The Section 1 baseball playoffs will launch Saturday with 20 games spread among four of the five class sizes. (Class C will start Monday.)
This will be single-elimination, meaning teams that lose will be done for the season.
When the playoffs reach the semifinals and finals in each class, this will change to a double-elimination format.
This is the only sport in Section 1 that essentially gives teams a second chance. The idea is based on the fact many have one ace, who can, on any given day, completely dominate an opponent. The format gives teams facing a team like that a better chance to stay alive and possibly win in three.
Below is a brief look at the playoffs, including guesses of what teams may win the various classes to advance to state regional play.
Class AAA
No. 1 seed: Ketcham (17-3)
Biggest challengers: John Jay-East Fishkill is the No. 2 seed but Ketcham shut it out twice during the regular season. That doesn’t mean the Patriots’ chances of a section crown should be dismissed before a pitch is thrown. No. 3 Mamaroneck and No. 4 Arlington enter the playoffs as the only Section 1 teams to have beaten Ketcham during the regular season, Arlington having split with Ketcham.
Best early game: Tuesday’s quarterfinal between between No. 5 Clarkstown South and its host Arlington, could be a coin toss. The teams split with Arlington winning in late April, 5-0, and then South winning, 6-3, just a few days later. Since this will be a single-elimination game, expect both teams to be ready with an early hook if their starter gets into trouble.
Possible big upset: No. 7 Scarsdale has been in a funk. It dropped four of its final five regular-season games and was crushed by Ketcham, 17-2. If the Raiders beat No. 13 Port Chester in the AAA first round, they’ll have a shot of becoming a big dragonslayer in the quarters against John Jay-East Fishkill. Granted it was in early April, but Scarsdale blanked John Jay-East Fishkill, 3-0, in their only meeting this season.
Game-changer: Josiah Figuereo, P/SS, Ketcham
The winner: It’s not that the Mamaronecks, John Jay-East Fishkills and Arlingtons, etc. are without talent. None winning would be a surprise. But Ketcham has been consistently good, has four more wins than any other AAA team and, after yielding seven runs to Rye in its opener, has pitched very well most every game.
Class AA
No. 1 seed: Rye (15-5)
Biggest challengers: No. 2 seed Mahopac is also 15-5 and lost by one in its only meeting with Rye. But this is not only a big class, but a deep one. Fox Lane was last year’s champion and yet it has had nothing better than a so-so season after a bad start. But it beat Rye twice. Go figure. Horace Greeley could make some noise and Yorktown has played extremely well of late (eight straight wins).
Best early game: Forget the seedings, No. 6 Fox Lane vs. No. 11 Suffern in a first round game this Saturday. The teams split late in the season.
Possible big upset: The No. 4 Horace Greeley-No. 13 Harrison opening-round game might not be the slam-dunk it seems to be. Greeley has 13 wins. Harrison has four. Greeley beat Harrison by four runs early in the season. But in the last stretch of the regular season it split with Fox Lane and while dropping two games to Rye, one of those games was by just a run.
Game-changer: Drew Litchenberger, C, Mahopac
The winner: This really is a toss-up class. The pick for the final is Rye-Mahopac. For means of comparison, both suffered close losses to Ketcham and both gave up roughly the same number of runs in their five losses. Figure if this is the final, it may go three games and maybe extra innings, at that. The by-a-run pick, for no compelling reason, is Mahopac.
Class A
No. 1 seed: Tappan Zee (19-1)
Biggest challengers: Nine teams in this class have winning records. But Tappan Zee stands alone. It would be a major upset if anyone besides Tappan Zee wins Class A.
Best early game: No. 8 John Jay-Cross River vs. No. 9 Pearl River. Both teams are probably better than their records and seedings. They didn’t play each other during the regular season. This may come down to the team that plays well in the field.
Possible big upset: No. 11 Albertus Magnus over No. 6 Panas? Yes, it’s possible. Why? Because the opening round is single-elimination. Many teams will throw their aces. Magnus may have just seven wins, but one of them earlier this month was 1-0 over Tappan Zee. Yes, the Falcons handed Tappan Zeeits only regular-season loss. And that’s why Panas can’t take this match-up for granted and should be ready to play small-ball or whatever it takes to advance.
Game-changer:
The winner: Tappan Zee
Class B
No. 1 seed: Putnam Valley (14-6)
Biggest challengers: Putnam Valley and No. 2 Briarcliff (13-6-1) split during the regular season. In fact, six out of eight Class B teams had regular-season winning records, so several could be in the mix to challenge Putnam Valley, including No. 3 Pawling, it also split with.
Best early game: No. 4 Blind Brook vs. No. 5 Hastings. These squads split during the regular season. Whoever pitches well and is sharp defensively will likely advance.
Possible big upset: It may sound unlikely but No. 7 Valhalla over No. 2 Briarcliff in the first round isn’t straight from fantasyland. The Vikings may have fallen twice to the Bears during the regular season but both times it was by just a run. Briarcliff can’t afford to fall into the trap of looking ahead, or there will be no ahead.
Game-changer: Nicky Benedetto, C, Putnam Valley
The winner: Putnam Valley over Briarcliff, but in three games.
Class C
No. 1 seed: Tuckahoe (9-11)
Biggest challengers: Maybe Leffell because one of Tuckahoe’s two losses to the Lions was by just one run. But Leffell only has two wins. It would be shocking if it took down Tuckahoe.
Best early game: This class only has four teams and the opening round is a best-of-three semifinals. Of the two match-ups, No. 2 North Salem vs. No. 3 Leffell should be better.
Possible big upset: None. If No. 3 Leffell takes down No. 2 North Salem it won’t be a big upset. And No. 4 Haldane, which has one win this year, doesn’t have the depth to beat Tuckahoe two out of three.
Game-changer: Connor Brice, SS/P, Tuckahoe
The winner: Never say never, but Tuckahoe should easily win this class.
Nancy Haggerty covers sports for The Journal News/lohud.
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Breaking down the Section 1 baseball tournament. Who will have upsets?
Reporting by Nancy Haggerty, Rockland/Westchester Journal News / Rockland/Westchester Journal News
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