COLLEGE BASEBALL: Keystone, Lackawanna set for postseason
May 19—To put the Keystone College baseball team's 18-year conference winning streak into perspective, consider this:
Sixteen players in the program had yet to celebrate their second birthday when it began in May 2005. Three of those players had yet to turn 1 year old.
The Giants extended their streak when they defeated Wilson College last weekend to capture the Colonial States Athletic Conference championship. It is their 14th straight CSAC title; the first four championships in the streak came in the North East Athletic Conference from 2005-08.
With the conference championship came an automatic berth to the NCAA Division III tournament. Keystone (30-12) begins regional play Friday at 10 a.m. against Salve Regina University (37-8-1) at Misericordia University's Tambur Field in Dallas. Misericordia (33-12) faces Washington & Jefferson College (31-12) at 1:30 p.m. in the second game of the double-elimination event.
"To most people it's just a number. Eighteen years is a long damn time," Keystone coach Jamie Shevchik said. "I know it has to end at some point; that'll be the bigger story when it does. But I feel like everybody is like, 'It's just another one, just another one, just another one.' But there is pressure."
Indeed, Shevchik is torn. Part of him wants to see it end because the talk about extending it next season already has begun. But the competitor in him says go for No. 19.
He added it is difficult, too, to explain to the incoming players every year the magnitude of the streak.
"They haven't been here for 18 years. A lot of our freshmen recruiting class for next year, they weren't even born yet when it happened," Shevchik said. "I think they're motivated by not wanting to be the first team to break the streak rather than continuing the streak."
There is no way to tell where Keystone's streak ranks historically. The NCAA responded in an email that it does not track conference records or streaks, nor is there any way to research such a record. According to The College of New Jersey's athletic website, the school's women's tennis team recently won its 40th consecutive New Jersey Athletic Conference championship and claims to be the longest known conference title streak in the nation, at any level and for any sport.
For now, the Giants can put aside the streak. Nothing they do from here on out can affect it. They can just play and try to advance to the super regionals with the ultimate goal of making it to the NCAA Division III World Series on June 2-8 at Perfect Game Field at Veterans Memorial Stadium in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
Keystone heads into regionals having won 13 of its last 14 games and 20 of its last 22.
Shevchik admits there are some seasons that are such a grind that there is a sense of relief when the final out is made.
That is not the case this season.
"This year's team, I don't want this year to end," he said. "Every once in a while, you get a group of guys that you want to keep going and keep going. They motivate you to be on the field every day. This year is just a really great group of kids that never want to stop working. That pushes our coaching staff harder. I can't wait to get to work, to get to the field every day. That doesn't happen every single year.
"I love this team and want to be around them. I want to see them go as far as they can."
NJCAA East District
Lackawanna College also begins its quest to reach the World Series on Friday, hosting the four-team NJCAA Division II East District tournament. The Region 19 champion Falcons (35-15) open against UConn-Avery Point (27-9) from Region 21 at 11 a.m. at Scranton High School. The other game features Region 19 runner-up Delaware Tech (32-19) against Region 15 champion SUNY-Sullivan (21-17) at 11 a.m. at Penn State-Scranton. If Lackawanna wins, it will play the winner of the other game at 3 p.m. at Scranton High School. If Lackawanna loses, it will play an elimination game at 3 p.m. at Scranton High.
"It's an awesome opportunity to host the district tournament because you earned the right to do so," Lackawanna coach Michael McGarry said. "We love bringing our baseball team locally to fans and our college community. We feel we can best represent the values of the university with how we play."
The Falcons have won 17 of their last 19 games. Among their leaders are freshman Michael Miller, who ranks 13th in NJCAA Division III in batting at .450 (54 for 120) with nine home runs and 41 RBIs; sophomore and North Pocono graduate Zach Walsh, who is batting .372 (55 for 148) and leads the nation in stolen bases with 50 in 52 attempts; and sophomore righthander Kyle Scott (7-2, 3.77 ERA), who ranks fifth in the nation in strikeouts with 92.
"We're very well-rounded and can adapt to a game in any way that presents itself," McGarry said. "We've got good enough pitching, good enough base running, good enough fielding and good enough hitting to adapt to what the game needs and be able to find our way through it."
Lackawanna and Avery Point split four meetings during the regular season. The Pointers are strong on the mound, ranking fifth in NJCAA Division II in team earned-run average at 3.45.
"They can really pitch and they're well-coached. On any given day they can shut somebody down," McGarry said. "There's a compatibility between the two teams that really matches up. Them with more pitching and defense, us with more offense and speed. It makes for an interesting matchup."
The winner of the East District advances to NJCAA Division II World Series on May 27-June 3 at David Allen Memorial Ballpark in Enid, Oklahoma.
NCAA DIVISION III REGIONALS
Keystone Giants (30-12) vs. Salve Regina Seahawks (37-8-1)
When: Friday, 10 a.m.
Where: Tambur Field, Misericordia University
How they got here: Keystone earned an automatic berth by winning the Colonial States Athletic Conference title. Salve Regina received an at-large bid after losing in the Commonwealth Coast Conference tournament final to Endicott College, 1-0.
Players to watch: Keystone — SO Griffin Yastremski (.417, 9 HR, 39 RBIs); freshman Justin Mann (.441, 30 for 68); JR Giovanni Diaz (.361, 9 HR, 45 RBIs); SO Robert Estrada (.397, 54 H, 4 HR, 28 RBIs); SR Nathan Hinkley (7-0, 3.83 ERA); SR Brayan Villar (7-1, 5.84, 53K).
Salve Regina — SO Christian Homa (.469, 68 for 145, 5 HRs, 55 RBIs); SR Matt D'Amato (.390, 53 R, 32 RBIs); JR Brayden Clark (9-2, 3.01 ERA, 85K).
The buzz: Keystone is making its 16th NCAA appearance. The Giants reached the Division III World Series in 2011 and 2016, finishing as national runnerup that year. ... Mann was named CSAC Rookie of the Year. Yastremski and JR Bobby Pokorney were first-team all-star selections. Diaz and Estrada were second-team selections along SR Jordan Art and FR Tyler Mullen, both pitchers and Lakeland graduates. Hinkley, Villar and SO Josh Parks were honorable mentions. ... Giants head coach Jamie Shevchik, in his 22nd season, won his 700th career game in the first round of the CSAC playoffs (702-244). ... Salve Regina is making its eighth NCAA appearance. ... Seahawks head coach Eric Cirella is in his ninth season as head coach at his alma mater and has a career record of 254-122-6. ... Homa, D'Amato, Clark and SO Jason Arrigo were selected first-team Commonwealth Coast Conference all-stars, while FR pitcher Sean Mulligan was named the league's Rookie of the Year.
Other teams: Misericordia University (33-12) and Washington & Jefferson College (31-12) also are participating in the regional. Misericordia earned an at-large bid out of the MAC Freedom Conference and is making its 11th NCAA appearance. Washington & Jefferson won the Presidents Athletic Conference championship for the fourth straight season and is making its 10th NCAA appearance.
— SCOTT WALSH
NJCAA DIVISION II EAST DISTRICT
Lackawanna Falcons (35-15) vs. UConn-Avery Point Pointers (27-9)
When: Friday, 11 a.m.
Where: Scranton High School
How they got here: Lackawanna won the Region 19 championship. Avery Point, from Region 21, swept Monroe Community College of Region 3 in the best-of-3 subdistrict series.
Players to watch: Lackawanna — FR Michael Miller (.450, 9 HR, 41 RBIs); SO Zach Walsh (.372, 7 HR, 36 RBIs, 64 R, 50-52 SB); SO Ian Murphy (.367, 6 HR, 58 RBIs); SO Christian Rush (.351, 9 HR, 55 RBIs, 28-28 SB); SO Kyle Scott (7-2, 3.77 ERA, 92 K); SO Aidan Starn (5-2, 4.70, 50 K); FR Ty Morris (6-0, 4.79 ERA, 22 K).
Avery Point — SO Tyler Rice (.356, 4 HR, 29 RBIs); SO Zachary Mascaro (.306, 4 HR, 36 RBIs); FR Keegan Daigle (4-1, 2.30 ERA, 53 K).
The buzz: Lackawanna won the Region 19 title for the third time in five years under head coach Michael McCarry. ... Walsh was named Region 19 Player of the Year. Joining him on the first team are Miller, Murphy and Rush. Scott and FR Brayden D'Amico were second-team selections. ... Walsh leads NJCAA Division II in stolen bases, Miller is 13th in batting average and Scott fifth in strikeouts. ... Avery Point ranks fifth in NJCAA Division II in team earned-run average at 3.45. Individually, Daigle is 13th in the nation in ERA.
Other teams: Delaware Tech (32-19) and SUNY-Sullivan (21-17) are also are participating in the district tournament. Delaware Tech qualified as the Region 19 runnerup. SUNY-Sullivan won the Region 15 championship. The Generals have won seven straight games.
— SCOTT WALSH
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