Basketball season is finally in our review mirror after the Jordan Brand Classic at Barclays Center on Friday, and the weather appears to warming up. That means spring is finally here, and with it another baseball and softball season.
There are plenty of storylines to look forward to for 2015. Here is a look at what is in store in Brooklyn:
1) Xaverian looks to become first back-to-back Catholic winner since 1978
Winning consecutive Catholic baseball titles has become one of the hardest things to do in New York City high school sports. The last team to do it was Archbishop Molloy with coach Jack Curran in 1978. All others since then have tried and failed to navigate the grueling playoff format to another crown. What’s on Xaverian’s side is that it won its first title a year earlier than expected last season, in what coach Frank Del George called a rebuilding year. Expectations are much different this year — with its talented junior core now seniors — including Rob Amato and Anthony Scotti. The Clippers got a taste of how hard it can be to repeat with a 4–3 loss to St. Francis Prep on Monday.
2) Melvin Martinez returns to the Grand Street baseball bench
Martinez ,one of the best and most colorful coaches in the city, is back after a full season away. He took a year off because of health issues that included loss of hearing in his right ear, a seizure and a torn muscle in his arm. Martinez led the Wolves to a Public School Athletic League title in 2012, and was still around the team sporadically a year ago as his brother Steve coached the Wolves to the semifinals. Grand Street is off to a 4–0 start this season.
3) Poly Prep baseball is on the drive for five-straight crowns
Poly Prep has been at the top of the city’s baseball landscape in recent years, winning an unprecedented four-straight private school state baseball crowns. The roster keeps turning over, and Poly keeps turning out titles. Poly Prep, led by Nick Storz, Andrew Ehrenberg, and Anthony Prado, is 6–1 in the early season, its lone loss to Brunswick (N.J.). Can Poly secure a half-decade of dominance?
4) Madison softball looks to take next step
Last season marked a return to prominence for the Knights behind ace Isabella Gerone and a young nucleus including sophomore Samantha Mendelsohn. Madison won the Brooklyn A division title and reached its first Public School Athletic League semifinals since 2011. A run at the tile game and championship is not out of the question for this group.
5) Fontbonne softball turns the page to new era
The Bonnies graduated a very special group of seniors led by Nicolette Trapani and Maria Serrantino who brought the school its first Brooklyn-Queens diocesan title in 2013. Fontbonne still has plenty of talent, including Ariana Dillon and Bianca Marletta, but it will need to have new faces emerge if it is going to make another run at the title in a deep and talented league.
