They walked in as defending champs and walked out as back-to-back champs. The Bay Ridge Prep Tigers, for the second year in a row, are the Private School Athletic Association (PSAA) Varsity Baseball Champions. The newest title comes after a win over Manhattan’s Grace Church School on May 20 at Coney Island’s MCU Park.
The two-hit 6-0 shutout, pitched by game MVP Jacob Bassil ’16 who threw 70 pitches and struck out eight batters, showcased the winning teamwork, grace and camaraderie that have become a tradition among Bay Ridge Prep student-athletes.
Game highlights included Gabriel Bassil ’15 keeping the Tigers’ lead secure with a homerun and three RBIs; John Walsh ’15 making two incredible deep catches in left field in the fourth and sixth innings; and Max Poret ’15 with a sacrifice fly in the first inning followed by a single with a stolen base in the third inning and two steals and a run scored in the sixth inning.
The play of the game belonged to Brandon Warnock ’17 who, in the top of the fifth inning with bases loaded and two outs, ran down a ball that was hit right up the middle and succeeded in tagging second base with the ball in glove. The play stopped two potential runs for Grace Church and put a quick end to an inning that could have swayed the game’s momentum away from Bay Ridge Prep.
Remarking on the second consecutive championship season, Bay Ridge Prep Athletic Director and Head Baseball Coach Tony Campbell said it was the “continuation of a great season from last year” when the Tigers first brought home the league crown.
“This team is made up of grounded and focused players who understood the impact of every game and took every game as though as if it was our last,” Coach Campbell said. “We are making a name for ourselves and are building a legacy where players, students, families and friends are here to support us and be part of our success.”
More honors for the Tigers came just the night before the big championship win when the PSAA named Jack Baker ’16, Gabriel Bassil ’15, Jacob Bassil ’16 and Brandon Warnock ’17 to the PSAA All Conference Team for the 2015 regular season. Max Poret ’15 also received an honorable mention from the PSAA.
The championship win capped a season that saw Bay Ridge Prep emerge as one of just 11 schools in all of New York State to become eligible to compete in the elite New York State Association of Independent Schools (NYSAIS) Baseball Tournament. While the Varsity Baseball Tigers ended their run for a NYSAIS title in the first round of the tournament, they are recognized as the first team in school history to make it to such a prestigious athletic competition. Now, with another PSAA Varsity Baseball Championship under their belts, they make school history again as the only team to take home a league title two years in a row.
Developing the whole student since 1998, Bay Ridge Prep is an independent, K-12 college preparatory school offering a strong academic program in a student-centered community that values the unique talents and learning styles of each person.
Photos courtesy of Bay Ridge Prep
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