Baseball: Ketcham, Panas, Albertus Magnus, Tuckahoe lead Section 1 charge into final four
After last season's sectional title-winners got knocked out in the regional rounds of the state tournament, Section 1 is making a triumphant return to the NYSPHSAA Final Four.
All four of its champions – Ketcham (Class AA), Panas (A), Albertus Magnus (B) and Tuckahoe (C) – are Binghamton-bound this weekend and will be in the hunt for a state title.
With four participating teams in the state final four, Section 1 will be the most represented.
Here's a look at how the four Section 1 representatives got there, and what lies ahead.
Class AA: Ketcham
Ketcham (26-2) vs. Lancaster (17-6-1)
When: Friday, 2 p.m.
Where: Mirabito Stadium
Maxpreps rankings: Ketcham is the top-ranked Class AA team in the state. Lancaster is No. 10.
Ketcham's road to states: Ketcham beat Arlington (4-2), John Jay-East Fishkill (4-3), bounced back from a 4-1 loss to Clarkstown South in the double-elimination sectional tournament by beating John Jay-East Fishkill (8-4), and Clarkstown South in back-to-back games (8-4, 7-0) to win the section title. The Indians proceeded to defeat Kingston (11-2) and Elmira (12-1) in the regional rounds.
Lancaster's road to states: Lancaster defeated Jamestown (14-0), Niagara Falls (4-3), and Williamsville North (8-0) to win the section title. It defeated Fairport in a 1-0 regional final that went 11 innings.
Last Section 1 Class AA team to win a state title: Mamaroneck, 2015
Regional finals: Ketcham stays hot in Class AA regional final win over Elmira
Ketcham: Indians defeat Clarkstown South to repeat as Section 1 Class AA champion
Ketcham has the pitching depth that'll make any team in the state envious. The Indians' junior trio of Ryan Mealy, Ole Miss commit Owen Paino and Riley Weatherwax carry most of the load on the mound, and they each have an ERA that is below 0.80. While their pitching has been on point, their bats have hit a new level during the state tournament. They outscored their regional opponents by a combined margin of 23-3.
Going back even further to their wake-up call defeat to Clarkstown South, the Indians have outscored opponents 46-11 since then. It's been a true team effort, with contributions and big hits coming from all parts of the batting order.
Other teams will be well-rested since Ketcham was the only Class AA team to have to win two games to reach the state final four, but there's no doubt Ketcham will be a team to fear in Binghamton. The Indians are looking to take home their first Class AA state title since 2005 and they don't plan on being denied.
Up next: The Ketcham-Lancaster winner will face Commack (11) or Shenendehowa (2) for the championship on Saturday, 1 p.m., at Mirabito Stadium.
Class A: Panas
Panas (24-3) vs. Williamsville East (19-6)
When: Friday, 2 p.m.
Where: Binghamton University
Maxpreps rankings: Panas is the top-ranked Class A team in the state. Williamsville East is No. 6.
Panas' road to states: Panas defeated Brewster (6-2), Yorktown (4-0), Fox Lane (11-1), and John Jay-Cross River (4-3) to reach the section finals. They lost the first game in a rematch with the Wolves, 4-0, before rebounding with a 7-0 win in a winner-take-all championship game. After a bye to the regional final, they defeated Wallkill in a 10-inning marathon, 6-1.
Williamsville East's road to states: The Flames defeated Sweet Home (14-3), North Tonawanda (4-3), Hamburg (10-3) and Amherst Central (10-2) to win the Section 6 title. After a bye to the regional final, they defeated Honeoye Falls-Lima, 13-0, to advance to the state final four.
Last Section 1 Class A team to win a state title: Byram Hills, 2015
Gatorade Player of the Year: Panas' Stafura earns Gatorade New York Player of the Year award
Section champs: Panas pulls past John Jay-Cross River to win first section title
These Panthers are pioneers. After winning the first Section 1 Class A title in program history, they're now headed to their first NYSPHSAA final four with hopes to emerge as state champs.
They've experienced their share of heartbreaks and early exits in past years, moments that only emboldened them for this season. The talent was always there, but this year, Panas has shown tremendous mental toughness and resiliency, especially in moments they may have cracked in the past. They've had come-from-behind wins, extra-inning thrillers, and times where they've stepped up to keep this historic journey going after adversity strikes.
Headlined by recently-crowned Gatorade New York Player of the Year Sam Stafura, a Clemson commit, the Panthers are loaded with players ready for the next level, like Danny Witters (Stetson), Jackson DiLorenzo (East Carolina), Tony Humphrey (Boston College), Austin Pagliettini (College of St. Rose), Manhattanville-bound Mike Scozzafava and Mike Torres, as well as Cameron Hawley (RPI) and Derek Hawley (UMass-Boston) and they'll look to end things on top.
Up next: The Panas-Williamsville East winner will face West Babylon (11) or Columbia (2) for the championship on Saturday, 1 p.m., at Binghamton University.
Class B: Albertus Magnus
Albertus Magnus (19-6) vs. Lansing (17-4)
When: Friday, 5 p.m.
Where: Union-Endicott High School
Maxpreps rankings: Albertus Magnus is the No. 4-ranked Class B team in the state. Lansing enters at No. 7.
Albertus Magnus' road to states: The Falcons defeated Briarcliff (14-1), Valhalla (10-0), Bronxville (2-1), Blind Brook (6-0), and Croton-Harmon (4-1) to win a section title. They went on to beat Spackenkill (16-5) and Babylon (9-2) in the regional rounds.
Lansing's road to states: The Bobcats defeated Waverly (7-0), Owego (1-0) and Chenango Forks (7-3) to win the Section 4 title. They followed up with a regional final win over Skaneateles.
Last Section 1 Class B team to win a state title: Kennedy Catholic, 2008
History made: Albertus Magnus beats top-ranked Babylon to reach first state final four
McKenna Strong: Albertus Magnus stays hot, wins first Section 1 title since 2017
After graduating eight seniors from last year, there was initial uncertainty entering this spring, but going into this weekend, the Falcons surely won't be flying under the radar.
They took their lumps during a 6-6 start, but haven't lost since late April. The Falcons are riding a 13-game winning streak. If their sectional title win wasn't enough to quell any doubts that this is just a magical Cinderella run, their recent regional wins prove that they are legitimate contenders.
After dispatching defending state champion Spackenkill, they jumped all over formerly No. 1-ranked Babylon in the regional final. The Falcons have continued to elevate their game with each passing stage of the postseason, and they have the hitters to complement their solid pitching rotation.
They're motivated by making history and treasuring the memory of beloved teacher and announcer Joe McKenna, who passed away shortly before their crowning moment at sectionals. It'll be their first-ever trip to the NYSPHSAA final four, and they plan on making it count.
Up next: The Albertus Magnus-Lansing winner will face Plattsburgh (7) or Depew (6) for the championship on Saturday, 4 p.m., at Binghamton University.
Class C: Tuckahoe
Tuckahoe (15-9) vs. Little Falls (19-3)
When: Friday, 5 p.m.
Where: Maine-Endwell High School
Maxpreps rankings: Little Falls is the No. 3-ranked Class C team in the state. Tuckahoe is No. 31, but that may be in part to missing data on Maxpreps.
Tuckahoe's road to states: The Tigers swept Hamilton, then Haldane, in three-game series to win the Section 1 Class C title. Tuckahoe defeated Burke Catholic (11-0) and Port Jefferson (8-7) in the regional rounds to reach the state final four.
Little Falls' road to states: The Mounties defeated Cooperstown (16-3), Beaver River (7-2), and Bishop Ludden (7-1) to win the Section 3 Class C title. They went on to beat Watkins Glen/Odessa-Montour, 4-1, in the regional finals.
Last Section 1 Class C team to win a state title: North Salem, 2017
Title repeat: Tuckahoe sweeps Haldane to repeat as Section 1 Class C champion
"Why not us?" has become Tuckahoe's rallying cry, and the Tigers will aim to take their first state title since 2011.
They've peaked at the right moment, sweeping their way through the Section 1 tournament, bulldozing Burke Catholic in a subregional rout, then digging deep to rally from a three-run deficit to defeat Port Jefferson in walk-off fashion to reach the NYSPHSAA final four.
While the Tigers don't have many pure year-round ballplayers who specialize in one sport, they do have plenty of three-sport athletes that have seen plenty of success in other sports and are used to deep playoff runs and championship contention at Tuckahoe.
Since there are only a total of four Class C schools in the area, the Tigers had to play plenty of teams in higher classifications to fill out their schedule, which made for some tough games, but prepared them for Class C playoffs.
In the regular season, they had a run differential of +9. Now, in their six playoff games, their run differential is +46.
Up next: The Tuckahoe-Little Falls winner will face Chatham (2) or Notre Dame (5) for the championship on Saturday, 10 a.m., at Binghamton University.
Follow Eugene Rapay on Twitter at @erapay5 and on Instagram at @byeugenerapay.
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Baseball: Four Section 1 teams ready to compete for state title
