimer (4-14), LaFayette (9-9), Little Falls (17-3), Mount Markham (9-10), Onondaga (1-13), Otselic Valley/Cincinnatus (OV 3-10, Cincinnatus 2-10), Port Byron (13-7), Pulaski (13-4), Sandy Creek (2-15), Sauquoit Valley (8-11), Sherburne-Earlville (1-13), South Lewis (8-12), Thousand Islands (N/A), Tully (9-8), Utica Notre Dame (3-15), Waterville (3-16), Weedsport (13-5), Westmoreland (19-1)
Players to watch
Mason Beigh, Mount Markham: The first-team all-league selection picked up 11 hits and six RBIs last season. He also collected 16 strikeouts on the mound.
Jacob Boliver, Beaver River: Boliver was a force at the plate last season. He hit .373 last season, drove in 21 runs and stole 19 bases. On the mound, he racked up 24 strikeouts over 14 innings pitched. He was named first-team all-league.
Braeden Davis, OV/Cincinnatus: Davis had a .500 batting average and was named first-team all-league last season.
Owen Davison, Westmoreland: The first-team all-league selection hit .400 last season and drove in 19 runs.
Joe Dunham, Bishop Ludden: Dunham had a .328 batting average last season and 22 RBIs. He also struck out 65 batters and allowed 12 earned runs over 40.2 innings pitched. He was selected to the all-league first-team.
Brady Hascup, Cooperstown: Hascup hit .531 and drove in 10 runs on his way to being named first-team all-league as a junior.
Matt Farese, South Lewis: Farese hit .324 with 11 RBIs last season. On the mound, the first-team all-league selection contributed seven strikeouts in 10 innings pitched.
Devin Kobasa, Onondaga: Kobasa led the team in batting average (.388) and RBIs (11). As a pitcher, he led the team in strikeouts with 33 Ks in 20.1 innings pitched. He was a first-team all-league selection.
Zeke Mohat, Tully: The first-team all-league selection led the team in hits (17), and as a pitcher he led the Black Knights with 24 strikeouts.
Chase Regan, Little Falls: Regan was an All-CNY and first-team all-league selection after helping lead the Mounties last season.
Ben Ryan, LaFayette: Ryan did it all for the Lancers last season. He led the team in hits (27) and RBIs (17) and was equally impressive on the mound. He was named league pitcher of the year and led the team in strikeouts (58).
Jacob Schick, Altmar-Parish-Williamstown: The first-team all-league selection led the team with 15 hits as a sophomore.
Andrew Seward, Weedsport: Seward was named first-team all-league after posting a .370 batting average and 13 RBIs. He also struck out 33 batters over 21.1 innings pitched.
Tanner Trust, Pulaski: Trust led his team with 22 hits as a sophomore. He also had 11 RBIs. As a pitcher, he struck out 23 batters over 23 innings. He earned first-team all-league honors.
Connor Usowski, Port Byron: As a freshman, Usowski earned first-team all-league after leading his team with 58 strikeouts over 41.2 innings pitched. He also collected 19 hits and 14 RBIs.
Team outlooks
Alexandria: The Ghosts were a 9-11 team last season. They earned a playoff bid but were bounced in the first round.
Altmar-Parish-Williamstown: It’s been more than 10 years since A-P-W has had a winning season. This year’s team will feature a good mix of juniors and seniors that will look to get the program headed in the right direction.
Beaver River: “We’re returning eight from last year. We lost our two big pitchers last year to graduation, but we have two good guys with Jake Boliver and Cooper Joslin as our one-two returning this year. We have five seniors, four sophomores, two juniors. So we have good experience. We have good young kids, but we didn’t have to bring anybody up this year, which is the first time we haven’t had to do that in a couple years. So all four of our sophomores played as freshmen last year and all four of them will be starters. Good young team. There’s a lot of potential there. Now we’ve just got to go on the field and play.” — Brandon DeLong, Beaver River coach
Bishop Ludden: “We think we can build on last year. I feel like we have high-potential pitching, high-potential defense, and if we can hit with two strikes and have good team chemistry, I think we’ll be very good.” — Tom McLaughlin, Bishop Ludden coach
Cato-Meridian: The Blue Devils had just two wins last season. This year’s team will feature a lot of players from last year’s team that will be determined to right the ship this season.
Cooperstown: The Hawkeyes are returning a lot of its core from a season ago and looked poised to build on last season’s 10-7 record.
Frankfort-Schuyler: The Maroon Knights were a .500 team last season and had just two seniors. This season the team should be expected to get over the hump and post a winning record.
Herkimer: The Magicians have struggled over the past few seasons. This year’s team will return many players with experience hoping to start the program’s turnaround.
LaFayette: “We had a nice run last year and we’re really going to miss those seniors. We had three seniors graduate. Our number two pitcher, our starting catcher and our starting center fielder. We’re really going to miss them. They’re great kids, great leaders. So I’m hoping to find some kids to step up this year and fill those shoes. If somebody does, we could have a great season, but it’s going to be big shoes to fill.” — Sean Kelly, LaFayette coach
Little Falls: The Mounties dominated in Class B last year to the tune of a 17-3 record but were upset in the first round of playoffs. Little Falls returns much of its team and will look to find success in its first year in Class C.
Mount Markham: The Mustangs found themselves in the quarterfinals of sectionals last season. They ultimately lost that game, but plenty of players return from that team and look to build on that success.
Onondaga: “I expect nothing less than a hundred percent effort, and that is going to carry us a lot. I was raised on the whole effort thing, and so I expect that on my team and I’ve seen that so far, which is great to see. I played AA for Coach Krause at West Genesee and he was another guy who really taught us the mental part of the game. If we can overcome a lot of adversity, if we can move past those things and still be even-keeled, we’ll be fine when we get into the seventh inning, and we may be down a couple runs and we can work to overcome those deficits.” — Dan Purcell, Onondaga coach
Otselic Valley/Cincinnatus: Otselic Valley and Cincinnatus combined for a 5-20 record last season. The combination of the programs could allow the team to find success in the Central Counties League.
Port Byron: The Panthers were the fifth seed in sectionals last season but were upset in the first round. Port Byron should have a healthy amount of experience on this year’s team to help get them out of the first round of payoffs.
Pulaski: “We’re going to have to have some young guys step up and really play some vital roles, so it’ll be interesting.” — Butch Taplin, Pulaski coach
Sandy Creek: The Comets had a rough go of things last season. They finished 2-16. The good thing is the team featured a good mix of sophomores and juniors that gained experience and will be back this season.
Sauquoit Valley: The Indians were a young team last season. With those players earning valuable experience, Sauquoit Valley should be able to win some of those close games that slipped away last season.
Sherburne-Earlville: The Marauders struggled last season winning just one game. That was a team filled with seniors. This season Sherburne-Earlville will rely on new faces to turn things around.
South Lewis: The Falcons have picked up seven and eight wins in the last two seasons. They lose a host of seniors but return plenty of underclassmen who were contributors last season.
Thousand Islands: The Vikings did not play last season. The last time they played was in the 2021 altered spring season when the team made the semifinals of the Section III Class C-1 semifinals. After a year off, the Vikings will be an unknown heading into the season.
Tully: “I have a lot of experience this year, so we’re pretty optimistic that we can be competitive against everyone we play. We play good team defense. We swing the bats well. We defend on the corners very well. The one thing we don’t have is a power arm, but we have a lot of pitching. We just don’t have that power arm, but we have a lot of arms to go through. That’s the one plus we have that the average team doesn’t have.” — Don McClure, Tully coach
Utica Notre Dame: The Jugglers struggled in Class B last season and are down in Class C this year looking to help the program rebuild.
Waterville: The team hasn’t had a winning record in more than a decade, but the team does return plenty of contributors that now have varsity experience and can help turn things around.
Weedsport: The Warriors were upset in the first round of the playoffs but entered the postseason as the No. 4 seed. They return much of their team and look to make a deeper run this season.
Westmoreland: The Bulldogs ran roughshod through their opponents last season. The team was undefeated until the Section III Class C champion when it lost to Adirondack. Senior standout Caleb Miller is gone, but much of that talented team returns to make another run this spring.
Key games
Westmoreland vs. Oriskany, April 15 and May 13: The Bulldogs are one of the top teams in Class C and Oriskany is one of the best in Class D. These games are crucial for both teams to gain experience against championship-caliber squads.
Bishop Ludden vs. Pulaski, April 20 and May 5: The Gaelic Knights are looking to turn things around this season. Getting wins over Pulaski who was the third-seeded team in sectionals last season will prove they are for real.
Class D
Teams (2022 record in parenthesis)
Belleville-Henderson (14-4), Brookfield (15-6), Copenhagen (3-15), DeRuyter (8-7), Fabius-Pompey (7-8), Hamilton (10-7), LaFargeville (0-16), Lyme (17-3), Madison (5-11), Mater Dei Academy (8-9), McGraw (7-7), Morrisville-Eaton (16-4), New York Mills (14-5), Old Forge (0-13), Oriskany (16-4), Poland (7-9), Remsen (3-12), Sackets Harbor (9-9), Stockbridge Valley (9-4), West Canada Valley (7-10)
Players to watch
Jaydon Bassett, McGraw: Bassett was first-team all-league as a sophomore after leading the team in RBIs (13) and strikeouts (26). He also drove in 13 runs.
Gannon Brunet, Sackets Harbor: Brunet led the Patriots in RBIs (17). He also struck out 28 batters in 17 innings pitched on his way to being named first-team all-league.
Colby Campbell, Hamilton: Campbell hit .460 last season and drove in 14 runs before being named first-team all-league.
Sean Burdick, West Canada Valley: Burdick led the pitching staff with 33 Ks over 28 innings pitched. He also collected 10 hits and eight RBIs.
Brittan Cross, Belleville-Henderson: He led the team with 40 strikeouts over 21 innings pitched. The first-team all-league section also had nine hits and 10 RBIs.
Matt Enriquez, Mater Dei: The first-team all-league selection struck out 27 batters over 12.1 innings pitched.
Evan Froelich, Lyme: Froelich was one of the key contributors to Lyme’s success last season. He was named first-team all-league.
Michael Riedl, Fabius Pompey: Reidl led the pitching staff with 41 Ks over 30 innings pitched. At the plate, he had a .333 batting average and 16 RBIs.
Anthony Kernan, Oriskany: Kernan led his team with 44 strikeouts over 24.2 innings pitched and allowed just eight earned runs. He also had a .326 batting average and seven RBIs. He was named first-team all-league.
Tim Lavier, New York Mills: The first-team all-league selection hit .446 and led the team with 32 RBIs.
James Dapson, Morrisville-Eaton: Dapson led the team in hits (20) and RBIs (13) and was named first-team all-league.
Team outlooks
Belleville-Henderson: The Panthers earned the third seed in sectionals last season. The group returns plenty of contributors to help the team make a championship run this spring.
Brookfield: The Beavers were the sixth seed in the Class D tournament and ended up in the semifinals last season. Last year’s team was loaded with freshmen, meaning that the bunch is coming back with a section championship on their minds.
Copenhagen: The Knights were a young team a season ago. They will look to have more success this fall but will likely still be rebuilding.
DeRuyter: The Rockets are returning a group of players that contributed to a winning team last season. With experience, this year’s DeRuyter team should build on an 8-7 record from a year ago.
Fabius-Pompey: The Falcons were in Class C last season and upset their way to the quarterfinals of sectionals. With the move to Class D, the team will look to build on the momentum from last postseason.
Hamilton: The Emerald Knights were one run away from making the Class D semifinals last spring. Hamilton brings back some of its firepower from last season in hopes of making a deeper run this season.
LaFargeville: The Red Knights were winless a season ago and look to continue the rebuild this season.
Lyme: The Lakers were the top seed in Class D last season. They lost to eventual section champion Morrisville-Eaton in the semifinals. Lyme will be back with nearly the same roster.
Madison: Madison struggled last season and will look to continue its rebuild this year.
Mater Dei Academy: The Saints were just about .500 last season. This year they return a group of players that have the potential to get the team over the hump.
McGraw: The Eagles were a young team and still managed to finish .500 last season. With the core players returning, McGraw should be expected to build on that success.
Morrisville-Eaton: The Warriors won Class D last season and return a few key guys to help spark the repeat.
New York Mills: The Mauraders put together a solid season last spring and return plenty of talent to build on that success.
Old Forge: The team has been winless the past two seasons. This year’s group will look to put some Ws in the win column this spring.
Oriskany: The team made it to the Section III Class D championship and lost. Plenty of players return this year to help Oriskany get back to the championship and avenge that loss.
Poland: The Tornadoes finished last season 7-9. They will enter this season with a group of players that have some varsity experience and are ready to get the team back to winning.
Remsen: Last spring, the Rams played for the first time since 2018. This season, the team returns a lot of players who will try to get the program back into the swing of things.
Sackets Harbor: As a young team last season, the Patriots went 9-9. That group will be back and ready to experience more success.
Stockbridge Valley: The Cougars were the seventh seed last season and were bounced in the first round of the playoffs. This season’s team will look to make a deeper run behind some new faces.
West Canada Valley: “I always have high expectations of the team. Whether we perform to it or not is a different story, but normally the players step up and do what we need to do to get into the sectionals and actually go beyond that sometimes. So pretty decent expectations this year.” — Mark Maxwell, West Canda Valley coach
Key games
Oriskany vs. Morrisville-Eaton, April 24 and May 12: Last season, these teams split the season series before the Warriors defeated Oriskany in the section championship. Both teams should be contenders again, so these games are potential championship previews.
Lyme vs. Beaver River, May 16: These are two teams that should be around toward the end of sectionals this spring. This late-season game could be pivotal for seeding heading into the playoffs.
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