LaSalle’s Luis Rodriguez will move from behind the plate to the mound. (Philip Hall)
If last season’s postseason and The Post’s preseason prognostications are an indication, the Bronx/Manhattan division will be the toughest in CHSAA Class AA this year.
Four teams – No. 3 Xavier, No. 5 St. Raymond, No. 8 Regis and No. 10 All Hallows – are in The Post’s preseason CHSAA rankings and Xavier and St. Ray’s reached the semifinals of the intersectional playoffs a season ago.
That could mean LaSalle and Cardinal Hayes are on the outside looking in, but LaSalle coach Luis Lopez isn’t concerned about preseason predictions.
“Some of these teams were just as strong in the last two or three years as they are now and we’ve matched up well,” he said. “We’ve won by one run and we’ve lost by one run. It all comes down to how our defense plays which will determine the outcome. I don’t think anyone on my team thinks those guys are better than us. We look at it as they’re a bigger program than us and we have to come out and play ball.”
A year ago, LaSalle was 4-14, but advanced to the playoffs for the first time since winning the city title as the No. 18 seed in 2006.
The Cardinals stay, though, was short. LaSalle lost to Monsignor McClancy 5-2 in a first round qualification game. The Crusaders capitalized on four errors to score three unearned runs off hard-luck losing pitcher Max Reyes.
“They were happy to finally get there, but it was bittersweet because we exited so fast in a game we easily could have won,” Lopez said. “It left a bad taste. They want to come out and prove they can play this year.”
Ivan Rodriguez, one of three four-year varsity players, moves from behind the plate to the mound as the team’s ace. He’ll also play shortstop.
“He throws hard and he has good movement, good control and I think he’s ready for it this year,” Lopez said.
Luis Rodriguez (no relation) is also back and will start in center after recovering from a severe ankle sprain, while fellow senior Mike Forcino will start at third.
Sophomore Rob McMahon, who Lopez said reminds him of former catcher Mark Kruhtoff, will start behind the plate while junior Chris Marte will be the No. 2 pitcher and play second and sophomore left-hander Devon Graham will play first and pitch, replacing Lopez’s son Christian, who started as a freshman but is now at a boarding school.
“I want to say that our defense is going to be a strength this year, but our defense ended our playoff run last year,” Lopez said. “I want to say it’s going to be stronger this year and pitching wise we might be around the same level, maybe stronger. Our weakness is the same weakness we’ve always had. We don’t have that big power guy.”
Cardinal Hayes endured what longtime coach Curt Scheibe described as a “disastrous year,” and vowed to change that this year.
“That will never happen again, not as long as I’m alive,” he said.
As he takes a glance at his roster, Scheibe is optimistic about this season. But he won’t truly know until the season starts Wednesday against Archbishop Stepinac.
“On paper it looks like we have a pretty good team, but that doesn’t mean a hill of beans,” he said. “You have to go out and produce. I expect us to be very competitive this year.”
Hayes has a pair of seniors atop the rotation in ace Chris Pena, who will also play first base, and Kevin Rentes who both have “good breaking balls.” Pena gets the edge, Scheibe said, because he’s got better command of his fastball.
Senior Eric Alcantara is at third base, Columbus transfer Stanley Susana, who will likely play at St. Thomas Aquinas, is at short , junior Eric Gonzalez is at second and Pena will split time at first with Gave DeJesus.
Justin Del Rosario, Lee Johnson and Nathaniel Mercado, a Gompers transfer, will start in the outfield.
But Scheibe still doesn’t know who is starting catcher will be. He’s got sophomores Jerman Dilone and Andry Vasquez vying for the job.
“One of them has to shine,” Scheibe said. “One of them has to come through because without a catcher in our division, you’re in trouble.”