PHILADELPHIA CATHOLIC LEAGUE:
Heading into Monday’s regular-season finale of Catholic League baseball, five teams were tied for first place with 8-3 records, and two others were one game out at 7-4.
Talk about parity.
After victories by St. Joseph’s Prep (3-2 over Archbishop Wood), Neumann-Goretti (9-0 over Roman Catholic), and Archbishop Carroll (2-1 over Father Judge), and losses by both Wood and La Salle (2-1 to Cardinal O’Hara), a three-way logjam necessitated tie-breaking procedures, made even more complicated since the Prep, Neumann-Goretti, and Archbishop Carroll had each gone 1-1 against each other and each team had defeated fourth-place La Salle.
And then? St. Joseph’s Prep and Neumann-Goretti had both defeated fifth-place Archbishop Wood, but Carroll had lost to the Vikings. That left the Prep and N-G, and since the Hawks had defeated the Saints, that supplied St. Joseph’s Prep with the regular-season title.
SJP ends regular season in 1st with 9-3 record while Roman finishes 10th with 4-8 record - PSD photo
Archbishop Ryan ends season as a 6th seed with 8-4 PCL record while MBAP finishes 9th with 4-8 record - PSD photo
Neumann-Goretti placed second, and Carroll third. They will join La Salle, Wood, and sixth-place Archbishop Ryan with first-round byes. Meanwhile, a pair of first-round games on May 20 will pit 10th-seed Roman Catholic against seventh-seed Father Judge and ninth-seed Boner-Prendergast versus eighth-seed Cardinal O’Hara. About two hours later, the winners of those two contests will meet Neumann-Goretti and St. Joseph’s Prep, respectively.
Various players were asked to explain why this regular season was particularly claustrophobic.
“Every team in the league is very good, but they are also very beatable,” said Father Judge senior Christian Lutz. “Also, that is why it is the best league in the area, because it is so unpredictable and anything can happen at any given time.”
Archbishop Wood senior Kody Cracknell stressed that no team can look past another, regardless of where it sits in the standings.
“I think the whole league is competitive and has been all year,” said Cracknell. “Every game matters in this league and every team knows that. In my opinion, anyone can beat anyone in this league, and it really comes down to playing the game and wanting to win.”
According to St. Joseph’s Prep senior Colin Scanlon, this year’s standings represents more than just baseball.
“The Catholic League for most sports is very even skill wise,” he said. “It has such a good reputation for its competition, so everyone comes out with intensity every game.
“The Catholic League always seems to be pretty even for the best teams. It's hard to even predict a team to win it. That's why everyone comes out with the intention to beat the other team by 10. When every team is playing their best, it's hard for one to break away from every other team.”
La Salle junior Andrew Cossetti pointed out that baseball’s peculiarities make it different than other sports.
“Baseball is a weird game,” said Cossetti. “Anybody can win on any given day. Some days the bats are alive, and other days they aren't. The same goes with pitching. Baseball is unpredictable. The best team doesn't always win. Often times, it's the team that wants it more.
“With the playoffs just around the corner, you'll start to see which teams want it more because they will be the teams that prevail in the end.”
2017 PCL Baseball Gallery
Archbishop Carroll senior James Kelly has noticed a trend.
“The top teams have been equal for a good amount of time this year because if you look at our schedules, we have all started a win streak after a big loss,” said Kelly. “So maybe the big game losses are wake-up calls that make us work harder and make us want to win no matter what. All of the top teams have strong programs and we know what it takes to win.”
Kelly’s sophomore teammate, Tyler Kehoe, agreed.
“The league this year from the start has been up for grabs,” said Kehoe. “Everyone is pretty even as far as pitching and offense. I think it's going to be a great playoff, but there are a few teams that will be very hard to beat, including us.”
Prep senior Pat Woltemate, who earned the victory with two innings of pitching in the Prep’s win over Wood, noticed from the beginning that not much separates the top contenders.
“I think everyone just came out hungry this year,” said Woltemate. “It's close every year, but this was a great year to be a part of the Catholic League. I haven't been a part of anything so close before, but I think that's what makes this league so great to play in.”
Carroll senior Kevin Downs offered a “combination” theory.
“Every team has one or two great arms, so anybody can beat anybody depending on who's on the mound,” said Downs. “The Catholic League, like most years, is very strong. Every team is competitive and plays a full seven, so there are no freebie games.”
Among the teams that began slowly before coming on strong was Neumann-Goretti. The Saints couldn’t do much right early in league play, losing their first two games, but an eight-game victory streak served notice that the defending champions won’t surrender their crown without a fight.
“Everyone on this team has played a huge role and stepped up for us, especially the underclassmen,” said senior Jared Healey, who scored four runs in NG’s latest win. “The biggest strength on our team is the bond and trust we have between our guys.”
(John Knebels can be reached at jknebels@gmail.com or on twitter @Johnknebels.)
Tag(s): Home Schools Philadelphia Catholic Baseball Philadelphia Catholic League Arch. Carroll Baseball Arch. Ryan Baseball Arch. Wood Baseball Bishop McDevitt Baseball Bonner & Prendie Baseball Cardinal O'Hara Baseball Conwell-Egan Baseball Father Judge Baseball La Salle Baseball Lansdale Cath. Baseball Roman Catholic Baseball Saint Joseph's Prep Baseball Neumann/Goretti Baseball West Catholic Baseball