Queens had one of its best baseball years in a long time.
John Adams advanced to the PSAL Class A semifinals for the first time in seven seasons and Cardozo, despite a quarterfinals exit, was the top seed in the playoffs. Bryant and Newtown had solid campaigns, Long Island City had its first draftee ever (Josh Almonte) and Queens Vocational Tech made the ‘B’ final.
Over in the CHSAA, Archbishop Molloy made the ‘AA’ final four, stunning favorite Xaverian. Holy Cross and St. Francis Prep both made the final 12 and Monsignor McClancy was also a playoff team.
Lauren Marsh
Benjamin Cardozo’s Connor Doyle is The Post’s All-Queens Player of the Year.
Christina Santucci
John Adam’s Glenn Beyer is The Post’s All-Queens Coach of the Year.
All-Queens baseball Player of the Year: Connor Doyle, Cardozo
The difference between Class B and Class A isn’t as wide as some may think, at least Connor Doyle made it seem that way. The Townsend Harris transfer excelled in his first year in the ‘A’ division, leading Cardozo to its second straight undefeated season in Queens A East and its first PSAL Class A quarterfinal berth in many years.
The team’s stopper on the mound with a fastball that reaches the high 80’s, its starting center fielder and one of its top hitters, he did it all for the Judges. Doyle, a Division I prospect in the making, had 19 RBIs, scored 19 runs and went a perfect 5-0 on the mound with 48 strikeouts in 29 innings pitched, nearly a 2-1 ratio.
“Adding Connor to the mix makes everything a lot easier for our team,” Cardozo coach Ron Gorecki said of his dynamic junior.
All-Queens baseball Coach of the Year: Glenn Beyer, John Adams
Self-deprecating and always deferring credit, the longtime John Adams coach would refuse this award if he could. Beyer had nothing to do with the Spartans’ best season in seven years, he said. It’s a testament to the players, he repeated often.
That, of course, is untrue. He deserves plenty of kudos, for getting the most out of a group many felt was the second most talented team in Queens A West in March, for trusting an unproven sophomore – Anderson DeLeon, who would become his MVP – and riding that hot hand.
Adams stunned the city by cruising to another Queens A West crown and getting all the way to the PSAL Class A semifinals – there were some that had the Spartans bowing out in the first round – and knocking off powerhouse Tottenville in the process.
“It’s tremendous – I thought I’d never seen a final four again,” Beyer said after knocking off Tottenvile. “I’m very proud of the boys.”
FIRST TEAM
P/2B Nick Alvarez, Bryant
Bryant fell short of its lofty preseason expectations, finished third in Queens A East and bowed out in the second round of the PSAL Class A playoffs. Alvarez, however, did all he could, on the mound and at the plate. He gained consistency with the bat, knocking in 23 runs and hitting .404, and was also the team’s ace, pitching them to a playoff upset of Lehman in the first round.
