Bryan Brown wants his team to draw inspiration — not overconfidence — from last season.
His Francis Lewis team won the PSAL Queens A-I title, beat Staten Island power Susan Wagner, 7-6, to reach its first PSAL Class A softball semifinals since 2004, but fell 10-0 to eventual champion Tottenville in the final four.
“We were the fourth team that was there last year,” Brown said. “We are the forgotten team. Everyone is still thinking about Tottenville, Madison and Construction. Then it’s like, ‘Who’s that fourth team? Oh yeah, it’s Francis Lewis.'”
The goal is to get back there this year and proved they belonged and not play afraid against the city’s best. Brown just doesn’t want his team thinking about a playoff run while playing in a division that features good Cardozo and Bayside teams.
“You know you lost to the eventual city champ, but you want a better showing,” he said. “We were a better team than what we showed in that game.”
Lewis will try to do so with a similar roster, minus three key seniors. The Patriots return one of the city’s best pitchers in Priscilla Lallave and shortstops in her younger sister Samantha. Priscilla is a gritty windmiller who pitched to a 1.18 ERA in league play and is learning to pitch to contact more and trust her defense. One of its best gloves is Samantha Lallave.
“She’s going to put pressure on the defense with her speed,” Brown said of Samantha Lallave. “With her defense she will makes the plays that are needed and then when you need that special play she will make it.”
The super athletic junior gobbles everything up at short and is the team’s lethal leadoff hitter. She will form a formidable left side of the infield with Bianca Concepcion, who will also hit third. Another Lallave, freshman Selena, will fill in for graduated stalwart catcher Theodora Alexandrou. Amanda Nardo will be at second base as situation hitter Kimberly Chin graduated. Kiara Liberos slides over from right to center in place of Kristen Derop. Neleini Esmeral will be in left.
“If Bianca becomes that type of hitter she was her freshman year where she was really hitting the ball really hard, we can really go on a very special run,” Brown said.
Two years ago it was Cardozo that made a run to the semifinals. A young team grew last season and returns all but leftfielder Jamie Lam. Junior pitcher Shelby Yacovone was one of the key cogs to the Judges’ success. She settled into her role as No. 1 starter and became dominant at times. Daysia Wehder is back at catcher.
“We have a pretty good battery,” coach Larry Alberts said. “That’s half the game in softball.”
Cardozo will also have the bulk of its middle of the order back in Wehder, Krystle Roldan and Kelly Phillips. The junior Roldan, who also plays shortstop, was one of the division’s top hitters with a .571 average and 25 RBIs in just 35 at bats. Alberts expects a big season from Phillips, who made the most of her starting job after being a reserve for two seasons. She will play second or third. Stephanie Stathopoulos is back in center and is a top of the order hitter with Gabriella Valdes.
“They have a lot of confidence from last year,” Alberts said. “They are confident, but definitely not cocky. They know they have a lot of work to do.”
With head coach Steve Piorkowski recovering from cancer and a broken neck, JV coach Maggie Kassimis takes over a young and promising team that came on late at Bayside. The Commodores feature a set of identical twins in the circle with Emily and Heidi Gomez, who has a few more pitches. They will be joined in the battery by Taylor Moy, who can handle the bat well.
“They are very talented,” Kassimis said. “They are very young. If they work really hard and we all start to peak at the right time, I think this could be a special season indeed. ”
Seniors Tiny Faraci and Sarah Ho return at third base and second, respectively. Tara Bernstein is at short and will be the team’s leadoff hitter. Jackie Perno is back in center field. The solid all-around hitter will be in the No. 3 stop in the order.
Kassimis said her time as JV coach has made the transition smooth as her practices have similarities to Piorkowski’s. She is in contact with him every day and the girls are dedicating this season to him.
“He is the heart and soul of this program,” Kassimis said. “He’s built this program over the last 10 to 15 years. Even though he is not there physically, every day we feel his presence.”
Bryant brings back the bulk of its roster from a team that found itself late. The Owls will try to unseat Construction as Queens A-II champs. If that’s going to happen it’s going to start with Tiffany Zecena in the circle. The junior was steady last year, has gotten stronger and added a pitch. Longtime coach Wally Hausdorf has stressed the importance of solidifying the defense behind her.
“It’s just a matter of moving the ball around and keeping it from the sweet part of the bat,” Hausdorf said.
Dynamic leadoff hitter Gabrielle Faustino returns at shortstop. Courtney Serrano will be Zecena’s backup in the circle, bat second and replace the injured Jasmina Hamza, who tore her ACL during volleyball season. Catcher Sarah Temkin returns from a broken hand and has already shown a strong arm behind the plate. She will hit third.
“It’s a solid all-round team,” Hausdorf said. “I’m really expecting to compete with just about anyone.”
Third baseman Arys Vargas will lead a talented Newtown team. Shortstop Arlette Martinez was a key bat along with Vargas in the Pioneers’ order.