Section V baseball preview: Greece Athena looks to defend division title in Monroe County
Before the Greece Athena Trojans broke through last baseball season to win the team's first Section V championship since 2007, they launched themselves into the postseason.
The Trojans will try to do that again this spring during an attempt to repeat as Monroe County Division III champions.
The division title race again includes five teams with one change. Spencerport replaces Irondequoit, and lines up with Brockport, Canandaigua and Greece Arcadia to try to knock off Athena. The Trojans won seven of their eight division games in 2023.
Section V baseball: Scores for the 2024 season
Brockport Blue Devils
Coach: Joe Innes, second year
Section V classification: AA
Last season: 8-13, lost to Pittsford Mendon, Class A2 first round.
Top pitchers: Ryan Maxwell, senior, right-hander; Brayden Scaccia, senior, right-hander; Dan Dailey, junior, right-hander.
Big bats: Scaccia, junior, shortstop; David D'Ambrosia, senior, outfield; Ryan Maxwell, senior, third base; Greg Rightmyer, senior, outfield; Dailey, junior, utility.
Short swings: The Blue Devils expect to take a step forward after last season's team, with three sophomores and three juniors in the lineup, won a little less than half of its games , … Scaccia, a 2023 first team league/division all-star in his third varsity season, would have the smallest print on the back of his baseball card when it comes to accomplishments. … Two-time team captain had a .330 batting average with 8 doubles last season . . . D'Ambrosia also is a two-time captain and third-year varsity player headed toward college baseball. … Maxwell struck out 46 batters in 30 innings last season. Rightmyer and Maxwell also plan to play college baseball. … Sophomore right-handed pitcher/first baseman Carter Dunn and junior catcher Myles Sherman are the varsity newcomers who will play.
What to know for 2024: Section V baseball classifications have been shuffled:
Canandaigua Gray Wolves
Coach: Dale Werth, 20th season, 246 wins-192 losses
Section V classification: AA
Last season: 10-12, lost to Greece Athena, Class A1 quarterfinals.
Top pitchers: Aaron Crunick, senior, right-hander; Nate Barone, senior, right-hander; Johnny Mohammed, junior, right-hander; Nate Brinza, junior, right-hander; Cole Harris, freshman, left-hander; Andrew Walker, senior, right-hander.
Big bats: Crunick, senior, shortstop; Barone, senior, second base; Josh Barnes, senior, third base/shortstop; Mohammed, junior, third base; Brinza, junior, first base; Jack Clark, sophomore, catcher; Cole Harris, freshman, outfield.
Short swings: The Gray Wolves should be a force, not just within the division, but during the sectional playoffs. … There are seven players from last season's roster back with the club, including third-year varsity members Crunick, Barone and Barnes. … There was no hunt for pitching with eight capable arms, and Werth sees an athletic team that can make plays with their gloves. … Pitcher/outfielder Sam Clark and pitcher/outfielder/infielder Peyton Holtby are now on the track to become third-year varsity players in the future.
Greece Arcadia Titans
Coach: Shane Ricci, fourth year at Arcadia, eighth overall.
Section V classification: AA
Last season: 6-15, lost to Churchville-Chili, Class A1 quarterfinals.
Top pitchers: Dom Zona, senior, left-hander; Brady Colbert, sophomore, right-hander; Jake Huffman, senior, right-hander
Big bats: Zona, senior, outfield; Jack Pilgrim, senior, first base; Huffman, senior, outfield; Colbert, sophomore, shortstop; Nick Maggi, senior, second base.
Short swings: How far do the Titans, who did win a sectional tournament game last season, move forward? … On this ballclub, start with Zona, a fourth-year varsity player who might be among the area's best. … There are potential breakout or at least improved players in the infield with Pilgrim, Maggi and shortstop Colbert, a freshman last season. … Huffman might fit that description in the outfield. … Expectations means there is potention in varsity newcomers Andrew Reichert, a junior right-handed pitcher, and junior left-hander Brady Parker. … Pitching probably leads this team to any prizes, and Ricci sees an offense capable of big innings.
Greece Athena Trojans
Coach: Tim Sova, third year.
Section V classification: AA
Last season: 18-6, Section V Class A1 champions, lost to Honeoye Falls-Lima, Class A state tournament qualifier.
Top pitchers: Connor Osier, senior, right-hander; Derrick Allen, junior, right-hander; Ryan Grasley, senior, right-hander; Nick O'Toole, senior, left-hander; Jayden Rapp, senior, right-hander.
Big bats: Osier, senior, outfield/first base; O'Toole, senior, first base; Grasley, senior, infield/outfield; Allen, junior, center field; Sammy Saucke, junior, shortstop.
Short swings: The team to beat in this division, and maybe the Trojans are on the list of sectional contenders in a tough 17-team AA classification. … Appears to have high-level pitching and a good amount of it, and what is called an athletic infield. … League all-stars Saucke, a sophomore last spring, Allen, a freshman in 2023, and Osier are back and maybe among the best players in the section. … Osier, listed at 6 feet 5 inches, 220 pounds and a 2023 Democrat and Chronicle All-Greater Rochester Baseball Team member, is committed to pitch at the University of Houston. In Section V, Osier also is a power hitter. … The return of Rapp, who was in the lineup as a sophomore, could be a boost. … Steady performances are expected from first-year varsity players Parker Goodness, a sophomore pitcher/second baseman, junior right-handed pitcher/outfielder Ryan Ciccone and junior third baseman/pitcher Jacob Sova.
Spencerport Rangers
Coach: Larry Frisa, 12th year.
Section V classification: AA
Last season: 10-11, lost to Greece Athena, Class A2 semifinals.
Top pitchers: Zach Lamberton, junior; Nico Freville, senior; Shaun Cannon, senior; Frank Grad IV, senior; Ashton Kwoka, senior.
Big bats: Grad, senior, infield; Cannon, senior, outfield/infield; Freville, senior, infield/outfield; Josh Winter, senior, infield; Kyle Milburn, senior, outfield; Lamberton, junior, infield/outfield; Lorenzo Tantalo, senior, outfield.
Short swings: The Rangers were sectional semifinalist last season, two wins from their first championship since 1983. Which way do they go? … Seven Rangers are in at least their third varsity season . . . Fourth-year varsity players Grad and Cannon will play college baseball, and so will Freville. … Milburn also is a college-level athlete (SUNY Cortland soccer). … Lamberton, based on comments of coaches in the Monroe County league, may be one of the best pitchers in Section V. A junior this spring, his record was 6-1, with a 1.18 earned run average in 2023. … "What we do have is experience. More than half of this team has two-plus of varsity baseball experience and nine players earned bricks (Section V championship trophies) in other sports," Frisa said.
Section V Class AA teams
Brockport, Canandaigua, Greece Athena, Greece Arcadia and Spencerport are among 17 teams in Section V Class AA. This is the largest group of teams in the section, and probably the most competitive tournament.
Section V Class AA: Brighton, Brockport, Canandaigua, Churchville-Chili, Gates Chili, Greece Arcadia, Greece Athena, Greece Olympia/Odyssey, Hilton, Irondequoit, Penfield, Pittsford Mendon, Spencerport, Victor, Webster Schroeder, Webster Thomas, Wilson/Early College.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Section V baseball: Greece Athena the favorite in Monroe County division
