This year shouldn’t be much different. In fact, the…
By Domenico Montanaro and brian Towey
August Martin should be the gem of this Queens B I. The Falcons, who are in their third year in Division B, were 11-1 last season, won the league, and made the playoffs for the second straight year.
This year shouldn’t be much different. In fact, the Falcons may be a little better.
“We are a good fielding team, and the hitting will come around,” said Martin coach Paul Herman.
The Falcons have a good crop of young talen, as four graduated and just three return. Some of the players to watch are Nikosi Wiggins, Jerome Arrington, Brandon Plaier and Josue Hernandez.
Wiggins, a junior, will be at centerfield. Last season, he was the team’s catcher and hit nine homers. Arrington, a senior, is the team’s second pitcher and when he’s not on the mound, he’ll be at shortstop, vacuuming groundballs off the dirt and flipping them to his counterpart Hernandez — one of five freshman starters — at second base.
The duo has already turned five double plays in two exhibition games.
Plaier, a sophomore, is the team’s ace. The fastball/changeup pitcher went 8-0 last season as a freshman.
“We might go undefeated in the division, and we hope to win a playoff game,” Herman added.
Three teams look to make the push for the second playoff spot: Campus Magnet, Springfield Gardens and Jamaica.
Campus Magnet and Springfield finished tied for second last year, but Magnet won the one-game playoff.
That, however, was Magnet’s first playoff appearance in more than 30 years and the Bulldogs might revert back to its traditional ways in 2001.
The returnees are senior Brandan Lucas in the infield, juniors Robert Harper at second base and Jisjard Jean-Basptiste at first base and sophomore utility player Elliot Marcelle.
Springfield Gardens is in a similar situation as the Golden Eagles return only three, including Delano McCormack, a three-year starter at virtually every position. Expect him to close most games and be the team’s leading hitter.
Other noteables are first baseman/pitcher Danny Cowers, a junior and centerfielder Brandon Rush.
Jamaica might be the surprise of the division.
Coach George Politis said he thinks his team will take the second playoff spot, but that depends heavily on academic eligibility. Two thirds of his team are freshmen and sophomores, but Politis has high hopes for his infield
Some key returnees are seniors Omar Birchwood at catcher, Alex Villamar at third base, sophomore shortstop/pitcher Miguel Ortiz and freshman second baseman Ruben Santana.
Far Rockaway finished last in 2000 and rounds out the division.
Flushing returns a strong core of players from a 20-7 team. The Red Devils will rely on a steady pitching staff and some strong glove work in their pursuit of the League B-II title. Coach Fernando Herrera hopes to find some offensive punch from new sources this season after losing three key hitters to graduation.
“I still have a good core of guys,” said Herrera. “Pitching will be one of our strengths, and we have good defense. Hitting is going to be a question mark. I lack that breakout type hitter this year.”
Herrera has a dependable stable of arms at his disposal, keyed by senior Kevin Jenkins, one of Flushing’s top hurlers as well as a center fielder. Junior Jose Diaz, mans second base as well as a spot in the rotation, while pitcher/outfielder Argelis Rosario rounds out the Red Devils’ pitching corps. Senior shortstop Mohammed Atif will also be looked to for major contributions.
“[Those four players] are the core of the team,” said Herrera. “They are the heart of the team. Weíre hoping they can do some things for us.”
Herrera has scheduled Lehman High School from the Bronx ‘A’ league and John Bowne as a complement to Flushing’s interleague slate. If his team can play smart baseball, the coach is confident they will contend in B-II.
“Teamwork is going to win some games for you,” said Herrera. “Not beating ourselves is what we’re looking for. I’m looking for very big things out of this year’s team. Hopefully this season will be a positive experience the players will remember the rest of their lives.”
Forest Hills had a magical year last season, riding Matt Rigotti’s left arm all the way to Yankee Stadium and the PSAL ‘B’ city title. The Rangers went 26-5 last season and many believe Marty Finkelstein’s squad can again make a long run in the playoffs.
Back for Forest Hills is senior pitcher/infielder Danny Thalboum, junior lefty Pete Maglianoe and senior pitcher/outfielder Kenny Vasquez.
Featuring a veteran-laden line-up, coach Dave Cohen hopes his Robert F. Kennedy team can improve on last year’s 5-5 league finish.
“I have a fairly veteran team this year,” said Cohen. “Certainly we’re hoping to compete for a playoff spot.”
Cohen will look for co-captains Alex Hatzoglou, Chad Ramsunder, and Chris Purcell to lead his team. He will lean on senior starter Brian Boeckler as the staffís ace.
“We’ve never made the playoffs before,” Cohen said. “So that’s a definite goal for this season.”
Head Coach Peter Berthel will lead the Arts and Business baseball program into a new era, as the team makes the transition from club status to an official sport. The Bulls feature an inexperienced line-up dominated by underclassmen.
“We have primarily a young line-up this year,” Berthel said. “With a lot of ninth and 10th graders.”
Berthel will look to junior shortstop John McLaughlin, junior first baseman/pitcher Aramis Rodriguez and junior second baseman Victor Nunez to play key roles in the program’s inaugural season. The team has match-ups with Grover Cleveland, Bryant, and Long Island City lined up outside of league play.
“So far,” said Berthel. “The middle infield looks good and we’re solid at first base.”
The coach hopes his team will steadily improve as they set the foundation for this budding program.
“I’m hoping to see improvement from the beginning of the year to the end,” Berthel said. “The only goal is really to improve and prepare for next year. I would definitely like to see this team become a lot more competitive over the years. This year I can see where we stand. Then I’d like to see us improve every year.”
Coach Ed Children will guide Renaissance through the program’s first go-round on the B-II circuit. The Lions are a very young and inexperienced group whom Children hopes will make great strides in the programís first season.
Children will look for major contributions out of junior catcher Alp Bellamy, junior shortstop/third baseman Brian Lyden and freshman shortstop/pitcher Jose Gonzalez. Senior pitcher Roland Hannock makes the transition from the hardwood to the baseball diamond after starring as a guard for the Renaissance basketball team, while freshman outfielder Ivan Reyes has shown promise early on.
“Bellamy could become a very good catcher for us,” said Children. “[Lyden and Gonzalez] have the makings of good ballplayers. What this team needs to do is improve their knowledge of the game. As they learn, they will improve.”
In the program’s infant stages, Children is optimistic about what the future holds his young program.
“Everybody’s had a great attitude,” said Children. “They’re progressing, and they know it.”
