By PAUL GOTHAM
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — For the fourth time in as many postseasons, Monroe Community College Baseball will face UConn-Avery Point for a chance to keep alive its World Series hopes.
Winners of four straight and 13 of their last 14 games, the Tribunes (24-10-1) head east for a best-of-three matchup this weekend against the Pointers (20-11-1). A spot in the 2022 NJCAA Division II East District Championship is on the line.
“I have nothing but respect for Avery Point, always have,” said ninth-year MCC head coach Dave Brust. “Certainly, an incredible history. It’s a similar history to Monroe. They play great, fundamental baseball. If you’re not prepared, you will lose.”
Avery Point will be looking to turn the tables on Monroe which has taken the last three postseason meetings between the two programs including the 2018 matchup, the last time the two programs met in Groton Connecticut.
“I’ve been on both sides,” Brust said of the game results between the two teams. “We’ve taken our share of lumps from them over the years. The one thing you can guarantee is they won’t beat themselves.”
Keegan Daigle leads an Avery Point pitching staff that has issued a paltry 82 walks in 193 innings. Daigle is 5-0 with one save in seven appearances on the mound including six starts. The 6-foot-5 right-hander has struck out 44 and walked six in 30.2 innings of work. He has also limited opponents to 23 hits for a WHIP (walks + hits per inning) of 0.96.
Cole Forcellina is 2-2 with a save in 29.1 innings of work over six trips to the mound, and Tiernan Powers has a 3-1 record in six starts.
“We have to find a way to beat good pitching,” Brust said. “That means controlling the strike zone, minimizing strike outs and putting the ball in play. Situational hitting will be important. Any time there’s a runner at third base with less than two outs, that guy has got to score. Any time there’s a man on second base with no outs, he has to be moved. If those things don’t happen, it’s going to be rough.”
MCC’s Ben Beauchamp (Rochester, N.Y./McQuaid Jesuit) is tied for fourth in the nation with a .500 batting average. Hitting out of the three-hole, the Tribunes’ centerfielder has stolen 40 bases (fourth in the NJCAA DII) and has an on-base percentage of .577 (11th in the country). He leads Monroe’s top of the order that will need to dictate the offense this weekend.
“Our top five in the order need to carry the load,” Brust said referring to Patrick May (Baldwinsville, N.Y./C.W. Baker), Justin Herrera (Stratford, CT./Bunnell), Max Schmarder (Buffalo, N.Y./Olmstead) and Dylan Wanat (Buffalo, N.Y./Williamsville North). “They have to be on-base and drive in runs. If those guys have a bad weekend, we’re in trouble.”
Tyler Rice and Zachary Mascaro have drive in 27 runs apiece for Avery Point while 26 RBI. Rice is hitting a team-high .400 with eight doubles and four home runs for a .667 slugging percentage. Dominic Morabito leads the Pointers with 31 hits and 13 stolen bases.
Monroe’s Ethan Putney (Churchville, N.Y./Churchville-Chili), Bill Quinn (Elma, N.Y./Iroquois) and Hayden Wesseling (Guelph, ON/Bishop MacDonell Catholic) have won five decisions apiece this season.
Patrick Sherron (Henrietta, N.Y./Rush-Henrietta) is 4-1 with a save. The right-hander has won his last three starts. Griffin Dietrich (Buffalo, N.Y./Orchard Park) has made a team-high 14 appearances all out of the bullpen for the Tribunes with 3 saves.
“Our pitching is solid,” Brust noted. “If they are solid this weekend and we play fundamental baseball, we have a chance. We can’t have four-out innings, and we have to win the free-base game.”
Game 1 is scheduled for Friday at 1 p.m. with the same start time for Game 2 on Saturday. Game 3 (if necessary) will be take place Sunday at 11 a.m. All games will be played at the recently renamed Roger Bidwell Field at Washington Park. Bidwell, the long-time head coach and Avery Point Athletic Director, retired after 34 seasons and 1,007 wins.
Brust’s 2015 squad lost to Avery Point in Bidwell’s final season in the dugout.
“The battle we had with them in 2015 was amazing. On paper, they should have pounded us. We stole one from them, and we came right back.”
More than 30 of Bidwell’s former players went on to play professionally including Rajai Davis and John McDonald.
This weekend’s winner will advance to play in the East District Championship against the Region 15 and Region 19 champions the following weekend (May 14-15) at a site to be determined.
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