Posted: May 11, 2022

Spartans to Host Lakers in Region III Playoffs

The Spartans will host Finger Lakes CC in the opening round of the Region III playoffs on Saturday.

After a regular season in which they set the program record for wins, Cayuga Community College Baseball will host an opening round series in the NJCAA Region III playoffs this weekend.

The Spartans will host Finger Lakes Community College in a best-of-three series in the Region III Sub-Regionals, with two games scheduled for Saturday, May 14, at Falcon Park. First pitch of the opening game is slated for 1 p.m., with the second game tentatively scheduled for a 4 p.m. start. A deciding third game, if necessary, will be Sunday at Falcon Park.

The winner of the series will move on to the Region III tournament, scheduled to start May 19 at host site Herkimer College.

Cayuga enters the postseason coming off a 26-10 regular season and a 17-7 divisional mark, which earned them a second-place finish in the Region III East Division. The postseason matchup will be a rematch of the opening series of the season for Cayuga, which saw the Spartans capture both halves of a home doubleheader against the Lakers by scores of 5-2 and 11-1.

The Spartans feature a dynamic lineup that batted .376 on the season and averaged more than 10 runs per game. First baseman Hazel Martinez led all NJCAA Division III players with a .564 average and a 1.060 slugging percentage, and led Cayuga with 10 homers, 60 RBI and 51 runs.

Nine Spartans batted at least .350 on the season, including right fielder Michael Norton, who finished second on the team with three homers and 37 RBI. Aiden Driscoll-Sadusky, Fernando Espinal and Tyler Korsky each batted over .330 and knocked in at least 30 runs on the season, with Espinal leading the team with 17 stolen bases.

On the mound for Cayuga, Greg Osterhout led the team with four wins this season, and Austin Doyle-Miller and Keegan Ferris each finished with three wins.

The Lakers finished third in Region III's West Division with an overall record of 34-18 and a 19-9 division record. At the plate the Lakers are led by Tyler Cerame (.375 average) and Ryan Smith (.364 average), and on the mound by Michael Protz (5-1, 1.29 ERA) and Devin Georgetti (6-3, 1.55 ERA).

The series with the Lakers marks the second straight season Cayuga has hosted in the opening round, with the Spartans losing at home in the 2021 postseason to Erie Community College.