Benchmarks: Rochester-Area Baseball All-Decade Team 2010-2019

By PAUL GOTHAM and CARSON WERNER

More than 20 former Section V baseball players were either selected in the Major League Baseball draft or signed free agent deals during the 10-year span from 2010-19. Countless others continued their careers at the collegiate level. From All-League to All-State, All-America and pro All-Stars, Rochester-area players have made their mark on the diamond over the past 10 years.

A panel of 18 including coaches, administrators and select media members weighed in on the best of the best.

Presenting the Rochester Area Baseball All-Decade teams (Large and Small schools) for 2010-19. (To be eligible, a player must have seen high school action from 2010-2019).

ALL-DECADE LARGE SCHOOLS

CHRIS BOSTICK Aquinas: A two-time first team All-State selection, Bostick was named Player of the Year as a senior when he hit .510. Taken in the MLB draft by Oakland, he has played nine seasons at the professional level with five different organizations.  Bostick earned Midwest League (Class A) Player of the Week honors in 2013. He was also named New York-Penn Mid-Season All Star in 2012 as well as International League All Star in 2017 and 2018. He was named Organizational All Star in 2013 (Oakland) and 2017 (Pittsburgh). Bostick has played 35 games at the Major-League level with two different organizations (Pittsburgh and Miami) collecting three doubles and three home runs. Originally committed to play at St. John’s University, Bostick logged 36 games with the Webster Yankees in the summer of 2011 and earned New York Collegiate Baseball League Player of the Year before signing with the Athletics.

ERNIE CLEMENT Brighton: A two-time Monroe County Division III Player of the Year and three-time All-State performer, Clement went on to star at the University of Virginia where he was part of the Cavaliers 2015 national championship team. Clement delivered a two-run walk-off single in the game two of the NCAA Super Regional to send UVA to the College World Series. He recorded the go-ahead hit in three of the Cavs 10 NCAA Tournament wins. He was named 2016 Cape Cod League MVP.  A fourth-round pick of the Cleveland Indians in the 2017 draft, Clement has spent three seasons in the Indians organization.  He played three games with Triple-A Columbus in 2019 and also logged time with Mesa in the 2019 Arizona Fall League. At Brighton, Clement set program records for batting average (.464), singles (87), doubles (34) and stolen bases (38). He set the single-season Barons record with a .560 batting average.

TANNER COOPER Canandaigua: A first team All-State performer as a senior, Cooper allowed one run over 20 innings in the postseason that year leading the Braves to their second of three straight sectional titles. The right-hander struck out 59 in 38 innings of work during the 2017 regular season and won five games. He played his freshman season at Stony Brook University before transferring to Finger Lakes Community College where he earned 2019 NJCAA Region 3 Player of the Year finishing with 136 strike outs in 72.1 innings of work. Originally committed to continue his career at Penn State University, Cooper was selected by the Cincinnati Reds in the 2019 MLB draft. He made 15 appearances last season out of the bullpen with the Greenville Reds of the Rookie-Advanced Appalachian League.

GREG CULLEN McQuaid: A first team All-State performer, Cullen hit .472 for the 2015 Class AA champion McQuaid. He collected 34 hits and scored 32 runs for the Jesuit Knights which finished 20-4 on the season. Cullen continued his career at Niagara University where as a junior he finished second in the nation hitting .457 and garnered Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Player of the Year and second team All-American. A 15^thround pick of the Atlanta Braves, Cullen earned South Atlantic League Player of the Week along with Mid-Season and Post-Season All Star honors while playing for the Rome Braves.

CHRIS “CITO” CULVER Irondequoit: First-round pick of the New York Yankees, Culver went on to play eight seasons in New York’s farm system before signing a minor-league deal with the Miami Marlins for 2018. Culver played on the 2016 Scranton/Wilkes-Barre team which won the Governors’ Cup. He appeared in 103 games with the Railriders in 2017 connecting on a career-high 12 home runs. A second team All-State selection in 2010, he hit .561 with nine home runs, 24 extra-base hits and 38 RBI for the Irondequoit Eagles. Originally committed to play at the University of Maryland, Culver also possessed a low-90s fastball in high school.

GRANT HEYMAN Pittsford Sutherland: A two-time MLB Draft pick, Heyman led Sutherland to the 2010 NYS Class A championship as a sophomore. He hit .424 during his high school career earning All-County, All-State and All-Region honors along with the Rawlings Nationals Gold Glove Award. An 11^thround pick of the Toronto Blue Jays after his senior season (2012), Heyman went on to play at the University of Miami before transferring to the College of Southern Nevada for one year. The Arizona Diamondbacks selected Heyman in the eighth round of the 2014 draft. He earned Northwest League Mid-Season All Star honors as a rookie with the Hillsboro Hops. Heyman went on to play four years in the Diamondback organization. He collected five hits in a Visalia Rawhide win during 2017.

STEVEN KLIMEK Greece Arcadia: A second team All-State selection and Monroe County Division II Player of the Year, Klimek finished with a record of five wins and one loss during his senior season (2012). He hit .510 with nine home runs and 26 RBI and went on to play three years at St. Bonaventure before the Baltimore Orioles selected the right-hander in the 2015 draft. Klimek has pitched five years in the Orioles system earning Carolina League (Advanced-A) Mid-Season All Star honors. He has collected 231 strike outs while walking 106 in 264-plus innings of work at the professional level. Made 35 appearances on the mound at St. Bonaventure.

SHANE MARSHALL Webster Schroeder: A four-year varsity performer, Marshall hit .494 during his junior season to help lead the Warriors to the NYS Class AA finals. A third team All-State selection and Monroe County Division II Co-Player of the Year as a senior, Marshall continued his career at SUNY Binghamton where, manning center field for the Bearcats, he earned first team America East as a sophomore leading the conference with a .376 batting average. Marshall posted a team-high 65 hits in 2019 to go with six home runs and 35 RBI. He reached base in 40 of 42 games and collected hits in 36 contests. His slugging percentage of .584 was second best in the conference. He earned all-tournament team honors when he homered in four straight games and hit .571 (12-for-21) in five post-season outings. Marshall committed just one error in 108 chances (.991 fielding percentage) in the outfield.

DANNY MENDICK Pittsford Mendon: A first team All-County and fourth team All-State performer at Pittsford Mendon, Mendick went on to earn All-Region honors at Monroe Community College where he hit .364 and scored 42 runs over two seasons with the Tribunes. The middle infielder trailed only two teammates with 216 chances during his time at MCC and finished with a fielding percentage of .981. Mendick continued his collegiate career at UMass-Lowell where he was a finalist for the Brooks Wallace Division I Shortstop of the Year Award. Chosen in the 2015 MLB Draft, Mendick has played five seasons in the Chicago White Sox system including 16 games during the 2019 season at the major-league level. He collected 12 hits including a pair of home runs for the White Sox. Mendick’s time in the minors included a 14-day stretch where he played at three different levels.

MATT PORTLAND Victor: A two-time first team All-State selection, Portland compiled a combined record of 25 wins without a loss during sophomore, junior and senior seasons with the Blue Devils. The southpaw went 10-0 and struck out 107 during his junior campaign leading Victor to the NYS Class AA title. Portland went 10-0 as a senior for the 2012 state finalists.  He went on to pitch three years at Northwestern University leading the Wildcats as a senior with 68 strike outs in 2015. He earned Big Ten Pitcher of the Week with a complete game shutout of Nebraska. The Kansas City Royals chose the Blue Devil alum in the 2015 draft and Portland played two seasons with Idaho Falls of the Rookie Pioneer League. He later signed with the Chicago White Sox and saw action with Kannapolis Intimidators of the Class A South Atlantic League.

JOHN RICOTTA Greece Athena: A four-time All-County performer at Athena, Ricotta earned second team All-State as a senior when he hit .575 with 11 doubles and three home runs. He continued his career at Monroe Community College where he set program records for single season home runs (15), career home runs (20) and career total bases (237). He also matched the MCC record with 126 career RBI and garnered NJCAA first team All-America. Ricotta continued his career at Ball State University leading the Cardinals in his senior season with 10 home runs to earn second team All-Mid-American Conference. He was also named to the league’s All-Defensive team.

ADAM SCOTT Canandaigua: A second-team All-State selection and Monroe County Division II Player of the Year as a senior when he struck out 96 batters in 59-plus innings of work. The left-hander continued his career at Wofford College where he set program records for starts (59), innings pitched (364.2) and strike outs (389). A fourth-round selection of the Cleveland Indians in the 2018 MLB draft, Scott has made 42 professional appearances and fanned 195 batters in 166.2 innings. He earned Carolina League (Advanced-A) Mid-Season All-Star honors in 2019 when he was pitching with Lynchburg. In just two full seasons in the minors, Scott has played at five levels finishing 2019 with the Akron Rubberducks of the Double-A Eastern League.

CONNER SIMONETTI Fairport: A two-time MLB draft pick, Simonetti was named second team All-State as a senior when he led the Red Raiders to their second Class AA title in three years. He hit .618 on the campaign with nine home runs and 32 RBI. He finished his career with 25 round-trippers. The Cincinnati Reds selected Simonetti in the 2013 draft, but he chose to attend Kent State University where he slugged a team-high .599 during his junior season with 17 home runs, 11 doubles and a triple to earn second team All-MAC. Simonetti was also named to the MAC All-Tournament team that season. A 13^th round choice of the Washington Nationals, Simonetti played 42 games with the Gulf-Coast Nationals in his rookie season and later saw action with the Auburn Doubledays of the New York-Penn League.

TOMMY WAGNER Victor: A four-time All-State honoree, Wagner earned first team his senior season when he hit .567 and led Victor to its third straight Class AA crown. He finished his career with 195 hits, 53 doubles, 137 RBI and 137 runs scored. On the mound, he finished with a career record of 21 wins and four losses. Wagner went on to play four years at Cornell University where he became an everyday starter midway through his sophomore season. An All-Ivy League honorable mention honoree in his senior season when he finished registered 13 multi-hit games and put together a 13-game hitting streak.

HUNTER WALSH McQuaid: Walsh capped a 12-0 senior season hurling a no-hitter in the NYS Class AA title game. The right-hander needed just 70 pitches to deliver McQuaid its program-first state title. He struck out four and walked one in the 5-0 win over Shenendehowa. In 72 innings pitched, Walsh finished the year with 104 strike outs and an ERA of 0.60. He threw 28 innings during the postseason and allowed two runs. As a sophomore, Walsh picked up the win in the semi-finals when McQuaid rallied to beat Victor. The Jesuit Knights went on to win the 2017 Class AA title. Walsh made two appearances with St. John Fisher in 2020 before the season was cut short because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

ALL-DECADE SMALL SCHOOLS

NICK ANDERSON Wellsville: Two-time Section V Class B champion, Anderson holds the career wins record (29) for the team with the most Section V championships since since 1970, Wellsville. In his senior year alone, he snagged 13 victories and was selected to the first team All Greater Rochester team. Anderson also earned Big 30 Player of the Year and first team All-State honors as well. He currently holds the career and season pickoff record for Section V with 41 and 21, respectively.

VICTOR CAVALIERI Northstar Christian: Parochial Player of the Year and second team All-State selection, Cavalieri finished his career at Northstar with a 1.54 earned run average. The left-handed pitcher went on to play at Houghton College for four years and led the NCAA Division III in strikeouts per nine innings (15.00) during his senior season. In 2018 Cavalieri was drafted by the Atlanta Braves in the 36th round, making him the first in Houghton’s history. He made five appearances for their Single-A team, the Rome Braves, in 2019.

MAXX COUNTRYMAN Avon: Part of three sectional championships, former New York Class C Player of the Year and first team All-State selection, Countryman, led Avon to a Class C state title in 2018. The right-hander finished his four-year varsity career with a 1.57 earned run average and a record of 21-3. Despite averaging 30 hits and 30 runs in his final three years at Avon, he now specializes as a pitcher for Finger Lakes Community College.

BEN COWLES Newark: A five-year varsity performer, Cowles was deemed Finger Lakes East Player of the Year in his junior and senior seasons. In 2018, the shortstop garnered Section V Class B Player of the Year, Class B first team All-State and Rawlings-Perfect Game Honorable Mention All-American honors as well. In his final two years at Newark he batted .559 with six homeruns. Cowles is currently the starting shortstop for The University of Maryland and has 48 hits, six home runs and 35 runs scored over 69 games.

DYLAN DUNN Hornell: Third team All-State selection and Class B sectional champion, Dunn accumulated 47 RBI with a .500 batting average in his junior and senior seasons at Hornell. Throughout high school, Dunn played for the Hornell Dodgers in the New York Collegiate Baseball League. He began his collegiate career at Hagerstown Community College before transferring to St. Bonaventure University in his junior year.

CODY ECKERSON Pal-Mac: Player of the Year for Finger Lakes Region, Daily Messenger and Section V, Eckerson led Pal-Mac to its first and only Class B Section V Championship in 2013. The left-hander pitched his way to second team All-State, first team All-League and the All-Greater Rochester team. He continued his career at Niagara University where he set the program career record with 264 strikeouts. In 2018, Eckerson signed a free agent deal with the Los Angeles Angels and made 13 appearances in their farm system.

DERICK FERA Lyons: Section V’s all-time win leader, Fera was a three time All-State member, an All Greater Rochester selection and Wayne County’s Player of the Year in 2012. From 2008-2012, Fera threw 272 and a third innings for the third most innings pitched in a career in Section V. With 38 total wins throughout that span he’s ranked second all-time in New York State. The right-hander also led Lyons to its first and only Class C baseball sectional championship in 2012. He went on to pitch at FLCC for two years before ending his career at Brockport.

ZACK KOLODZIEJSKI Livonia: Former Section V Class B Player of the Year, Kolodziejski led Livonia first of four straight sectional championships and its first NYS semifinals appearance in 2014. The right-hander earned the Class B Sectional MVP, Livingston County Player of the Year and first team All-State. He went on to play four years at Niagara University and signed a summer-league contract with the Wisconsin Rapids Rafters following his freshman season.

BRIAN LINTON Geneseo: Two-time first team All-State performer, Linton pushed Geneseo through to the NYS Class C finals his sophomore year. He drove in 31 runs with a .439 batting average that included four homeruns and made first team All-Greater Rochester in 2015 as well. In his junior season, he threw a 20 strikeout, no-hitter against New York State’s second ranked team, Avon. Linton was named to first team All-County in all three years he was on varsity. The right-hander is currently a junior at Johns Hopkins University and sports a 4.20 career earned run average in 30 innings pitched.

TIM MCCLARE Gananda: Two-time Wayne County Player of the Year and 2019 Section V Class C Player of the Year, McClare propelled Gananda to NYS Class C Final Four and its first sectional title since 1999. Along with Section V Tournament MVP and All-Greater Rochester team honors, he batted .500 and finished with an earned run average of 0.80 in his senior season. McClare completed his five-year trek with a record of 13-9, a 2.46 ERA and 269 strikeouts in 35 appearances. The right-hander is currently in his freshman season at Canisius College.

ALLEN MURPHY Bolivar-Richburg: Two-time Class C sectional champion and three-time All-State selection, Murphy garnered Section V Class C2 Player of the Year after helping Bolivar-Richburg claim its third championship in four years. Since graduating, the honors have kept coming. In his junior season, Murphy was named New York Region’s Player of the Year after leading the Empire 8 conference with a .394 batting average, a .665 slugging percentage and 21 strikeouts in 20 and a third innings of work.

TREY PASCAZI East Rochester: Third team All-State member, Pascazi completed his high school career as a two-time Class C sectional champion. In 2012, the same year he graduated, the switch-hitting infielder was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 23rd round. Pascazi played three years in their farm system and retired in 2014 with an on base percentage of .217.

RESTON PETTIT Bolivar-Richburg: Two-time Section V Class C Tournament Champion and MVP, Pettit began Bolivar-Richburg’s stretch of success with sectional championships in his junior and senior years. He earned Allegany County All-Star and Big-30 Conference All-Star awards four times along with MVP honors in both categories his senior year. He also made first team All-State in 2014 as well. Pettit began his collegiate career at St. Bonaventure and Finger Lakes Community College where he went 10-2 with 70 strikeouts in 76 innings. He finished his career at SUNY Oswego with a 7-2 record and a 3.92 earned run average in 20 appearances.

JORDAN SCHWARTZ Hornell: Two-way player, Schwartz played outfield for Hornell and batted .258 with four extra-base hits in 120 at bats. Upon beginning his collegiate career at Niagara University he didn’t turn his focus to pitching until his junior year. As a pitcher, he struggled in his freshman and sophomore year. As a junior, he held his opponents to just a .217 batting average and tallied 109 strikeouts in 95 innings. In 2014 he was drafted in the fourth round by the Oakland Athletics where he spent three years in their farm system. He is now the assistant baseball coach at Hilbert College.

REID VANSCOTER Livonia: Four-time Class B sectional champion, 2017 NYS Class B Champion and Player of the Year, VanScoter’s 31-1 record and .063 earned run average make him one of the most dominant pitchers in Section V history. He was a three-time first team All-State and first team All Greater Rochester selection as well as All Greater Rochester Player of the Year. At Livonia he threw three no-hitters, totaled 396 career strikeouts and has his name under seven Section V record categories. Vanscoter is tied for second for most strikeouts in a seven inning game (21), second for most victories in a season (13), sixth in lowest ERA for a season (0.23), seventh for most no-hitters in a season (2), third for most no-hitters in a career (3), sixth in most career victories (31) and second for lowest career ERA (0.63). He began his collegiate career at Binghamton University and is now in his junior season at Coastal Carolina.