CLIFTON PARK — The run made by the 2016 Shenendehowa baseball team in winning the Class AA state title that spring captivated many throughout the Clifton Park athletic community. Two fifth graders at that time remember it well. Nino Salati and Brendan Shields are now two senior pitchers looking to duplicate what that team accomplished seven years ago, led by pitcher Ian Anderson.
“Yeah, I watched Ian pitch at ‘The Joe’ in 2016. I idolized those guys and dreamt of playing on this stage back then,” Salati said.
“I used to go to all of the games at ‘The Joe.’ It is kind of cool that we played on the same field a few weeks ago,” Shields said. “It has always been a goal of mine to play for Shen and to do it with these teammates that I have played with for a while. It has been pretty special.”
Salati and Shields are two of the vital components to a pitching staff that has produced a glossy 1.66 earned-run average over 177 innings of work. The Plainsmen (19-6) look to reach the program’s first state title since winning it all in 2016 on Friday when they take on Section XI champion Commack (23-2) at Morabito Stadium in Binghamton. Game time is 5 p.m.
Shenendehowa dropped a fourth straight contest against rival Saratoga Springs in the first game of the best-of-3 Section II Class AA title series, but rebounded to take the next two games to secure the championship at Bruno Stadium. Last week, the Plainsmen edged Liverpool 6-5 in state quarterfinal action at Onondaga Community College.
“Saratoga is a well-coached team with really good personnel and they have Michael Mack, who was the Pitcher of the Year in the league,” Shenendehowa coach Greg Christodulu said. “We overcame a lot to win that series and I think that hardened our group and gave them more belief in what we are doing.”
“That series was a grind. We are battle tested and ready to go,” Salati said.
Salati tops the staff…
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