CONGRATULATIONS to the 2009 Section 2 Class B Champions!
Coach Alphonse Lambert : "2009 Coach of the Year" !
http://www.saratogian.com/articles/2009/07/23/sports/doc4a67d5f9edcee653374330.txt
The 2009 Saratogian All-Stars:
http://www.saratogian.com/articles/2009/07/23/sports/doc4a67d6258b28e767346750.txt
Stauffer: Back to the Bigs!
http://www.saratogian.com/articles/2009/07/10/sports/doc4a58050bc58f3192611280.txt
Tim Stauffer: Keeping the Faith
http://www.saratogian.c
om/articles/2009/06/14/sports/doc4a354bd86ed6a688095670.txt
Saratoga Central Catholic graduate Tim Stauffer is getting another shot at the big leagues.
On Friday, the San Diego Padres called up the six-foot-one inch right hander from the Portland Beavers of the AAA Pacific Coast League for what will be the Saratoga Springs native's fourth tour of duty at the Major League level. Stauffer last pitched in the majors in 2007 when he started two games for the Padres.
For more of this story, click on or type the URL below:
http://www.saratogian.com/articles/2009/07/11/sports/doc4a58050bc58f3192611280.txt
Seven area players named all-state
All-state baseball team announced Seven area players were named to the all-state high school baseball team, which was released on Monday.
Four players made second team in their respective classes. They were: Shane Matthews (Saratoga Catholic, Class B), Anthony Barnao (Ticonderoga, Class C), Joe Shevy (Fort Ann, Class D) and Ethan Tyrell (Schroon Lake, Class D).
For more of this story, click on or type the URL below:
http://www.poststar.com/articles/2009/07/07/sports/ps_varsity/baseball/news/doc4a53b65908428396264302.txt
... and at the end of the day...Saratoga Central Catholic finally earns its due: Ranked #5 in NYS Class B! Way to go boys!
Potsdam Season Ends with 9-3 Regional Loss to Spa Catholic
By Bob LaRue, North Country SportsNet
Saratoga Catholic’s stellar defense kept Potsdam at bay, while Potsdam’s defense stumbled in the crucial late innings to bow 9-3 in the opening round of the New York State Class B Baseball Playoffs. Saratoga Catholic chipped away with single runs in the first, second and third innings, while Potsdam pitcher Chris Reese kept the Sandstoners close early in the game. But then in the fifth tied 3-3, Saratoga’s Matt Angelini ignited a two-run, game-winning rally with a single to center. Jack Keller followed with single and Bill McDonough ripped an RBI hit to right to plate the go-ahead run and eventual game winner. A dropped outfield fly provided another two runs of insurance to open a 6-3 lead that proved too much to overcome late in a state playoff. Dale Long, Angelini and McDonough each rapped two hits for the Saints (24-4 overall). Reese aided his own cause with three hits to lead Potsdam (7-9 overall). John Coleman added two hits.
Mission accomplished: Saratoga Catholic quiets doubters and wins second Class B crown in three years
Friday, June 5, 2009
By NATE RIDER
The Saratogian
TROY - When Saratoga Central Catholic right fielder Tucker Carlson squeezed a Josh Nethaway fly ball for the final out in Friday’s Section II Class B final against Fonda-Fultonville, the Saints had finally erased any doubts as to how good they are.
Sophomore Dylan Anderson pitched a complete game, six-hitter and catcher and fellow sophomore Jack Keller had to four hits to lead a 14-hit attack and the Saints jumped all over Braves starter Patrick Sperow early to cruise to a 9-2 victory for their second sectional title in three years.
"I’m most proud of these guys because we had to go through the toughest bracket in Section II," said Saratoga Catholic coach Phonsey Lam¬bert. "We had to face 65 wins and came back after beating the No. 2 team in the state (Chatham) to beat a very tough Fonda team."
Left fielder Dale Long was on base all five times he was up as he set the tone for the game by drilling the first Sperow pitch he saw to left field while Shane Matthews scored three runs and shortstop Billy McDo¬nough knocked in three and No. 4-seeded Spa Catholic (23-4) never looked back after a three run first inning.
"I said all week that I was going to look fastball on the first pitch and if I got it I was going to rip it," said Long. "It was there so I drilled it."
Despite sporting a 20-4 regu¬lar season record, the Saints failed to crack the New York State Class B Top 20 but knocked off fifth-seeded Hud¬son, routed No. 1 seed and state-ranked Chatham and top¬pled the No. 3 seed Fonda to win their third sectional cham¬pionship in Lambert’s tenure.
"All those naysayers, they’re not talking now," said Matthews. "We deserve it. We earned it. It’s a message to everyone around that we’re a legit team."
"Our conference (WAC) takes a hit and I don’t under¬stand," added Lambert. "I don’t know what more we have to prove but I guess you have to make a statement every game."
And this one wasn’t even as close as it looked.
After plating three in the first, the final two coming on a Christian Garcia two-RBI sin¬gle, the Saints struck again in the third to knock the ineffec¬tive Sperow from the game. Matthews led off the inning with a walk and, after Matt Angelini lined out, Keller drilled his second hit of the game. Then, after a balk, McDonough blasted a deep, opposite-field double to plate two and the rout was on.
"This is just unbelievable, I don’t know what to say," said Matthews. "I told the guys that if we came out early and grabbed the lead that we could control the rest of the game. We did that and it was just unbelievable."
"I came here a couple of years ago to watch them play," said the sophomore Long. "I never thought it would happen for me."
Up 6-0 in the third, Anderson was simply on cruise control the rest of the way. On the game, he walked only two and struck five while only really seeing trouble in the fourth when he gave up two unearned runs. Effectively using his defense, Anderson kept the Braves off-balance all afternoon with a delicate mix of fastballs, curves and change-ups.
"This is everything I’ve ever wanted, it feels perfect right now," said Anderson. "I just tried to throw strikes and let my defense do the work behind me."
By the time Saratoga Catholic scored two more in the fifth, on a Danny O’Rourke RBI single and a Tucker Carlson RBI double, the proverbial white flag should have been raised. Anderson needed only 92 pitches to pick up his seventh win on the season as the Saints avenged a May 15 loss to the Braves.
Moreover, the victory was especially bittersweet for Lambert.
"Two years ago, when we went to the regional my mom had died on that day," said a tearful Lambert. "I didn’t think we’d get back here this soon but it’s a credit to these guys."
Every Spa Catholic starter had a hit, except Anderson, and Angelini added a pair of hits of his own from the clean-up spot while driving in a run.
Saratoga Catholic now moves on to face Potsdam out of Section X on Monday at 4 p.m. in Potsdam in the first round of regional play.
Shane Matthews a superstar in Saratoga Catholic's elite baseball program
Friday, June 5, 2009
By NATE RIDER
The Saratogian
SARATOGA SPRINGS — In the past four years, Saratoga Central Catholic center fielder Shane Matthews has asserted himself as one of the most consistent and talented players in all of Section II. A four-year starter and a perennial Western Athletic Conference All-Star, Matthews has become a fixture in one of the most prolific programs in the area.
His stats and accolades are astonishing — a .500-plus hitter the past two seasons, a 2009 Under Armour Preseason All-American and career to be
continued at Division I Marist College — but it is what many people don’t see that makes Matthews a special player.
— — — —
Matthews began his varsity career with the Saints as a freshman on a team that consisted of such stars as Neil Callahan, Vince Farfaglia and Chris Burns, to name a few. He was talented and boasted a level of swagger about him that was unique in comparison to many other freshmen. However, he was also naïve and unaware of what it took to be a top-level varsity player.
“He had an air of confidence and he knew he could play,” said coach Phonsey Lambert.
He was shown the ropes by many of the upperclassmen and began to mature right before Lambert’s eyes. It was then that he realized that he wanted to make a lasting impression on the history of Spa Catholic baseball.
“When I was a freshman I had guys like Neil and Vince who really took me under their wing,” said Matthews. “As I got older I realized that I was going to have to take that position and there is definitely a big difference.”
His work ethic improved greatly and he began to put a tremendous amount of effort into becoming the player that many people knew he would become. His dedication in the weight room and to the fundamentals of the game, both during the year and in the offseason, allowed him to gain the respect of players and coaches alike during his early years on the scene.
“Baseball is fun and sometimes people can forget that,” said Matthews. “That’s why we play. You have to be serious if you want to make a run, but you also have to kick back sometimes and enjoy it.”
By 2007, the Ballston Spa native had found himself in the middle of a magical Saints run that led them to their second Class B title, and that is when, in Lambert’s eyes, he made a name for himself. In the sectional semifinal game against Fonda-Fultonville, Matthews, an outstanding outfielder with blazing speed, made a game-saving, diving catch to propel Spa Catholic into the championship game.
“That’s when I knew he had the heart and the talent that it takes,” said Lambert.
As the scouts began to pour in and he was no longer a WAC secret, Matthews had one of the best seasons in Saratoga Catholic history in 2008. In leading the Saints to another 20-win season — their fourth in five years — he batted a robust .518 with 13 doubles, three home runs and 37 runs batted in while becoming The Saratogian’s Co-Player of the Year.
But the year didn’t end as planned, with an early setback in the sectional playoffs, and Matthews went into the offseason as a man on a mission.
— — — —
Fast forward to 2009. Having already signed his letter of intent to play at Marist and having the pressures of the future behind him, Matthews began to take his game to yet another level.
“Everything he has brought to our team in the past couple of years has been nothing but positive,” said Lambert. “By this year he knew what it is like to be a senior and he had done a really good job in handling that.”
However, with four sophomores and a freshman gracing the Spa Catholic roster, Matthews knew that he was now the one who had to have the wings. He needed to take the experience he had learned from the previous three years and expel it onto the players who were now in the position he was in a short time ago.
He has taken players such as Dylan Anderson, Jack Keller, Dale Long, Billy McDonough and Tyler Gereau and given them the same advice he was given. Now the savvy veteran, Matthews knows what it’s like to see scouts sitting behind the plate at games and he knows the pressures that come along with being a superb ballplayer.
“This was something that I was really looking forward to,” said Matthews. “I like to have these guys look up to me. And I think that they know what they are going to have to do in the next couple of years.”
Moreover, what he is imparting on this group of younger players is what he hopes they will instill to the next group of Saints down the road in order to keep the winning tradition alive.
“The kids respect each other and when they’re on the field they have each other’s back,” said Lambert. “I think he realized how he wanted to be treated as a sophomore and that’s how he handles it with these guys.”
And what Matthews is doing appears to be working. Spa Catholic has compiled a 22-4 record heading into this afternoon’s Class B championship game against Fonda at Joe Bruno Stadium. It their past two games, the Saints have beaten a Division I-bound starting pitcher (Hudson’s Justin Brantley, who is headed to Siena) and the No. 2 state-ranked Class B team (Chatham) to reach the finals.
“We definitely have great team chemistry this year,” said Matthews. “We have come to rely on each other and we have really gotten closer.”
Personally, Matthews is having yet another spectacular season. He is batting .526 with six home runs and 30 RBI, while also stealing 21 bases. When it’s all said and done, he will have his name near or at the top of many categories of the Saratoga Catholic record book.
In his four years at the varsity level, Matthews has helped the Saints to an 84-17 overall mark and to become one of the winningest programs in recent Section II history.
But he is, by far, not ready for things to stop now.
“Hopefully we’re not,” said Matthews when asked if the Saints have reached the top of the peak. “Hopefully we still have another level to get to.”
The Spa Catholic Saints defeat the #2 State ranked, Chatam,
to advance to the Class B Section 2 Championship game on Friday at 2pm at Joe Bruno Stadium.
http://www.cbs6albany.com/video/?bcpid=1137806146&bclid=1143371794&bctid=25107647001
Sports
H.S. Baseball: Spa Catholic punches ticket to Class B final
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
By NATE RIDER
The Saratogian
ALBANY — It may have taken running its record to 22-4 and advancing to the Section II, Class B finals, but the Saratoga Central Catholic baseball team will likely be finally getting the respect it feels it deserves.
The No. 4 Saints used a 13-hit attack, 4ª gutsy innings from starter Billy McDonough and a lights-out relief appearance by Christian Garcia to topple the No. 1 seed Chatham Tuesday night at Bleecker Stadium, 12-4, to advance to the finals on Friday afternoon where they will meet rival Fonda-Fultonville for the third time this season and try to avenge a late-season loss.
“Now we’re starting to hit in bunches like we did in the beginning of the year,” said Spa Catholic coach Phonsey Lambert. “Our defense and out pitching are always there but now that we’re starting to hit we’re a pretty lethal team. I love my guys, this is huge.”
But, first things first.
McDonough did not have his best stuff on the evening but he battled his way through the Panthers’ lineup to strike out six and allow only four hits, while walking three. The crafty right-hander, however, did his damage at the plate. He finished the game 2-for-4 with four RBI but the biggest hit came in the third.
Trailing 1-0 after Dan Gauthier drilled a solo home run in the first, the Saints (22-4) showed that they came to play in their half of the third. Ninth-place hitter Tucker Carlson led off the inning with an opposite field home run to put Saratoga Catholic on the board. Then, after Dale Long struck out, Saturday’s hero Dylan Anderson ripped a single to right and Shane Matthews followed with his second walk of the game.
“It really sparked our team,” said Carlson of his home run. “After I got that hit, we just kept pouring it on. It’s really important for me to be able to do that.”
Third baseman Matt Angelini then grounded to second but catcher Jack Keller walked to bring up McDonough who, in the words of Lambert, has been “pressing at the plate.” But McDonough battled Chatham (24-2) starter Jody Portin and eventually tagged a 1-2 pitch into right which cleared the bases and got the Saints rolling.
It wouldn’t be easy right from the start, however, as the Panthers came right back in the bottom half of the frame with two runs of their own on a wild pitch and a Jordan Sirani single to make it 4-3. Though McDonough would settle down, if only long enough to get to the fireballer Garcia.
The Saints plated three more runs in the fifth when McDonough singled home Matthews and Danny O’Rourke got home another with a fielder’s choice. Long then scored McDonough with an infield single and Spa Catholic had a 7-3 lead.
“It feels awesome, this is a big, big win,” said McDonough. “Knocking off the No. 1 seed is big. The No. 2 team in the state, I can’t say enough.”
Again, the Panthers came right back. Ryen Broehme led off the fifth with a solo home run and then, after getting consecutive strikeouts, McDonough finally ran out of gas. He hit Cole Gleason with a pitch for the second time in the contest and walked Portin, ending his inning.
“Billy’s a gamer, he came out here, his eyes were wide and he wanted it,” said Lambert of McDonough. “I’m very proud of him and the hit was huge. That ignited us and he gave us his guts on the mound.”
Enter Garcia, who promptly struck out Matt Fischer in overwhelming fashion. And that was only the beginning of his night. The Albany-bound righty struck out all seven batters he faced to earn the save. In many instances, Chatham struggled to even get the bat on the ball.
“I felt pretty good, it worked out well,” said Garcia. “No idea why it was different (than Saturday). The moon was out earlier so that might have had something to do with it.”
Spa Catholic used a five-run sixth to put the game out of reach and stun the state’s No. 2-ranked Class B team.
This was Lambert’s first ever playoff win at Bleecker Stadium where he had previously been 0-6.
“I didn’t want to give any bad omens but I didn’t have many good memories here at Bleecker,” said Lambert.
Matthews and Keller each had a pair of hits and scored three runs for the Saints while Long had a pair of hits and a pair of RBI from the leadoff spot. Dylan Anderson will get the start Friday at 2 p.m. when Saratoga Catholic meets the Braves at Joe Bruno Stadium.
“This is big, where we want to be,” said Carlson. “This is revenge right here.”
Sports
A soph spot for Saints
Saturday, May 30, 2009
By NATE RIDER
The Saratogian
SARATOGA SPRINGS - Sat¬urday’s Class B quarterfinal base¬ball game featured two starting pitchers headed to Division I schools - Hudson’s Justin Brantley (Siena College) and Saratoga Catholic’s Christian Garcia (UAlbany) - but it ended up being a sophomore who stole the show.
Spa Catholic’s Dylan Anderson pitched 3ª innings of one-hit, shutout relief and also hit a game-tying, three-run home run in the sixth as the Saints came from three runs down in the final two innings to beat the Bluehawks, 5-4, when Shane Matthews drew a bases-loaded walk in the seventh.
"That’s just too bad because those we’re two championship-caliber teams out there," said Spa Catholic coach Phonsey Lambert. "It was a great game and we were fortunate enough to come out on top."
Fourth-seeded Spa Catholic (21-4) moves on to the semifinals where the Saints will take on No. 1 Chatham on Tuesday at Bleecker Stadium in Albany at 7 p.m., but it wasn’t without a some drama.
For the first three innings, the pitching matchup appeared as though it was going to live up to its billing as both Brantley and Garcia were throwing seeds appeared to be locked in for the long haul. Brantley gave up a run in the first when a grounder from Spa Catholic’s Jack Keller drove in Dale Long, but by the third he had four strikeouts and had set¬tled down.
Garcia struck out the first two batters he faced and allowed a run in the second but had failed to give up a hit through three. Everything changed in the fourth.
On four straight pitches in the top of the frame, Garcia allowed consecutive singles to Brandon Williams and Mike Rigos, a booming double from Kevin Gorman and a single to Jack Rigos and all of sudden Hudson (19-4) had a 3-1 advantage. Garcia rebounded to strike out Talib Barksdale but then intentionally walked Brad Holmes and hit Alex Ebel in the head to drive in another run and that was the end of his afternoon on the hill.
In stepped Anderson with the bases loaded and the sophomore couldn’t have looked more like he had been there before. He calmly struck out and Will Gaylord and then got Brantley to hit a soft liner to Danny O’Rourke at second to escape the jam.
"I couldn’t even imagine what was happening. I didn’t even know what was going on," said Anderson. "I just tried to do what I always do, focus and throw strikes."
At the plate, O’Rourke had his best game of the season as he went 3-for-3 with a run scored and was on base all four times.
"That was the greatest game of his career, that was a step-up game," said Lambert of O’Rourke. "You could see it in his eyes that he was focused today and was ready to play. I’m extremely proud of him."
"I’ve been working a lot in the cage and for some reason I was more focused today," added O’Rourke. "It’s a lot more fun to go 3-for-3 than 0-for-3, I can tell you that."
In the fifth, both Anderson and Brantley worked out of jams to keep the score at 4-1. Anderson escaped a bases-loaded, two-out situation and Brantley got out of a first-and-third, two-out spot. Anderson breezed through the sixth, allowing only a two-out walk. Brantley, however, was not able to say the same.
O’Rourke led off with a hard single to center and Tucker Carlson followed that up with a line drive of his own, to left. Leadoff hitter Dale Long then popped up a sacrifice bunt attempt and that brought up the lefty Anderson.
On the first pitch he saw from Brantley, Anderson deposited one just left of Tim Stauffer’s No. 44 in left field to tie the game and swing all the momentum in the Saints’ direction and it was 4-4. Spa Catholic then proceeded to load the bases with two out, but Brantley narrowly when he struck out Garcia on end it.
In the seventh, after allowing a leadoff single to Mike Rigos, Anderson struck both Gorman and pinch hitter Nick Zapp, sandwiched around a Jack Rigos groundout to bring it to the bottom half of the frame.
"Dylan has the guts of a burglar," said Lambert. "He has done this numerous times this year. He’s got good control and he is able to make things happen … to do what he did as a sophomore is pretty impressive."
O’Rourke again led off with a single but was thrown out at second on a failed sacrifice from Carlson. However, Brantley proceeded to hit Long with a pitch on an 0-2 count and Anderson with the first pitch to load the bases for the Marist-bound Matthews. Brantley was fairly wild all day as we walked eight, hit four and threw over 130 pitches.
"There’s no second-guessing, never," said Hudson coach Kevin Bowes. "You have to go what got you here. He’s a warrior, he wanted to pitch and he said that he wasn’t coming out."
Matthews calmly stepped to the plate and walked on five pitches to drive in Carlson for the improbable comeback win.
"I hear garbage all the time about us playing in the (Western Athletic Conference), come on," said Lambert. "Right now there are three Foothills Council teams that have gone home and we’re still here. When you’re good, you’re good."
"We all had confidence," said O’Rourke. "We knew he (Brantley) could pitch, but we knew what we were capable of."
Matt Angelini had a pair of hits for Spa Catholic, while Gorman accounted for all four runs for the Bluehawks by scoring two and driving in the other two.
The Winner of the Yankee-Mets Tickets Raffle is...
**Mr. Bill Mulady of 7 Underwood Dr. in Saratoga Springs, NY !**
(The drawing took place at Monday, June 1st at 6:30 pm at Cliff's Country Inn.)
Thank you to all who particpated in this raffle to help support Saratoga Central Catholic Baseball.
To view Baseball Highlights on Fox News Channel 23, click on the link below and follow the links for local sports.
The most recent clip covered "Granville vs. Spa Catholic"
http://www.fox23news.com/mediacenter/local.aspx
H.S. Baseball Roundup: Fort Plain defeats Saratoga Catholic
By The Leader-Herald
SARATOGA SPRINGS - Fort Plain moved into sole possession of first place in the WAC North with a 4-1 win over Saratoga Catholic Tuesday. The Hilltoppers (17-2 overall, 15-2 WAC) have a half-game lead over Saratoga Catholic (15-3 WAC) and Fonda-Fultonville (17-3 overall, 14-2 WAC).
They will play the Braves in Fonda for the final game of the season May 26.
In Tuesday's win over the Saints, Dan Wiecek struck out eight and walked five, allowing two hits and one run.
The Hilltoppers broke a 1-1 tie with three runs in the fifth inning. Bo Baker went 2-for-3 with two RBIs.
Tyler Barhydt went 2-for-4 with a double, a run and an RBI. Mark Hanifin had the other RBI for Fort Plain on a 1-for-3 day with a double.
Brent Baker went 1-for-3 and scored twice for the Hilltoppers.
Saratoga Catholic scored its lone run on a groundout by Dylan Anderson, scoring Shane Matthews. Matthews had reached base on a walk, took second on a groundout and advanced to third on a failed pickoff.
Christian Garcia struck out five and walked two in six innings for Saratoga Catholic. Matthews and Danny O'Rourke recorded the Saints' two hits.
Fort Plain 4, Saratoga Catholic 1
Fort Plain001 030 0 - 4 8 2
Saratoga Catholic100 000 0 - 1 2 0
Wiecek and Bo Baker; Garcia, McDonough (7) and Keller
Furey Pitches Second No-No:
http://www.cbs6albany.com/video/?bcpid=1137806146&bclid=1143371794&bctid=23677248001
Garcia on CBS Channel 6 news:
http://www.cbs6albany.com/video/?bcpid=1137806146&bclid=1143371794&bctid=23665537001
Junior Jeremy Furey Pitches Second No-Hitter!
Spa Catholic 13, St. Johnsville 0
SARATOGA SPRINGS -- Junior Jeremy Furey struck out 13 and walked three in firing his second no-hitter of the season.
Shane Matthews went 2-for-4, including his fifth homer of the season, with two RBIs. Dylan Anderson also was 2-for-4 with two RBIs.
Saratoga Catholic's Garcia signs to play baseball at UAlbany
Tuesday, May 19, 2009 
By BRIEN BOUYEA, The Saratogian
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Christian Garcia was an unknown and unproven commodity in Section II baseball circles only a few months ago.
Things have changed quickly.
After pitching only a handful of innings during his junior season at South Glens Falls High School in 2008, Garcia decided to transfer to Saratoga Central Catholic for his final year of high school.
The results have been spectacular.
A right-hander with a sizzling fastball that tops out in the high 80s, Garcia has posted a 3-1 record with a 0.68 ERA for the Saints this spring. He has 36 strikeouts in 20ª innings and opponents are hitting a paltry .114 against him.
“He’s been nothing short of sensational,” Saratoga Catholic head coach Phonsey Lambert said. “His combination of talent and work ethic are really going to take him places.”
One of those places is the University at Albany. Garcia signed his national letter of intent to play for the Division I Great Danes of the America East Conference on Monday afternoon. Flanked by family, friends and teammates, Garcia was all smiles when he signed his name to pitch for head coach Jon Mueller.
“This is a dream come true,” Garcia said. “I want to thank all my teammates and my coaches and my family here for believing in me and for UAlbany for giving me this opportunity,” Garcia said. “I know I have a lot of work ahead of me, but I am ready to do whatever it takes to be my best and maximize my potential.”
Mueller asked Lambert for a scouting report on Garcia a few months ago, but there was a bit of a problem.
“I had never seen him pitch,” Lambert said. “I had no idea what to expect from him. I had heard some good things on him from Dale Long, but I had nothing to offer Jon on him from my perspective. Christian was pretty much an unknown to me as far as baseball went.”
Long, an assistant coach with the Saints, became familiar with the 6-foot-2, 200-pound Garcia during the fall while coaching him on the Saratoga Stampede American Legion 19-and-under team.
“I saw a lot of untapped potential,” Long said. “This is a kid who loves baseball, puts in tremendous effort and really wants to be a great player. I think the sky is the limit as he continues to work on his mechanics and get more experience.”
Garcia caught Mueller’s eye at a showcase event during the winter and the UAlbany coach kept close tabs on Garcia this spring.
“Coach Mueller and UAlbany have been great and I’m excited to be a part of that program,” said Garcia, a Gansevoort native. “It’s also going to be nice to play for a team that’s not that far from home. I can’t wait.”
While the future looks bright for Garcia, his current focus is helping Saratoga Catholic make a deep postseason run. The Saints are 17-2 and have high hopes for the upcoming sectional playoffs.
“We want to take this as far as we can,” Garcia said. “We’re a close team and we all stick up for each other out there. I think we can do some great things the rest of the season.”
Garcia Takes Unconventional Path to College Baseball
SARATOGA SPRINGS - Christian Garcia is a go-it-his-own way kind of pitcher.
"He gives me a headache with all these little quirks that he's got to get ready for pitching," Saratoga Catholic coach Phonsey Lambert said.
So maybe it's not that far out of character that Garcia took the road less traveled to Division I baseball. The 6-foot-2 righthander, a Gansevoort resident, signed his letter of intent on Monday to play at the University at Albany next season.
The signing ceremony at Saratoga Catholic was just about the only conventional step in Garcia's journey to college baseball. Garcia transferred to Saratoga Catholic this fall from South Glens Falls as a virtual unknown.
"It's really a remarkable story because he didn't have any resume to go by," Lambert said. "He didn't get a lot of time at South Glens Falls. So when he transferred here, we didn't have a lot to go on."
But Garcia had made an impression on Dale Long, a Spa Catholic assistant who coached Garcia on the Saratoga Stampede summer baseball team. Long had never seen him pitch, but was "flabbergasted" when Garcia struck out the side on 11 pitches in his first outing.
"I knew once he got the chance to get more work he was the real deal," Long said.
In December, Garcia impressed the Albany coaches at a showcase at the college. Afterwards, Albany coach Jon Mueller called Lambert to ask him about the prospect with the live arm and thin high school resume. There wasn't much Lambert could say.
"I'd never seen him throw a baseball," Lambert said.
The Saints' staff brought him along slowly, refining his raw talent. He made his first start a few weeks into the season, on April 27, against Berne-Knox. He threw a three-hitter, allowing one run. After throwing a scoreless inning in relief against Fort Plain, Lambert turned him loose in a key start against league-leader Fonda. In front of the Albany coaches, he fired a two-hitter, striking out 11.
"The rest is history," Lambert said.
Heading into a crucial start tonight against Western Athletic Conference foe Fort Plain, Garcia is 3-1 with a 0.68 ERA. He's struck out 36 in 20 2/3 innings.
"I'm glad all the pieces of the puzzle came together and I could sign this," Garcia said.
One chapter of the story is finished, but there's certainly more for Garcia to write as he's still inexperienced on the hill. Albany's interest is as much about his live arm -- he throws near 90 -- and potential than what he's accomplished for far. Garcia's mechanics are still a work in process, leaving plenty of room for improvement.
Lambert said he talked to a scout who thinks Garcia could add about six miles per hour to his fastball with polished mechanics.
"The sky's the limit for this kid," Long said. "He can go a long way."
Sports
H.S. Baseball: Spa Catholic's wild aces
Thursday, May 14, 2009
By NATE RIDER, The Saratogian
SARATOGA SPRINGS - With the constant changes that surround high school baseball, most, if not all, teams are forced to face a rebuilding year at some point or another. Moreover, losing a staff ace like Dennis Tario to graduation would leave a gaping hole in just about any team’s pitching staff.
Not so for the Saratoga Cen¬tral Catholic Saints.
Following a 20-6, 2008 cam¬paign, coach Phonsey Lam¬bert’s troops are locked and loaded yet again, but not with one ace, instead with a poker hand consisting of four. Night in and night out the Saints have a legitimate No. 1 taking the hill and are well on their way to the sixth 20-win season in school history.
Senior Christian Garcia, jun¬ior Jeremy Furey and sopho¬mores Dylan Anderson and Billy McDonough make up one of the strongest 1-4 pitching staffs in Section II, regardless of class. And throughout Lam¬bert’s 22 years at the helm of the Saints, this is likely the most complete staff he has seen.
"This is probably the first really complete staff that we’ve had," said Lambert. "Each one of these guys can go out and win a ballgame for us at any given time and all have won big games for us this year."
While compiling a 17-1 record
heading into today’s game at Fonda-Fultonville, these four right-handers have put up numbers that are second to none. They have combined to allow only 24 earned runs the entire season, leading to a miniscule 1.75 ERA, as the Saints have outscored their opponents by a total of 224-40. As a team, Saratoga Catholic has allowed only 71 hits in 116 innings and have 146 strike¬outs, compared to only 45 bases on balls.
"We’re here to win games," said McDonough. "We’re to get every strike and every out, that’s it."
The Saints’ only blemish on the season came at the hands of rival Ft. Plain on May 1 and they aren’t going forget it any time soon.
Garcia, a transfer from South Glens Falls, has come from out of nowhere to be a horse on the mound. In five games, including three starts and two complete games Gar¬cia, who will sign his letter of intent to play at the University at Albany on Monday, has gone 3-0 with a Johan Santana-like 0.70 ERA. His best start of the season likely came on May 8 when he threw a complete-game, two-hit shutout in a 2-0 victory against Fonda when we struck out 11 and walked only two.
"When I first came here I didn’t know how it was going to be, but it’s shaped up pretty well," said Garcia. "It’s been a great experience, it’s really fun. I love it."
Furey, who was 2-0 in 10.2 innings pitched last season, also has a 3-0 mark in 2009 and has an ERA of 2.00. On April 22, he tossed a no-hitter in a 12-0 drubbing of Mayfield where he showed his versatili¬ty, striking out only five and working around four walks. A week later, Furey was at it again when he tossed a com¬plete-game, three-hitter in a win over Northville in which he struck out 11.
In the middle, or more appropriately behind, this impressive collection of arms is sophomore catcher Jack Keller, who has caught every inning of every game this sea¬son. Though he may go unno¬ticed to some, the staff is well aware of his talents behind the plate.
"It’s definitely a huge advan¬tage," said Furey of Keller. "He is like a brick wall back there. You don’t worry about passed balls and you don’t have to worry about guys stealing on him."
"We have an excellent catch¬er in Jack Keller," added Lam¬bert. "He just does a super job behind there. He’s as good as we’ve had and he’s only a sophomore."
What also drives the Saints is the apparent lack of respect that they are receiving. Despite its domination on the diamond, Saratoga Catholic is nowhere to be found in this weeks NYSSWA Class B poll.
"It’s definitely in the back of our minds," said Anderson.
"We know we can beat a lot of those teams," added Furey. "But I think it’s better being under the radar anyway."
Anderson, who mixes a potent fastball with a devastat¬ing curve, was also part of a no-hitter this season when he and Garcia combined to shut down Sharon Springs on April 7. On the year, he leads the staff with a 5-0 record, includ¬ing three complete games, and has an ERA of 1.75. On May 4, he also tossed a three-hit shutout of Schenectady Christ¬ian when he struck out seven.
Is there a pattern assem¬bling here?
"I’m not surprised," said Lambert. "These guys put a lot of time into it and they are pretty schooled in the game."
Last, but certainly not least, is McDonough, who has seen the most time on the hill this year. With a 4-1 record and Saratoga Catholic’s only save, McDonough leads the team with 44 strikeouts, while only walking seven. His 1.65 ERA is second only to Garcia and he has shown his big game ability by pitching well in the loss to Ft. Plain and throwing a com¬plete-game win against Schuylerville when he allowed only two runs.
"He pitched good enough to win that game," said Furey of McDonough’s only loss. "The problem was that we didn’t get the bats going for him."
What makes things even harder on the Saints’ oppo¬nents is that each pitcher has their own unique style, some¬thing that Keller has to juggle on a daily basis. However, there is no rivalry between the group and they readily admit that none have the ego to be considered the "ace" of the staff.
"They’re all similar in some ways but different in others," said Keller. "You come at bat¬ters differently with different pitchers but they’re all domi¬nating, so it doesn’t matter."
They understand that, in order to be successful, they must come together as one. Not one stands out amongst the other and Lambert knows that any one of them can take the mound on any given night and give the Saints the great¬est opportunity to win.
"There’s not a jealous bone about it," said Lambert of his staff. "We try to match up each pitcher to a team, so it’s not really a true rotation and that’s worked out well for us."
With such a young staff it is hard not to look to the future, but to these four arms, the future is now. They want the schools 17th WAC champi¬onship, third sectional title, second regional championship and, most importantly, its first state title.
But, first things first.
URL: http://www.saratogian.com/articles/2009/05/15/sports/doc4a0cda9bacc91128145305.prt
© 2009 saratogian.com, a Journal Register Property
Check out Saints in the News:
http://www.cbs6albany.com/video/?bcpid=1137806146&bclid=1143371794&bctid=22940788001
Saints' Garcia to sign with UAlbany
Wednesday, May 13, 2009 10:46 AM EDT (The Post Star)
Saratoga Central Catholic pitcher Christian Garcia will sign a letter of intent to play baseball at the University at Albany on Monday afternoon. Garcia is from Gansevoort.
A 6-foot-2 righthanded power-pitcher, Garcia transferred to Saratoga Catholic after playing his junior season at South Glens Falls. Garcia is 3-0 this season with a .70 ERA, according to the Saratoga Catholic Web site. He’s allowed two earned runs and eight hits in 20 innings. He’s struck out 36 and walked nine.
Garcia is the second player on the Saints roster to commit to playing Division I baseball. This winter, center fielder Shane Matthews commited to Marist.
PHIL WARING MEMORIAL TOURNAMENT
*Spa Catholic wins title*
All- Tournament Team
( Jack Keller,Dylan Anderson,
Billly McDonough & MVP Shane Matthews)
SARATOGA SPRINGS -- Tournament MVP Shane Matthews went 3-for-4 with a home run, a triple, three RBIs and four runs scored as Saratoga Catholic handed Glens Falls a 13-6 loss in the championship game of the 21st annual Phil Waring Memorial baseball tournament on Saturday.
Matt Angelini recorded two hits and three RBIs for Spa Catholic, which defended its title. Andy Burgess of Glens Falls went 3-for-4 with three RBIs.
In the consolation game, Keegan Gleason had five RBIs as Watervliet beat Hoosick Falls, 10-3.
Glens Falls defeated Watervliet 6-3 in the first round, as Steve O’Sick, Sam Caruso and Kyle Kelly hit doubles and drove in two runs apiece. Dylan Mejo and Bryce Harrington combined to pitch a three-hitter for the Indians.
In the other first-round game, Shane Matthews went 3-for-3 with a double, an RBI and two runs scored to lead Saratoga Catholic to a 10-7 win over Hoosick Falls.
Garcia shines in Saints' win
Friday, May 8, 2009
By BRENDAN O'MEARA
The Saratogian
SARATOGA SPRINGS - After a 43 minute rain delay at Geyser Park, the lights went on and Saratoga Central Catholic’s Christian Garcia was simply lights out.
The right hander fanned 11 en route to a 2-0 West¬ern Athlet¬ic Confer¬ence win over Fonda-Fultonville.
Spa Catholic was the benefi¬ciary of a bloop double lost in the lights in the first inning off of the bat of Billy McDonough. He scored on a fielder’s choice two batters later for the 1-0 lead. In the second inning, the Saints (12-1, 13-1) plated Dale Long on a Tucker Carlson sin¬gle to left field.
That was all the Saints need¬ed. Garcia went the distance, taking care of the rest.
"Christian Garcia threw an outstanding ball game," Spa Catholic coach Phonsey Lam¬bert said. "Jack Keller did a super job behind the plate."
Fonda (10-2, 12-3) had oppor¬tunities in the fourth and fifth inning, yet couldn’t score a sin¬gle run. On an attempted dou¬ble steal with runners at the corners in the fourth and one out, Tyler Hall was picked off third in a 2-5-2-6-1 rundown. Garcia struck out Luke Neth¬away for the third out.
In the fifth, Fonda had run¬ners on second and third with nobody out on two singles - its only two of the game - but Garcia struck out two batters in a row and McDonough made a spinning play up the middle to get out the jam.
"That was huge," Garcia said. "Pretty much could do a back flip if I could. I was not backing down and not letting the guy get home."
"Billy McDonough made a super play up the middle, rob¬bing a base hit, twirling and throwing in time," Lambert said. "If that gets through, it’s a tie game."
From that point on, Garcia did not allow another runner to reach base, retiring the final six batters in order.
"Garcia pitched a tremen¬dous game" Fonda coach Rick Palumbo said. "We haven’t really seen somebody that throws that hard."
With Keller calling the game behind the plate, he found that Garcia’s fastball set the table for everything else. And as Gar¬cia put it, it wasn’t necessarily the type of pitch, but the loca¬tion.
URL: http://www.saratogian.com/articles/2009/05/09/sports/doc4a04f75177d28343332535.prt
© 2009 saratogian.com, a Journal Register Property
Spa Catholic 5, Schenectady Christian 0
SCOTIA -- Dylan Anderson struck out seven, walked two and allowed three hits in raising his record to 4-0.
At the plate, he went 2-for-4 with a run. Shane Matthews had a leadoff home run to go with two intentional walks. Christian Garcia was 2-for-3 with a double and an RBI, and Dale Long had a triple, RBI and two runs.
Spa Catholic (10-1, 11-1) 120 020 0 — 5 9 3
Sch. Christian (8-4, 9-4) 000 000 0 — 0 3 3
WP — Anderson (4-0). LP — Carter (2-1). 2B — Garcia (SC), Carlson (SC). 3B — Long (SC). HR — Matthews (SC).
Hilltoppers hand Saints first baseball loss
Saturday, May 2, 2009
By Jim Schiltz (Contact)
Gazette Reporter
Photographer: Barry SloanFort Plain's Evon Yacowenia dives for a ball during their game against Saratoga Catholic at Fort Plain Friday afternoon. Text Size: A | A | A FORT PLAIN — Dan Wiecek, Brent Baker and the rest of the Fort Plain Hilltoppers team did just about everything right Friday in the renewal of one of Section II’s richest baseball rivalries.
“I never expected this,” Fort Plain coach Craig Phillips said
after his young team dealt Saratoga Catholic its first loss of the season, 5-0. “I just went and told them this has to be one of the top-10 baseball games I’ve been involved with in 34 years. We played great defense. We hit the ball. We pitched the ball.
“What else can you ask for?”
Wiecek allowed four singles in going the distance, Mark Hanifin homered as part of a three-hit day and Baker sparkled at the plate and in the field as Fort Plain took the midseason Western Athletic Conference Northern Division showdown.
Baker kept Wiecek’s shutout intact with a diving stop, and hit a pair of singles, drove in a run and scored a run in the seventh straight victory for Fort Plain (7-1, 8-1).
“What this is going to do is give the kids confidence heading into the Fonda game and some other big games,” said Phillips. “This was a good win for us.”
Saratoga Catholic (9-1, 10-1) won a pair of games Wednesday at Northville’s expense, piling up 42 runs in a double-header sweep, and had scored 12 against Berne-Knox-Westerlo Monday before Wiecek’s shutdown performance, which included three strikeouts and two walks.
“I never dreamed we’d get shutout. Hats off to the Wiecek kid,” Saratoga Catholic coach Phonsey Lambert said after his team was held hitless in five of the seven innings. “He pitched a heck of a ball game. We didn’t play a bad game, we just didn’t hit the ball.”
A holdover from Fort Plain’s 2007 state Class C championship team, Wiecek (2-1) rebounded from a poor performance Thursday when he failed to complete an inning of relief in a 13-9, eight-inning win over Mayfield.
“I faced nine guys, and I walked five of them,” said Wiecek, a senior right-hander. “I had a talk with coach afterward, and he said tommorrow is a new day. He had confidence in me, and I felt good right from the start.”
“He had a rough day,” said Phillips. “The kid bounced back from it,”
Wiecek gave up a single in the third and three more in the fourth, yet escaped that jam and kept a 1-0 lead with a big assist from Baker at second base.
“We made a few errors [against Mayfield],” said Wiecek. “Today, the guys had my back, and Baker, he was excellent.”
Matt Angelini hit a one-out infield single in the Saints’ fifth inning, and Tyler Gereau moved him to second base with a single down the left-field line before Wiecek recorded a strikeout. Billy McDonough followed with a sharp grounder up the middle which Baker dove for and gloved, and Angelini was held at third base on the play while McDonough was credited with a single. Wiecek then got Danny O’Rourke to ground out to first to end the inning.
“I don’t usually dive and get dirty, but it was the heat of the moment,” said Baker, a sophomore, who was also in the middle of a fourth-inning double play. “That was big for us. It kept them off the board.”
“That was a huge play on McDonough’s ball,” said Lambert. “We score there if that kid doesn’t make that play.”
Wiecek worked around a one-out hit batsmen in the sixth, and worked around a one-out an error and walk in the seventh to complete the win.
“The kid had command of
everything,” Lambert said. “We could not muster a good hit. We couldn’t square up on the ball.”
Hanifin launched a solo home run off McDonough in the fourth inning, a drive over the fence in right-center field, and in the fifth, Baker hit a two-out RBI single before racing home on Evan Yacowenia’s
double. Back-to-back doubles by Hanifin and Ryan Kane made it 4-0 in the sixth and chased McDonough
(2-1), and Fort Plain added a run on a pair of errors by reliever Christian Garcia.
“They’re a good team,” Lambert said of the Hilltoppers, who have only five seniors. “I knew it was
going to be a battle when we got here. With these guys, it always is.”
Fort Plain’s seven-game win streak included the 600th of Phillips’ career, when Hanifin and Wiecek combined to no-hit
St. Johnsville. Before that 15-1
triumph, the defending WAC Northern Division champs lost to Schoharie, 1-0.
“Our goal coming into the year was to get to the sectionals,” said Phillips. “After we got beat by Schoharie, I didn’t think we’d make it, but now, I think we’ll be OK. These guys have shown me something I didn’t know we had.”
Saratoga Catholic 000 000 0 — 0 4 3
Fort Plain 000 122 x — 5 7 2
Baseball: Saratoga Central Catholic Saints keep shining under the lights
Friday, April 24, 2009
By NATE RIDER, The Saratogian
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Coming into Thursday night’s game against Duanesburg, the Saratoga Central Catholic baseball team had outscored its opponents 82-10 and the Eagles saw much of the same, but in a different way.
The Saints took advantage of 16 Duanesburg walks, pounded out 13 hits and broke open a close game by scoring 15 runs in their final three at-bats to rout the Eagles in a key, early-season WAC battle, 18-4, under the lights at Geyser Park.
“We’re very focused at the plate and we don’t swing at bad pitches,” said Spa Catholic coach Phonsey Lambert. “We’ll make you pay if you’re out of the strike zone because we’re pretty solid one through nine.”
Marist-bound Shane Matthews was on base all six times he came to the plate, going 3-for-3 with three walks, scored five times, drove in a pair and was a terror on the bases with four stolen bases, including a swipe of home in the sixth.
“If they keep giving that to me, I’ll keep running,” said Matthews.”
Sophomore Dylan Anderson was a bit shaky on the hill, but settled down as the night went on. The crafty right-hander scattered six hits and worked around five walks while tossing the complete game to help move Spa Catholic’s record to 6-0 all WAC wins.
“Dylan got stronger and stronger as the game went on,” said Lambert. “We just performed.”
Duanesburg (3-2, 4-3)appeared ready to give the Saints a battle by scoring a run in the top of the first on a Ben Brand infield single that scored Ben Lynch. However, the long night for the Eagles would rear its ugly head immediately in the bottom of the inning.
With two outs, Brand walked Matthews, allowed a single to Jack Keller and two more walks, the second of which was to Dale Long, which forced in Matthews to tie the game. Brand would last only 2¤ innings and throw 66 pitches and allow seven walks.
Heading into the bottom of the fourth, the powerful Saints were only up a run at 3-2, however they were only getting started.
“This is a good team that we played,” said Lambert. “It was a heck of a game through four innings then we just turned it on.”
Matthews ripped a one-out single to left field and, after Keller reached on an error, Anderson grounded one into right field to plate Matthews to make it 4-2. A Matt Angelini sacrifice fly and an error later and Spa Catholic had a 6-2 advantage.
“My arm got a little tired towards the end,” said Anderson. “But, I’ll just throw strikes and depend on my defense. Sometimes it could be too many runs because I just want to get out there and get it over, but it’s nice.”
But they weren’t done there.
“I think all of our guys have developed really good patience at the plate,” said Matthews. “We’re just looking for a good pitch to hit … nobody is trying to do too much. That’s important.”
After Anderson surrendered a run in the top of the fifth, the Saints tacked on three more in the bottom of the frame on a Matthews RBI single and a Long two-run single.
Spa Catholic really put things out of reach in the sixth by plating nine runs off of Eagles reliever Dan Gentile, capped off by a long grand slam off the bat of lefty Tucker Carlson to right-center to make it 17-4.
“There’s a couple coaches saying that we are going to be spoilers and I think we just made a statement that we’re not going to be spoilers,” said Matthews.
Carlson finished 2-for-4 with four RBI and two runs while Keller went 2-for-5 with three runs scored and two RBI to go with numerous excellent stops behind the plate. The Saints are now averaging 16.7 runs per game and don’t appear to be slowing down.
URL: http://www.saratogian.com/articles/2009/04/24/sports/doc49f134ea0417c380002244.prt
© 2009 saratogian.com, a Journal Register Property
Spring Training Pays Off as Jeremy Furey Pitches a No- Hitter vs. Mayfield!
2009 Saints Spend Spring Training at Disney's Wide World of Sports Saints Make a Solid Impression on Opening Day   (Matthews HR on Opening Day) (McDonough Tows the Rubber)
"Garcia, Long spark Saratoga Catholic" Sunday, April 12, 2009 (The Daily Gazette) ST. JOHNSVILLE — Christian Garcia hit a two-run home run, and Dale Long picked up his first varsity win as Saratoga Catholic downed St. Johnsville, 10-4, in a Western Athletic Conference baseball game Saturday. Garcia also had a single, and Shane Matthews went 3-for-4 with an RBI to back Long, a sophomore who gave up four hits and two runs while striking out four over four innings. The Saints (3-0, 3-0) went up, 9-2, with a six-run fifth-inning outburst. Scott Jaikens went 2-for-2 with an RBI for St. Johnsville (0-3, 0-3).
H.S. baseball: Saints open season with smashing debut Friday, April 3, 2009 By SAM HOLLINGSWORTH, The Saratogian GALWAY - With the sun shining and not a cloud in the sky, it was a beautiful day to open the spring baseball season at Galway High School. It was a little more beautiful of a day for Saratoga Central Catholic than Galway, though. The Saints drilled the Eagles, 19-3, in both teams’ season openers Thursday afternoon, racking up 18 hits and taking control early in the game with a 14-1 lead after just two innings. "For our first game, we were swinging the bats very well," Saratoga Catholic coach Phonsey Lambert said. "Our pitchers pitched well, too, and we seemed to be able to hit up and down the order, so that’s real good for the confidence of our hitters early on." Behind the five stellar innings of pitching by Billy McDonough, who had nine strikeouts and just one walk, the Saints used their big bats to take control and made a statement in the process. After the game’s first two bat ters, McDonough and Danny O’Rourke, ripped base hits then grabbed extra bases on a bad throw to first, the Marist-bound Shane Matthews stepped up and creamed a three-run shot deep over the centerfield fence. Jack Keller tacked on another run and the sides retired with the Saints already on the board with four runs. "I think it was extremely important (for us to get the early lead)," McDonough said. "With all the things that have been said (about other teams) ... just getting this first win off the bat is so good. We’re pumped for the season." Galway didn’t shy away though, and Justin Smith was able to answer with a dinger of his own in the first with the second Eagle at-bat. The Eagles wouldn’t score again until the sixth inning, though. "I expected them to be that good, but I expected us to hit better," Galway coach Joe Migdal said. "It’s their fifth time out in the field playing a game, it’s only our first time out in the field playing a game." And it showed. Led by Dale Long, who went 4-for-6 with four RBI on four singles, the Saints had plenty of hot bats to keep the Eagles down. Keller also drove in four runs on 3-for-4 batting and a home run of his own, while Matthews added insult to injury with five RBI and his homer. "I told the guys before the game started, ‘We’ve got to get out in front early and throttle this team to make a statement,’" Matthews said. "It couldn’t get any better than this, and hopefully we continue to play this way throughout the season." "We had a good turnout and that just starts the season out the right way," Long added. As long as the warm weather keeps up, the Saints expect to stay primed for success. They host Albany Academy for a scrimmage today, then head to St. Johnsville Saturday for the second game of the season. "This is the first time in my career, in 22 years, that we’ve been able to get three scrimmages and a game in before April 2, so I’m delighted about that," Lambert said. "I’m real excited. … We’re just taking it one inning at a time, not one game at a time." So far the plan seems to working. The Eagles, on the other hand, hope not to get in too deep of a hole in the beginning of the season, taking on three Section II powerhouses in their first three games. Next up for Galway is Fonda, followed by Fort Plain. "It’s the three-headed monster," Migdal said after the game. The Eagles know there are improvements to be made, although the team appeared to match up well with Saratoga Catholic after the first two run-heavy innings. They said after the game they are more than ready to improve in the needed areas. For the Saints, they just want to keep the momentum going. "I’m just looking forward to Saturday against St. Johnsville," Lambert said. URL: http://www.saratogian.com/articles/2009/04/03/sports/doc49d5809a0433e913788693.prt© 2009 saratogian.com, a Journal Register Property Daily Gazette article Friday, April 3, 2009 http://www.dailygazette.com/See HTML Version of article
Matthews’ HR triggers Saints’ win
GALWAY — Shane Matthews blasted a three-run home run in the first inning and went on to drive in five runs on the day, leading Saratoga Central Catholic past Galway, 19-3, Thursday in a Western Athletic Conference baseball game. Matthews also scored four runs as the Saints opened their season by banging out 18 base hits. Jack Keller went 3-for-4 with a solo homer and four RBI, and Dale Long added four hits and four runs batted in.
Shane Matthews signs National Letter of Intent 11-12-08
Matthews signs NLI with Marist (some excerpts from the article) Thursday, November 13, 2008 1:44 PM EST By BRENDAN O'MEARA SARATOGA SPRINGS — While it has been known for a while that Saratoga Central Catholic senior center fielder Shane Matthews was going to Marist College to play baseball, Wednesday afternoon he was finally able to put the ink to the paper and officially sign his national letter of intent. Wearing a white hooded Marist sweatshirt with red block letters stitched to the front, Matthews signed his name, “What time is it?” he said, having to pen the actual time he signed..... Ever since Matthews suited up in the Spa Catholic purple and gold three years ago as a freshman, he always had his sights on playing at the next level. Now he stands on the doorstep of that goal, ready to play Division I baseball for the Red Foxes. Being recruited by Siena and other schools in the south, it was what Healy said to Matthews that sold him. “I’m not going to recruit guys that don’t want to get drafted,” Matthews recalled Healy saying. “I said, ‘This is the kind of guy I can see myself playing for.’” Oddly enough, a few seasons ago, Healy — a long time friend of Spa Catholic head baseball coach Phonsey Lambert — caught Matthews on an off day. “I think coach Healy, the first time he saw me, it was Opening Day against Duanesburg,” Matthews recalled, “I went 0-for-3, two strikeouts and I dropped a fly ball. Three days later I heard the Marist coach was there. I thought I threw that one out the window.” “He was playing very tight that game,” Lambert said. “He wants to be the guy to do the job, he wants to help his team. He struck out, he dropped a fly ball. He had an uncharacteristically bad game. Dennis knows athletes and players and he wants to see how you handle yourself.” So Matthews, according to Lambert, did not kick any helmets or throw bats, he grabbed his glove and sprinted out to center field. When the inning was over he sprinted back to the dugout to get ready to enter the batter’s box. “That’s typical Shane,” Lambert said. Matthews led the 20-6 Saints in 2008 by hitting .518 with 13 doubles, two triples and three home runs, driving 37 runs while being named The Saratogian’s Co-Player of the Year. So entering his senior season knowing where he will play in September of 2009 was welcome news. “It’s a huge weight off my back,” Matthews said. “I can go out my senior year and not worry who’s there or who’s watching me, and just go out there and play. I won’t see the coach in the stands and put pressure on myself — that never worked out. I don’t have to play to impress anybody, just play.” With a textbook swing and the speed and quickness to cover ground between the poles, Matthews should make welcome contributions to Healy’s squad. “One of the things with Shane is that he’s extremely coachable,” Lambert said. “He can be a great player, but he’s a better person than he is a player. He looks you in the eye when he talks to you. Marist is getting an excellent player.” (Some excerpts from the Post Star): Matthews makes it official with Marist By Tim McManus tmcmanus@poststar.comWednesday, November 12, 2008 11:03 PM EST SARATOGA SPRINGS -- Had you shown Shane Matthews this scene six months ago, he wouldn’t have believed you. Wouldn’t have believed that he’d be sitting in a tiny room in the basement of Saratoga Catholic on Wednesday, wearing a Marist sweatshirt and signing his intent to play Division I baseball there. No, he’d have said that’s impossible. Not after the way he played at Duanesburg in the opener last season, the first time Marist coach Dennis Healy saw him play. Matthews calls it “probably the worst game of my life.” He went 0-for-3, striking out all three times, and dropping a fly ball for good measure. When his coaches told him Healy was standing behind the backstop, Matthews thought, ‘OK, I just threw that one out the window.’ “Funny how things work out that way,” he said Tuesday, moments after making his college plans official. Matthews may not have played well that day, but Spa Catholic coach Phonsey Lambert said he made an impression nonetheless. “A good college baseball coach isn’t going to evaluate you on if you struck out or if you dropped a fly ball,” Lambert said. “He wants to see how you handle yourself. And in that particular game it was typical Shane. He didn’t put his head down. He didn’t kick bats and throw his glove. He got his glove and ran out as hard as he could to his position. That’s what a true athlete does.” The game was a rare blip in what was otherwise a stellar season for the center fielder from Ballston Spa. Matthews hit .518 in 85 at bats, driving in 37 runs. Matthews and his family crisscrossed the country visiting colleges, going as far as Texas and North Carolina, but Siena emerged as the leading contender after making an offer. Unusual circumstances opened the door for Marist. Matthews played with a summer team based out of Westchester County that traveled to showcase tournaments around the country. Because of those commitments, the coach of the Adirondack Empire State Games team hadn’t seen him play and wasn’t going to include him on the roster. After some convincing, and an opportune rain out that allowed the coach to see him play, Matthews made the team. He played well at the Games, helping Adirondack to a silver medal and catching the eye, again, of the Marist coaches. He went for a visit and was struck immediately by Healy, also a Ballston Spa native. Matthews liked that Healy is a young coach — he played his college ball at George Washington between 1993-1996. “One thing he said that really sold me was, ‘I’m not going to recruit guys who don’t want to get drafted. I want guys that want to play pro ball after college,’ ” Matthews said. “I thought, ‘This is the kind of guy I could see myself playing for.’ ” .....
2008 Western Athletic Conference All-Star Recipients:
 #30 - Division 1 Marist-bound, Shane Matthews-CF'09 Under-Armour Pre-Season All American '08 All- State selection '08 Co-Player of the Year--Saratogian '08 1st Team All- Area OF- Times Union '08 1st Team - Post Star '08 Empire State Games-Silver Medal '08 All-Conference Outfielder '08 Team MVP Award  #17- Billy McDonough-SS/P '08 All-Conference- Pitcher  #4- Danny O'Rourke-2B '08 All-Conference-Second Base  #12- Matt Angelini-3B '08 All-Conference-Third Base '08 Most Improved Player Award '08 Post Star- Honorable Mention  #39-Jack Keller-C '08 All-Conference-Catcher
For more detailed information about the players you're welcome to visit their profiles.
The Winning Tradition under Coach Alphonse Lambert continues...
2009 should prove to be a phenomenal year. |
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