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HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS: 2014 All-Brooklyn Baseball Honors

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See this story at BrooklynDaily.com.

By Joseph Staszewski

Brooklyn Daily

Poly Prep and Xaverian penned title runs of historic proportions in what was another fine baseball season in Brooklyn.

The Blue Devils excelled with an experienced group that had great senior leadership. They became the first school to win a fourth-straight private school state title. Xaverian’s path to its first Catholic Class AA crown since 2011 wasn’t quite as easy. It had to win seven elimination games along the way.

A second-straight crown wasn’t to be for Telecommunications in the Public School Athletic League. Grand Street reached its fourth-straight semifinals after up and coming Midwood wrestled the division crown away. Nazareth also showed it has a bright future by making the Catholic A final in its first season back in the league.

Here are the players who helped make these moments happen and are considered Brooklyn’s best:

All-Brooklyn Player of the Year: Anthony Sigismondi, Xaverian

The senior refused to believe this was just a rebuilding season from the start, and he made sure it wasn’t. The smart and gritty Sigismondi won three playoff games, including the semifinal and championship clinchers. He went 10–3 overall with a 1.20 ERA and 52 strikeouts. Sigismondi isn’t the hardest throw, but that never stopped him from controlling lineups.

All-Brooklyn Coach of the Year: Frank DelGeorge, Xaverian

DelGeorge called 2014 a rebuilding year after losing 17 seniors and returning a talented but inexperienced roster. It took the pressure off and allowed the Clippers’ skipper and his staff time to cultivate this group. He demanded the best from them and eventually got it as Xaverian went on to win the city title in his second season at the helm.

All-Brooklyn First Team:

Pitcher Rob Amato, Xaverian

Amato was one of the most feared pitchers in the Catholic league. The junior went 5–2 with a 0.94 ERA and 66 strikeouts in 60 innings. He fanned nine in a playoff win over Salesian and won the opener of the final.

Catcher Rob Calabrese, Poly Prep

Calabrese posted a .432 batting average with 30 RBI and his cannon arm shut down opponents’ running games. What can’t be measured is the effectiveness of his overall leadership and smarts while leading Poly to a fourth-straight crown.

Catcher Marcus Chavez, Grand Street Campus

The super sophomore proved to be just that. Chavez had a breakout season, hitting .581, posting an on-base percentage of .673 and slugging seven doubles. He had three hits and three RBI in a big win over Telecom.

Pitcher Alex Cuas, Grand Street Campus

The hard-throwing senior was a major reason for the Wolves’ success. Cuas, who has a high-80s fastball, was a perfect 5–0 during the regular season with a 0.41 ERA. He also thrived when called upon to close.

Pitcher Andrew Ehrenberg, Poly Prep

The junior seamlessly stepped into the role of ace with Morgan Gray missing time with an injury. Ehrenberg went 7–0 with a 0.79 ERA and 36 strikeouts. He got out of a bases-loaded jam in relief in the title game.

Pitcher Ian Miller, Berkeley Carroll

The Harvard-bound Miller remained one of the city’s top pitchers. His lone defeat came at the hands of Poly Prep during another stellar season on the mound. The senior was also one of the Lions’ best hitters and run producers.

Shortstop Richie Palacios, Berkeley Carroll

The junior was a steady as they come at the plate and in the field. Palacios made just three errors all season at short, and kickedstarted the offense in the leadoff spot. He hit .345 with a .440 on-base percentage.

Shortstop Anthony Prato, Poly Prep

The sophomore was instant offense and a sure fielder at shortstop. The speedy and athletic Prato was the catalyst to Poly’s attack as the leadoff hitter. He batted .449 with 17 RBI, 40 runs scored, and 32 stolen bases.

First baseman Austin Ruiz, Telecommunications

Ruiz provided plenty of pop for Telecom. The junior batted .444 with 21 runs scored and a team-leading 27 RBI. Ruiz was also fine fielder at first, and an emotional and vocal leader for the Yellow Jackets.

Third baseman Anthony Scotti, Xaverian

Scotti was one of the city’s top leadoff hitters, constantly on base by any means necessary. The junior hit 375 and stole 28 bases for the Clippers. He quietly went about his business and was a big reason Xaverian claimed the city title.

Shortstop/Pitcher Milo Sklar, Midwood

Sklar flew under the radar most of his career, but gained recognition as Midwood excelled this season. The senior hit .383 with 22 runs, scored 14 RBI and five doubles. He also grabbed two wins on the mound.

Honorable Mentions:

Centerfielder Chris Amato, Xaverian

Pitcher Emmanuel Castellano, Grand Street Campus

Third baseman Chris Harper Berkeley Carroll

Pitcher Jeff Manzi, Xaverian

Shortstop/Pitcher Andrew Nathan New Utrecht

Pitcher Willie Navarro, Nazareth

Pitcher Anthony Nunez, Telecommunications

Pitcher Juan Rodriguez, Telecommunications

Right fielder/pitcher Nick Storz Poly Prep

Third baseman Michael Taormina, Midwood

Catcher Agustin Quiles, Nazareth

Reach reporter Joseph Staszewski at jstaszewski@cnglocal.com. Follow him on twitter @cng_staszewski.

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