Senior pitcher Roger Strong helps anchor a staff at McQuaid where the Knights are the favorite of the City-Catholic League. McQuaid is gunning for its second Section V title in three seasons. (CARLOS ORTIZ staff photographer)

City-Catholic baseball overview

James Johnson
staff writer

The McQuaid Knights can afford to look at the big picture of the high school baseball season.

McQuaid is sure to finish first in the City-Catholic League again, and can fine-tune its club to face the likes of Greece Athena, Webster Thomas and Canandaigua during the Section V Class AA Tournament, which starts in late May. The Knights aim for their second sectional title in three seasons.

Most of the teams from the City School District have their eyes on the City Tournament, which is played after the regular season. East is the defending champion:

Charlotte/Marshall

Coach: Jeff Curtis, first year at Charlotte. Last season: 7-14, lost in first round.

2008 classification: AA.

Players to watch: Nelson Ortiz (sr. P, 1B); Geoff Aman (sr. C); Antwan Johnson (fr. 2B); James Thomas (fr. SS); Armando Castro (fr. IF, C).

Outlook: The Lakesiders, who have plenty of team speed, took some lumps during an 0-4 start. Four freshmen, including CF Malachi Henry, are in the starting lineup. "We've been in all the games," Curtis said.

Defensive mistakes have come at the worst possible time. The Lakesiders hope to eliminate those errors and find more pitchers by the time the City Tournament begins.

Ortiz and Aman, both Marshall students, are the team's best players.

East High

Coach: Kyle Crandall, seventh year.

Last season: 15-8, lost in quarterfinals.

2008 classification: AA.

Players to watch: Alex Ortiz (soph. 1B, P); Michael Reyes (soph. 3B, P); Jose Maldonado (soph. SS, P); Ezequiel Mercado (sr. C, IF); Roberto Ortiz (jr. OF).

Outlook: The Orientals have been the best city team in recent seasons. They have less experience on the roster but won four of their first five games. Three of those wins were by one run.

"It's a very spirited group that is going to improve as the season goes along," Crandall said.

Ortiz's batting average was at .636. The pitchers are similiar to the team's profile: not a lot of varsity experience among the three sophomores and a junior, but they have retired hitters. East's defense could use some tinkering, too.

Edison

Coach: Adam Rodger, sixth year. Last season: 9-12, lost in first round.

2008 classification: AAA.

Players to watch: Anthony Serrano (sr. 3B, P); Hector Mitanyes (soph. IF, OF, P); Maximo Perez (sr. P, 1B); German Castro (sr. SS, P); Luis Pichardo (sr. C).

Outlook: Defensive play will determine if the Inventors can at least reverse last season's record. That probably would be good enough for Edison to advance into the City Tournament.

Serrano hit .489 last season and is solid defensively. Mitanyes could be a player to watch in coming seasons.

Franklin

Coach: Eddie Lee, 19th year.

Last season: 7-11, lost in first round.

2008 classification: AAA.

Players to watch: Gabriel Ruiz (sr. P, CF); Dominique Grisham (fr. SS); Antonio Martinez (jr. C); Jonathan Hernandez (fr. OF, P); Kenny Windom (fr. OF).

Outlook: Lee likes the promise of players such as Grisham and Martinez, and believes the Quakers can top last season's finish.

"It's whoever has the pitching that day, who can throw strikes," Lee said.

The return of sophomore P/SS Alfredo Martinez, a .400 hitter last season, from an ankle injury should help.

Freddie Thomas

Coach: Gary Reynolds, first year. Last season: This is first varsity season, JV 13-3.

2008 classification: B.

Players to watch: Christian Torres (jr. P, 3B); Ismael Andino (jr. P, C); Ariel Flores (fr. P, CF); Oscar Pagan (fr. SS); Armando Figueroa (jr. 2B).

Outlook: There was some talk that this first-year team could finish behind only McQuaid in the league standings. The Titans aim for a home game in sectionals.

"The outlook is very good for these guys," Reynolds said after a 2-1 start.

Reynolds believes the team's batting lineup is solid from top to bottom, the pitching, less so. Sophomore Anthony Maldanado, who can be placed at third base, first base or in the outfield, is another key player. Pagan is a smooth fielder, according to Reynolds.

McQuaid

Coach: Jim Purtell, first year.

Last season: 18-7, lost in semifinals.

2008 classification: AA.

Players to watch: Ryan Houghtalen (sr. P, 1B); Roger Strong (sr. P, 1B, OF); Mike Brownyard (sr. OF); Mike Kazley (jr. P, OF); Christian Segar (jr. OF).

Outlook: Purtell takes over as coach after 10 years in the program. McQuaid should be the class of the league, and probably will go unchallenged in the City-Catholic Tournament.

"I want to make sure that we do the simple things very, very well," Purtell said.

Right-handers Houghtalen, who has a scholarship to Vermont, and Strong anchor the pitching staff. Brownyard also is back to hit in the middle of the order.

Monroe

Coach: Todd Kakuda, first year. Last season: This is first season on varsity, JV 7-3.

2008 classification: A.

Players to watch: Gary Arguello (jr. P, SS); Donovan Fox (jr. 1B); Yotniel Hernandez (sr. CF); Ernesto Perez (jr. C, P, 1B); Rafael Vega (sr. LF).

Outlook: Monroe fields a varsity team for the first time since 1987.

Qualifying for sectionals would be a nice start, but lack of practice facilities will present a challenge. Arguello is the building-block player this spring. The Redjackets did struggle to hit during a 1-2 start.

School of the Arts

Coach: Jason Cronberger, third season.

Last season: 8-15, lost in first round.

2008 classification: A.

Players to watch: Chase Correa (jr. C, P); Frank Santana (soph. SS, P); Anthony McKnight (jr. 3B, P); Omar Radney (sr. 1B, P).

Outlook: The Silverhawks have the earmarks of a young, rebuilding team but vaulted out to a 3-1 start. There is hope that they will be among the top three city schools. Those asked to pitch have come through, including Correa, who struck out nine batters and walked two in his first start.

Sophomore identical twins Andrew (OF, IF, P) and Ryan Colon (IF, P) are tablesetters at the top of the order. Santana has two saves.

Wilson

Coach: Steve Scofield, fourth season. Last season: 1-20, lost in first round of sectionals.

2008 classification: AA.

Players to watch: Herman Castleberry (soph. 3B); Jay Lopez (sr. CF); Brandon Grant (sr. 3B, SS); Desmond Brooks (fr. 2B); Norton Suda (soph. C).

Outlook: Wilson lost one key player to graduation, and Scofield is encouraged by the mix of youth and talent on the team.

Castleberry got off to a hot start at the plate. Offense takes a back seat to shaky defensive play when it comes to what's hurting the team.

"Once we improve our defense, we're gonna win a lot of games," Scofield said.

Others

Aquinas

Coach: Mark Magliocco, eighth year overall. Last season: 14-9, lost in quarterfinals.

2008 classification: A.

Players to watch: Ben Bostick (jr. IF, OF); Ray Manioci (sr. P); Alan Komorowski (jr. P, OF); Jalen Dennis (soph. 3B, P); Bill Lemen (sr. SS).

Outlook: A challeging schedule that includes Victor and McQuaid is ahead after an up-and-down start. The Little Irish won their first five games in Rochester and lost four in Florida. Aquinas bats followed the same hot-cold pattern.

Pitching is more of a concern, however. "We don't have a lot of pitching right now," Magliocco said. "If we can get consistent pitching, we should be OK."

Bishop Kearney

Coach: Art Carlisi, ninth year.

Last season: 14-8, lost in the semifinals.

2008 classification: CCC.

Players to watch: Jake Meek (soph. SS, P); Chris Maxwell (sr. 3B, P); Pat Finnerty (sr. 2B, P); Tyler Ward (sr. C); Kevin Easterley (sr. OF, P).

Outlook: The Kings like to pick up steam as sectionals approach, and that might be the case this year. While Meek, Maxwell, Finnerty, Ward and Easterley have varsity experience, the rest of Kearney's regular batting order includes two sophomores and two freshmen.

Kearney can turn to two proven pitchers in Easterly and Maxwell. Easterly's record was 2-3 last season but included starts against Canandaigua and Rush-Henrietta. Meek was moved in from center field to stabilize the shortstop position for this and the next few seasons.

Canandaigua

Coach: Dale Werth, fifth year. Last season: 13-13, lost in quarterfinals.

2008 classification: AA.

Players to watch: Dan Booth (sr. P, SS); Matt McCarthy (jr. 3B); Ken Ingersoll (sr. C); Nick Carlson (jr. 1B); Justin D'Amato (soph. CF, P).

Outlook: A 6-4 start was not what Canandaigua had in mind, but the Braves could be in a groove after recent wins over Honeoye Falls-Lima, Webster Schroeder and Victor. "We're feeling pretty good about our club now," Werth said.

Booth, their ace and an anchor-type player, and junior right-handed pitcher Tyler Thompson missed games during Canandaigua's start and are back. Carlson, D'Amato and McCarthy have been pleasant surprises with batting averages near or above .400.

East Rochester

Coach: Pat Walsh, eighth year.

Last season: 14-3, lost in quarterfinals.

2008 classification: CCC.

Players to watch: Phil Pizzingrilli (sr. SS); Andrew Marasco (sr. P); Kevin Eckert (sr. C, P); Ben Bouchard (sr. CF); Kyle VanThof (soph. C, OF).

Outlook: East Rochester's prospects this season are aided by one huge factor. The Bombers, the reigning Wayne County league champions, return all of their starting pitchers from last season, including junior Joe Contestato. Marasco was 8-2 with a 2.07 earned run average in 2007.

Pizzingrilli seems to have picked up where he left off at the plate last season when he hit .326. Bouchard, who hit .417, is back from a shoulder injury. VanThof was a strong hitter with the JV. "He's been big for us defensively," Walsh said.

Victor

Coach: Sean Rucker, 13th year.

Last season: 21-5, lost in final.

2008 classification: A.

Players to watch: Eric Povero (sr. P, 1B); Caleb Stewart (sr. P, IF, OF); Kreag Bradley (sr. OF); Sam Marren (jr. C); Chris Roeder (soph. IF.).

Outlook: Victor returned seven players from last year's Class A finalist, including four starters. The Blue Devils do have a lot of youth with eight underclassmen and Rucker hopes the team can learn from its early mistakes.

Povero was 7-1 with a save and a 1.66 ERA last season. He struck out 73 over 54 innings and has a mid-80s fastball.

"He can be a dominant pitcher when he's on," Rucker said. "We can play with anybody when he's on the mound."

Stewart was 5-1 last season with a 2.21 ERA as the team's third starter and Bradley hit .388 last season as a junior.