A closer look at Horseheads' STAC West baseball champion
A look at Southern Tier Athletic Conference West Division baseball champion Horseheads as the Blue Raiders get set to chase the STAC tournament title.
What's next for Raiders
The STAC semifinals are scheduled for Saturday at Maine-Endwell's turf field. Horseheads will take on Central Division champion Owego Free Academy at 11 a.m. in the first semifinal. Metro champ Vestal meets East titlist Oneonta at 2 p.m. in the other semifinal.
Winners play for the title Monday at the home of the school with the largest enrollment. Horseheads would be home if it wins Saturday.
Key victories
Horseheads' road to the division championship was less about one game than it was about taking off and running away with the title. After falling 5-3 to Vestal on the final Thursday in March, the Blue Raiders began their current 14-game winning streak that included three-game sweeps of division foes Elmira, Corning and Ithaca.
The Raiders carry a 15-1 record into the STAC tournament.
Spotlight player
Having a quality leadoff batter can set the tone for a team offensively. From a defensive standpoint, everything starts up the middle. Dominic Russ provides excellence in both regards for Horseheads.
Russ, who has committed to Division I Le Moyne College, is getting on base at incredibly high clip at the top of the order while providing plenty of extra-base pop. His stellar play at shortstop has been a pitcher's best friend, particularly for a staff that doesn't yield many walks.
More: After win 400, Jeff Limoncelli reflects on what makes coaching Horseheads baseball special
Other Raiders to watch
Pitching and defense have been hallmarks of Horseheads baseball over the years and this spring is no exception.
The staff is led by junior right-hander Mason Holloway, a Binghamton University commit, and junior southpaw Micah Hays. Carson Ball has also pitched like an ace, most recently tossing a four-hitter in an 8-1 victory over Johnson City. The staff has combined for six shutouts, with highlights include a one-hitter from Hays and a four-hitter from Holloway in a 3-0 win over Elmira that clinched the division.
The lineup benefits from the bat of Josh Stout in the No. 2 hole, setting up a middle of the order that features Holloway, Hays and Ball.
Combined run margin for the Raiders is 145-28.
More: Horseheads' Mason Holloway reflects on his improbable hoops shot, pitching and more
Defining moment in program history
Horseheads ranks among the cream of the crop in Section 4 baseball. This year's division title is the 16th at the school since joining teams from Elmira and Corning in forming the STAC West in 2000, two years after the demise of the Sullivan Trail Conference. Horseheads has won the last four West Division titles, a streak that dates back to 2019 because there were no division winners in 2020 and 2021 thanks to the pandemic. The Raiders were most recently STAC tourney champs in 2019 and 2022.
Jeff Limoncelli has been coach that entire run, but it was his 1999 team that provided the biggest moment in Raiders history when it capped a 25-3 season with a 2-0 victory over Massena in the Class A state final. At the time, Class A was New York's largest classification. Limoncelli reached 400 career wins with the Raiders' season-opening triumph against Binghamton.
Follow Andrew Legare on Twitter: @SGAndrewLegare. You can also reach him at alegare@gannett.com. To get unlimited access to the latest news, please subscribe or activate your digital account today
This article originally appeared on Elmira Star-Gazette: How Horseheads won another STAC West baseball title
