Familiar spot for Adams

As others have risen to the top of the division and fallen to the bottom, there has remained one constant in Queens A-West: John Adams is a force to be reckoned with.
The Spartans, who won their lone city title in 1999 and reached the PSAL Final Four three times from 2002-2005, dropped off the last two seasons, finishing second two season ago and a disappointing fifth last spring, when they were eliminated in the opening round of the playoffs.
While Grand St. Campus, Newtown and Long Island City - teams who surpassed them previous years but have fallen back this season - the Spartans have returned to the top of the heap.
After pulling out an extra-inning win over Grand St. Campus on Monday, May 7, Adams is 12-1 in league play, a game and a half ahead of William Bryant for first place.
“I’m very happy with how the kids are playing,” Adams Manager Glenn Beyer said.
The record doesn’t come as much of a surprise to Beyer. The run differential, an average of 10.5 runs a game, is one thing he didn’t expect because the Spartans don’t sport an overly potent lineup outside of standout senior first baseman Emmanuel Liriano, a pre-season second team All-American choice by Collegiate Baseball, and outfielder Darwin Cueto, who leads the division in runs batted in with 23.
“There is an inning when we score eight or nine runs against the other team,” Beyer said. “We’re fortunate to take advantage of a mistake or two. If you see us at the plate, we don’t score that many runs by hitting. We allow the other team to walk us.”
Perhaps the biggest reason for the team’s success is the emergence of ace Christian Cardenas. Only a sophomore, he is the team’s undisputed leader by example with a 5-1 record and 2.12 ERA and 52 strikeouts in 33 innings pitched.
“He runs the team,” Beyer said of Cardenas, who has also seen time at second base, hitting .469 with 16 runs batted in and 13 runs scored. “Some people just have a trait of competitiveness and leadership.”