Section V baseball classifications have been shuffled: What to know for 2024

When the New York State Public High School Athletic Association decided to add to its lineup of state tournaments, Section V baseball was among the sports shuffled.

The new Class AAA classification or group of teams, meant a change for all of the student enrollment figures that formed the classifications or groups already in place in Section V.

Based on the new enrollment figures, after team mergers and any reclassifications of teams at non-public schools by Section V:

There are seven classifications in Section V baseball, down from nine in 2023.

There are five teams in the "new" Class AAA: Edison/School Without Walls, Fairport, Franklin/World of Inquiry, McQuaid and Rush-Henrietta.
Class C was the only group that split into two, based on Section V's policy of no more than 18 teams in one group.

Based on the number of teams in the group, the Class AAA ballclubs seem to have an easier road to win a sectional championship than most.

"I’m not fond of it," McQuaid baseball coach Tony Fuller said. "I don’t know who made the decision, I don’t understand it. Baseball is a different sport, and we are going into a tournament with five teams.

"It’s just not how (playoff) baseball was drawn up. I don’t know if Rochester is the only one, but I imagine not. It may work for our benefit (at McQuaid), but that’s not what we (in Section V) want to do with this. You want more of a competitive balance.”

Section V baseball coordinator Jason Bunting said it is difficult to argue against the addition of another state tournament, which means another championship for players. While a five-team sectional tournament is less than ideal, the division must be formed locally, Bunting said.

"That’s a direct result of the new numbers," Bunting said. "Our hands are tied, we have to follow those state numbers.”

Like it or not in the chilly and windy northeast United States, it is time to play ball.

Churchville-Chili and Greece Arcadia played the first ballgame in Section V on March 25. Other teams, including McQuaid, have raised money and headed south in order to play during spring break.

The Democrat and Chronicle begins team overviews with 2022 state champion McQuaid, 2023 sectional class semifinalist Aquinas and Finney School, a sectional finalist last season that might have improved.

Here is also a lineup of which Section V baseball teams are in which classifications.

Aquinas

Coach: Ray Manioci, seventh year at Aquinas, 13th overall.

Section V classification: A

Last season: 15-7, lost to Pittsford Sutherland, Class A2 semifinals.

Top pitchers: Michael Calogero, junior, right-hander; Alexis Rosado, junior, right-hander; Mason Phillips, senior, right-hander.

Big bats: Tre Walker, senior, outfield; Lucas Leone, junior, outfield; Calogero, junior, first base; Ryan Lewin, sophomore, outfield; Phillips, senior, infield; Jared Swift, senior, catcher; Jimmy Marotta, senior, infield; Rosado, junior, infield; Ryan Masiuk, senior, infield.

Short swings: Contender to win a sectional title for the first time 2016 . . . This is the fourth season in the starting lineup for Walker and Leone . . . Walker plans to become an outfielder at Ithaca College . . . There could be benefits for the team with Walker's first season as a pitcher . . . Phillips is on track to Onondaga Community College as an infielder . . . Calogero, a junior and another player who played a lot as an underclassman, is in his third season on the mound and in the batting order . . . Rosado is part of what should be a 1-2 punch at the front of the pitching rotation . . . Freshman infielder Trent Battles and junior outfielder/pitcher Sean Mayo could have a good impact in their first varsity seasons . . . Manioci sees an athletic team that can play defense - catch and throw the ball where it needs to go . . . "We will run non-stop (on the basepaths)."

McQuaid Knights

Starting pitcher Matt Wilmarth delivers the ball for McQuaid.

Coach: Tony Fuller, eighth year, not counting canceled 2020 season.

Section V classification: AAA

Last season: 11-10, lost to Webster Schroeder, Class AA quarterfinals.

Experienced pitchers: Matt Wilmarth, senior, right-hander; Conor Forkey, sophomore, right-hander; Cole Englert, junior, right-hander.

Big bats: Ian Fleck, senior, catcher; John Wilmarth, senior, outfield; Forkey, sophomore, third base; Thomas Bailey, sophomore, center field.

Short swings: The Knights are a clear contender in a five-team field to win the Section V Class AAA title . . . It was difficult to match the 2022 state championship season in 2023 . . . The Knights take a good amount of talent with them to Vero Beach, Fla., but want to sort out who can and will do what and when in games, including at shortstop . . . There also are some injuries that need to heal . . . "We have a very young team, but guys who have been up for a year with experience," Fuller said . . . There could be up to six sophomores in the lineup, including returners Forkey and Bailey . . . Matt Wilmarth is one of the long-time team members, and according to Fuller, one of the very best in Section V. This is the 2023 Democrat and Chronicle All-Greater Rochester team member's fifth varsity season . . . "We have the right pieces in places," Fuller said.

Finney Falcons

Coach: Chris Hanford, second season.

Section V classification: D

Last season: 9-9, lost to Northstar Christian Academy, Class D2 final.

Experienced pitchers: Mikey Crandall, senior, right-hander; Daniel Green-Colon, senior, right-hander; Roy Kang, junior, right-hander; Octavio Gefell, senior, right-hander.

Big bats: Crandall, senior, shortstop; Jadon Maus, senior, catcher; Green-Colon, outfield/infield; Octavio Gefell, senior, third base; Xavier Owens, sophomore, center field.

Short swings: When a team can rely on more pitchers than its previous season, that is a good thing. The Falcons, who reached a sectional final last spring in the group for the smallest schools, count more arms to send to the mound this season . . . Some of these pitchers are young, including eighth-grader Romeo Pauly, who bats in the top half of the order as a first baseman . . . Crandall is a fifth-year varsity member, the team's clear No. 1 starter and No. 3 hitter . . . Maus has one more year experience than Crandall . . . Green-Colon plays all over the diamond, including on the mound . . . "We have a nice set of returners that know the game," Hanford said . . . Joshua Best, a seventh-grader, is at second base.