Two teams meet this week each entering the championship looking to take home their second title in the past three seasons.
Top-seeded Fairport finished the regular season undefeated. The Red Raiders kept their opponents to two or less runs 11 times and are looking to clinch Class AAA for the first time since 2024. No. 2 seed McQuaid is trying to defend their Class AAA title from a season ago. The Knights finished the regular season with seven straight wins and have plated 10 or more runners in seven games this year.
Something has to give when these two squads meet in a battle of Monroe County Division I and the Rochester City Athletic Conference. Game one of the best-of-three was played Tuesday, leaving McQuaid just a win away from a sectional title. Here’s the breakdown:
No. 1 seed FAIRPORT RED RAIDERS (20-1/Monroe County I/No. 2 NYSSWA Class AAA)
vs.
No. 2 seed McQUAID KNIGHTS (19-3/Rochester City Athletic Conference/No. 4 NYSSWA Class AAA)
Game Two: Thursday, McQuaid HS, 5:00 PM/ Game Three*: Saturday, ESL Ballpark, 10:00 am
How they arrived here: Fairport had a bye in the first round. McQuaid defeated third-seeded Rush-Henrietta 8-2 to clinch a spot in the championship series. In game one of the championship series, the Knights used a fifth-inning sacrifice fly by Thomas Bailey to break a 1-1 tie in what ended as a 2-1 road win.
VIEW MORE PHOTOS FROM DENNIS JOYCE.
Scoring offense: Fairport (6.2 RPG), McQuaid (7.7 RPG)
Scoring defense: Fairport (2.2 RPG), McQuaid (4.5 RPG)
Trends: Fairport has scored eight or more runs in four of its past nine games. McQuaid has won 14 of its past 15 games and seven straight.
Players to watch for Fairport: Sam Roselli Sr. P/INF (.385 BA, 25 H, 13 XBH, four HR, 20 RBI, 14 R, 43.2 IP, 0.80 ERA, 7-1 record, two saves, 54 Ks), Jon Roessel Sr. P/INF (.492 BA, 29 H, four XBH, one HR, eight RBI, 20 R, 26.0 IP, 1.62 ERA, 3-0 record, 39 Ks), Garrett McNeil Sr. INF (.350 BA, 21 H, five XBH, one HR, 16 RBI, 14 R), Dan Roessel Jr. P/INF (.377 BA, 20 H, two 2B, 10 RBI, 14 R, 29.0 IP, 1.69 ERA, 3-0 record, one save, 22 Ks) Alex Grejda Sr. OF/P (.317 BA, 19 H, two 2B, 12 RBI, 15 R, 11.1 IP, 3-0 record, 1.24 ERA, nine Ks)
Players to watch for McQuaid: Daniel Luce Jr. INF (.393 BA, 24 H, eight XBH, one HR, 22 RBI, 21 R), Robbie Langdon Sr. INF (.388 BA, 19 H, one XBH, 13 RBI, 14 R), Ryan DeJoy Sr. OF (.362 BA, 25 H, seven XBH, two HR, 20 RBI, 19 R); Thomas Bailey Sr. OF (.344 BA, 20 H, 14 XBH, two HR, 12 RBI, 25 R); Isaac Stella Jr. P (49.0 IP, 1.85 ERA, 6-0 record, two saves, 57 Ks); Brayden Craig Sr. P (37.0 IP, 3.21 ERA, 6-1 record, 35 Ks)
Coaches: Kieran Murphy (Fairport), Tony Fuller (McQuaid)
History 101: The two teams met once in the regular season, with Fairport winning 8-5. It would be the third title in four seasons for Fairport, as the Red Raiders repeated in 2023 and 2024. It would be the tenth in program history. A win would result in the second straight and 11th overall sectional title for McQuaid. It would move the Knights to being tied for fifth in all of Section V in terms of most sectional championships.
What’s at stake: A spot in the NYS Class AAA Far West Regional against the Section VI winner, either Lancaster or Niagara Falls.
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