Park baseball caps its run to the MIAA C championship

by Derek Toney

Every spring high school athletic team wants to be at their best in May. 

Just ask Park School baseball. The Bruins captured the MIAA C Conference championship with a 9-2 win over St. Frances at Joe Cannon Stadium in Harmans.

Sophomore Jack Rogers drove in two runs and pitched a complete game 1-hitter, and Dylan Katz went 2-for-3 with a RBI for the Bruins, who repeated as league champs with a second straight clean run through the double-elimination bracket.

Park (16-4 overall) is 13-0, including playoffs, the last two Mays. 

Last year, the Bruins defeated Pallotti in extra innings at Joe Cannon Stadium to clinch their first MIAA baseball crown.

“I’m appreciative of our staff, our athletic administration and of all 20 guys and the work they put in,” said Park coach Chris Hagan. “These kids came to practice everyday and did what we  asked them to do and fought through adversity.”

Trailing after the opening inning, Park went ahead with a 3-run fourth inning and added four more in the sixth. Seniors Alec Abel, Jack Cohen and Max Rogers and freshman Josh Downs each drove in a run.

Abel (leftfield), Jack and Max Roberts (third base) and junior catcher Owen Cyr were starters last spring.

“We weren’t having as much success…we got a new coaching staff, a lot of freshmen who are now sophomores,” said Jack Rogers. “We’ve built a winning program.”

Jack Rogers struck out nine and walked four Sunday. The lone hit he allowed was to St. Frances’ leadoff hitter Joseph Cooper to start the game. Cooper would score on Mason Hodges’ fly out to right centerfield.

Jack Rogers was a big reason Park repeated as MIAA C Conference baseball champions Sunday afternoon. The sophomore had two hits, including a 2-run triple, and struck out nine in a one-hit complete game effort on the mound in the Bruins’ 9-2 win over St. Frances at Joe Cannon Stadium. (Derek Toney

Jack Rogers retired 12 batters (seven via strikeout) in a row after Cooper’s hit. He had an opposite field triple in the sixth, scoring Katz and sophomore Issac Shapiro.

Hagan said Bruins recalibrate after a loss to Key School Apr. 30.

“Guys kind of got complacent, they fell into a rhythm of thinking certain things,” said Hagan, “and that humbled us and got us refocused to get back where we needed to be.”

Cooper scored St. Frances’ other run in the sixth, getting a walk, stole second and third. He scored when third base was uncovered and Cyr’s throw went into left field.

The Panthers (12-6), who lost to Park Monday, defeated Key and Beth Tfiloh to emerge from the loser’s bracket. 

“This group of kids we assembled last year and had a good outlook for the future,” said St. Frances coach Michael Owens. “We felt like we had an opportunity to go deep in the playoffs.”

The Bruins are bullish about their future with Sunday’s starters Cyr, Jack Rogers, Katz (second base), Shapiro (left field) and Josh Downs (right field) returning next spring among 13 letter-winners.

“We’ve won two championships,” said Jack Rogers, ”but you still haven’t seen the best of Park yet.”