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Horseheads is two victories from becoming the first Section 4 baseball team to repeat as a New York State Public High School Athletic Association champion.
The Blue Raiders (19-7) take on Section 3's West Genesee (20-4) in a Class AA semifinal at 4 p.m. Friday, June 12 at Binghamton's Mirabito Stadium. The second semifinal there will pit Section 9's Cornwall against Section 8's Kennedy at 7.
The championship game is scheduled for 4 p.m. Saturday, June 13 at Mirabito Stadium.
Horseheads' first back-to-back berth in the state final four has come with a new head coach, Andy Scott, and only three players who were regular starters last season: Kegan Monahan, Cooper Ball, and Lyncoln Bennett. Monahan had the winning hit in last year's state final.
The Blue Raiders have followed the formula of pitching and defense that has been in place since Jim Keenan and Jeff Limoncelli guided the program to decades of success, including state titles under Limoncelli in 1999 and last year.
Mike Bennett, one of Section 4's most successful coaches at Thomas A. Edison, was brought along as an assistant. Scott has consistently praised Bennett's impact, along with the contributions of veteran coach Jerry Laney.
"I'm happy that the program coach Limoncelli built the last three decades is still going strong," Scott said after a 5-0 win over Hamburg in the regional final Friday, June 5. "Last year state champions and this year back to the final four.
"Excited we get to play more baseball with this group of players and coaches."
Recap of 2025 state final: Walk-off hit in 8th inning gives Horseheads AA title
Even by Horseheads' lofty pitching standards, this year's postseason run has been something special. The Blue Raiders have shut out their last three opponents and enter the weekend with a stretch of 22 consecutive scoreless innings.
Mason Markle shut out Vestal in the deciding Game 3 of the Section 4 championship series and blanked Hamburg in the state quarterfinal. Fellow junior right-hander Ball tossed a 1-hit shutout in a 5-0 win over Garden City in the state subregional.
Ball is a Binghamton University commit who is batting .409 and has an ERA under 0.70, with 104 strikeouts in 66 innings. Markle's ERA is also under 1.00.
Horseheads' offense has also been productive, with 15 hits over the last two games against top pitching.
Another high-caliber foe awaits Friday. West Genesee's pitchers posted three straight shutouts in the Section 3 tournament prior to a 2-1 win over Bethlehem in a regional final.
Horseheads is the only remaining Section 4 team. Union-Endicott High School and Binghamton University will join Mirabito Stadium as host sites Friday and Saturday across six classes.
The Blue Raiders' challenging schedule included a 4-3 loss to Cincinnati's Archbishop Moeller, which is in the Ohio Division I state final four this week.
"I'm really proud of how focused these guys are," Scott said. "They come to practice every day with energy and the will and want to get better.
"Credit to my staff also for preparing and putting kids in positions to be successful. I'm fortunate to have great kids and coaches around each day."
This article originally appeared on Elmira Star-Gazette: What you need to know about Horseheads baseball in NYSPHSAA final four
Continue reading...
The Blue Raiders (19-7) take on Section 3's West Genesee (20-4) in a Class AA semifinal at 4 p.m. Friday, June 12 at Binghamton's Mirabito Stadium. The second semifinal there will pit Section 9's Cornwall against Section 8's Kennedy at 7.
The championship game is scheduled for 4 p.m. Saturday, June 13 at Mirabito Stadium.
Raiders' run comes with a lot of new faces
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Horseheads' first back-to-back berth in the state final four has come with a new head coach, Andy Scott, and only three players who were regular starters last season: Kegan Monahan, Cooper Ball, and Lyncoln Bennett. Monahan had the winning hit in last year's state final.
The Blue Raiders have followed the formula of pitching and defense that has been in place since Jim Keenan and Jeff Limoncelli guided the program to decades of success, including state titles under Limoncelli in 1999 and last year.
Mike Bennett, one of Section 4's most successful coaches at Thomas A. Edison, was brought along as an assistant. Scott has consistently praised Bennett's impact, along with the contributions of veteran coach Jerry Laney.
"I'm happy that the program coach Limoncelli built the last three decades is still going strong," Scott said after a 5-0 win over Hamburg in the regional final Friday, June 5. "Last year state champions and this year back to the final four.
"Excited we get to play more baseball with this group of players and coaches."
Recap of 2025 state final: Walk-off hit in 8th inning gives Horseheads AA title
A lengthy streak for Horseheads pitching
You must be registered for see images attach
Even by Horseheads' lofty pitching standards, this year's postseason run has been something special. The Blue Raiders have shut out their last three opponents and enter the weekend with a stretch of 22 consecutive scoreless innings.
Mason Markle shut out Vestal in the deciding Game 3 of the Section 4 championship series and blanked Hamburg in the state quarterfinal. Fellow junior right-hander Ball tossed a 1-hit shutout in a 5-0 win over Garden City in the state subregional.
Ball is a Binghamton University commit who is batting .409 and has an ERA under 0.70, with 104 strikeouts in 66 innings. Markle's ERA is also under 1.00.
Horseheads' offense has also been productive, with 15 hits over the last two games against top pitching.
Another high-caliber foe awaits Friday. West Genesee's pitchers posted three straight shutouts in the Section 3 tournament prior to a 2-1 win over Bethlehem in a regional final.
Horseheads is the only remaining Section 4 team. Union-Endicott High School and Binghamton University will join Mirabito Stadium as host sites Friday and Saturday across six classes.
The Blue Raiders' challenging schedule included a 4-3 loss to Cincinnati's Archbishop Moeller, which is in the Ohio Division I state final four this week.
"I'm really proud of how focused these guys are," Scott said. "They come to practice every day with energy and the will and want to get better.
"Credit to my staff also for preparing and putting kids in positions to be successful. I'm fortunate to have great kids and coaches around each day."
This article originally appeared on Elmira Star-Gazette: What you need to know about Horseheads baseball in NYSPHSAA final four
Continue reading...
