The regular-season prowess turned in by the top teams in the Suburban Council baseball and softball title races did not translate into sectional success in 2022.
In baseball, the No. 1, 2 and 3 seeds in the Class AA playoffs all lost in the quarterfinals. Eventually, No. 7 seed Saratoga Springs defeated No. 4 seed Shaker by scores of 7-4 and 7-6 to secure the championship in the first best-of-three series. Averill Park, seeded No. 5 in the Class A sectionals, went on to capture the program’s first state championship.
The Saratoga Springs softball team, also a No. 7 seed in the 2022 Class AA sectionals, stunned top-seeded Shenendehowa 6-4 in eight innings to win the title. The Blue Streaks prevailed by knocking off the tournament’s top three seeds to earn the championship.
What will we have in store this season? Perhaps as much unpredictability in the Class AA baseball and softball title races.
With the seeding meetings set for May 16, the fields in the Class AA and A baseball tournaments appear to be up for grabs in terms of both determining the top seeds and what squads will actually emerge as champions.
Saratoga Springs collected its second baseball victory against Shenendehowa this season Friday with a 7-1 verdict behind the superlative pitching from junior ace Michael Mack (6-0). Going into the final week of the regular season, Shenendehowa is atop the league standings at 10-2 and Saratoga Springs is next at 9-3.
There is a group of teams behind the top two in Class AA, teams such as Ballston Spa, Bethlehem, Christian Brothers Academy, Colonie, Guilderland and Shaker, that have all produced quality wins that could be dangerous in the one-game elimination portion of the AA tournament prior to the final.
 “I think it is going to be wide open,” Colonie coach Mike Morrissey said. “You look across the league, teams that got…
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