BROCKPORT, NY - The Empire 8 Baseball Tournament is on the horizon and the full field of five teams who will battle in Brockport for the title of champion is set. The Pioneers will take part and will look to cause some massive noise over the three-day tournament. The first challenge for the orange and blue contingent is a win-or-go-home war against the Houghton Highlanders in the early hours of Thursday, May 8th. At 8:30 AM tomorrow, the Pioneers will battle Houghton at Brockport, with the winner advancing to the double-elimination portion of the bracket and the loser seeing their season come to a close. Get caught up on the schedule, structure, and storylines of the Empire 8 Championships below:
 
Here is the schedule for this weekend's tournament:
 
(All games will take place at the Clark V. Whited Complex on the campus of SUNY Brockport)
 
Thursday, May 8th
8:30 AM | Wild Card - (4) Utica vs (5) Houghton
12:00 PM | Game 1 - (2) Russell Sage vs (3) St. John Fisher
3:30 PM | Game 2 - (1) SUNY Brockport vs Winner of Wild Card
 
Friday, May 9th
8:30 AM | Game 3 (Elimination) - Loser Game 1 vs Loser Game 2
12:00 PM | Game 4 - Winner Game 1 vs Winner Game 2
3:30 PM | Game 5 (Elimination) - Winner Game 3 vs Loser Game 4
 
Saturday, May 10th
11:00 AM | Game 6 - Winner Game 4 vs Winner Game 5 (If Winner Game 4 is victorious, they will be crowned Empire 8 Champion, if Winner Game 5 wins, there will be a final championship game due to both teams having one loss)
2:30 PM | Game 7 - Winner Game 6 vs Loser Game 6 (if necessary)
 
Below is a diagram of the bracket structure following the initial wild card game:
 
 

Please note that dates and times are subject to change depending on weather and other restrictions. Keep an eye on our social media for updates relating to such occurrences.
 
Streaming Details for the Empire 8 Tournament: You can catch all the action by heading to the "Watch" tab under each matchup on the baseball schedule section of our athletics website or by heading to the links below.
 
Brockport stream link (all games): https://www.empire8network.com/brockport/
 
Follow Along with Live Stats: Follow the links below to view live statistics for this week's slate!
 
Brockport live stat link (all games): https://gobrockport.com/sidearmstats/baseball/summary
Looking for a ticket?: Interested spectators will be able to purchase tickets for each day at the gate! Tickets will allow you to view all the games in a given day. You may be required to purchase additional tickets to watch additional days of games. Tickets will be available with CASH ONLY! Admission is $6.00 for adults and $4.00 for seniors and students with ID. Children under 12 get in free.
 
Touring the Tournament: Its time to take a look at the four other programs that the Pioneers will be facing for the title of Empire 8 Champion this coming weekend.
 
First Hurdle - Houghton: Up first for the orange and blue is a tough Houghton squad. The Highlanders pushed past SUNY Poly in the opening game of the tournament this past Tuesday. In that game, Houghton scored in the first inning but gave up two runs to the Wildcats in the top of the second to trail 2-1. The southern tier squad then replied with two runs of their own in the bottom half of the second to go up 3-2. A three-run sixth inning sealed the deal for Houghton as they eventually won by a 7-3 final. In that matchup, the Highlanders went with their workhorse on the mound, as Ethan Cetton tossed seven productive innings, allowing just two hits and striking out seven batters to achieve his fifth win of the year.
 
With Cetton out of play, the Pioneers will most likely face Christopher Gross, a Junior out of Hancock, New York. Gross threw well in his one appearance vs the Pioneers this season, allowing just a single hit in six innings while striking out 14 orange and blue batters. Gross was backed up by an immense effort, providing more than enough energy on the mound. The Pioneers will look to flip the script early and get to Gross in the early going this time around. On the season, Gross has a 3-1 record, throwing 37 total innings of work and allowing 19 runs while striking out an outrageous 56 batters. Gross has the stuff to produce strikeouts, however, his knockout style has also produced 25 walks, four less than his teammate Cetton who has 20 more innings of work on the year. If the Pioneers can employ patience and discipline, it might open up the door to Gross.
 
Should Gross not get the green light, the other option for Houghton is Kip Bertram. Earlier this season, the Sophomore out of Rochester, New York went 6.2 innings, allowing eight hits and five runs against the Pioneers. Utica hit him well, producing a plethora of base-runners despite only taking two walks. Notably in that appearance, Mike Flint managed to stack up two base hits on Bertram, the only Pioneer to do so. Flint also added a walk, reaching base all three times.
 
On defense, the Pioneers will have their hands full with Kanta Ueno, the Japanese Junior who has put on a hitting clinic in Empire 8 play this season. Ueno has hit for a .471 average, adding two hits, including a double and two runs scored against SUNY Poly on Tuesday. Ueno managed to reach base every time at the plate, setting up Houghton for multiple scores.
 
Along with Ueno, the Highlanders have a host of players who've appeared in 40+ games this season. They also have four other players who have notched at least 30 RBIs each with Nate Hall, Qingyang Feng, Christian Tortorici, and Vincent Lucyszyn all plating at least 30 runs. The former three batters have all posted about a .300 average to boot, with Hall having a .384, Feng having a .375, and Tortorici having a .350. It will most likely be up to the Pioneers primary pitching power Kooper Knabe (Cortland, NY/Cortland) to battle this high-powered Highlander lineup.
 
In Knabe's only appearance this year against the Highlanders, he went 4.2 innings, allowing six hits but just two earned runs. Knabe struck out three Highlander batters and held the fort for Connor Ford (Swedesboro, NJ/Kingsway Regional) and Peyton Newton (Weedsport, NY/Weedsport) who each had great appearances in relieve to snag an 8-5 win in game one of their regular season series. With the game being of the elimination variety, expect Ford and Newton to make appearances when needed. Newton got the win in that mid-April contest, pitching three innings and allowing just three hits and a single run to improve his record to 4-0.
 
That game will get underway at 8:30 AM with the winner advancing to play Brockport later in the day.
 
Waiting in the Wings - Brockport: The winner of Thursday's wild card will advance to the first round of the double elimination bracket which will begin at 3:30 PM later that day. The hosts, Brockport, will be waiting to battle whoever should emerge from the initial elimination game.
 
If the Pioneers fight for the right to face the hosts, they will most likely see Zach Eldred on the bump for the Thursday afternoon throwdown. The Golden Eagles all-around juggernaut has been the number two guy for the nationally ranked squad all season. Eldred threw in game one of this past weekend's series between the Golden Eagles and the Pioneers. Brockport may have used that first game as a simulation of an impending first round matchup between the Pioneers and themselves. If this is the case, Utica will have to crack the code once again against Eldred.
 
Eldred, the East Greenbush native has posted a 2.13 ERA in his 55 innings. He has started in each of his 11 appearances, allowing 13 earned runs while striking out 60 batters this season. He has been a perplexing puzzle for opposing batters to face, however, the Pioneers managed to put some pressure on the Brockport pitcher this past weekend. In the series opener, Utica knocked Eldred out after three innings and three earned runs, tagging up the all-star for four hits and drawing a walk to take an early lead. This prompted Brockport to pull their starter and look to the services on Nick Ianniello. If the Pioneers can mirror some of their success against Eldred from that game, they will be in great shape.
 
The Golden Eagles have a gang of relievers, turning to Ianniello for three innings in that game this past weekend despite the Senior tossing just 14 innings all year before that.
 
Other possible starters include Angelo Agro (2.83 ERA, 35 IP, 11 ER, 32 K's) and even the Golden Eagle ace Anthony Lapine (1.37 ERA, 59 IP, 9 ER, 70 K's).
 
On offense, Eldred leads the way, posting a .443 average including 66 hits, 68 RBIs, and a program record 18 home runs. Eldred has a long but powerful swing, encountering some adversity on low inside pitches due to his long frame but thumping the ball in all other corners. He has a team-high 27 strikeouts on the season, potentially displaying a chink in the armor of the Golden Eagles' all-star who's had by all means an all-time season.
 
Kyle Blake and Jason Story (Hilton, NY/Hilton) also supply some pop to a lineup that's produced 41 home runs on the season.
 
Houghton and Brockport are the only possible opponents for Utica on Thursday.
 
The Other Side - Russell Sage and St. John Fisher: If the Pioneers advance to Friday, they will face either Russell Sage or St. John Fisher, with the pitching projections becoming a little murky as the tournament rolls on.
 
Whichever team the Pioneers would face will be contending in their second game, eliminating one possible starter from the rotation. Anything could happen in the first round game between Sage and Fisher, although an ace duel would take both top guys out of the equation for the ensuing matchup with Utica.
 
For Sage, this would mean scratching Joe DeGroot (3.77 ERA, 57.1 IP, 24 ER, 26 K's) from the list of possible pitchers. DeGroot isn't a dynamic dueler, possessing only 26 strikeouts in his 57.1 innings on the mound. The Graduate Student is adept at fooling batters and creating non-constructive contact, taking advantage of an excellent defense behind him to shut down opposing teams. DeGroot has also allowed just 17 free passes, showing good control.
 
This would open up the potential for the Pioneers to see either Xavier Gardia (4.23 ERA, 44.2 IP, 21 ER, 65 K's) or Evan Grimes (5.08 ERA, 44.1 ERA, 25 ER, 47 K's). Both pitchers have tricky stuff, striking out lots of batters, especially Garcia who strikes out 13 batters per contest.
 
On offense, the Gators lean heavily on the services of James Lubanski, who has come through for 49 hits and 47 RBIs on the year, averaging nearly an RBI per hit this season. Grimes is next on the offensive charts, getting 48 hits and 29 RBIs on the year. Grimes also gives the Gators some speed, stealing 15 bases. Zachary Figureras rounds out the top three batters for the Albany based lineup, getting 43 hits and 33 RBIs.
 
For Fisher, throwing their top arm against Russell Sage would mean taking out marathon man Ethan Fulton for a potential pairing with the Pioneers. Fisher's ace has started in all 12 of his appearances, posting a 3.02 ERA over his 56.2 total innings. The Trumansburg native has allowed 19 earned runs while striking out 56, averaging just shy of one strikeout per inning.
 
A likely opponent for the Pioneers in this timeline would be Robert Leach (5.97 ERA, 34.2 IP, 23 ER, 33 K's) who might get the call in the Cardinals' second game of the tournament. A deterrent to the Orchard Park pitcher getting the call against Utica might be the numbers that the orange and blue saw against the Sophomore earlier this season, as the team lit up Leach for six hits and four earned runs in his two-inning outing back on April 13th.
 
On offense, the Cardinals' core consists of Jack Griffin, Mario Cubello, and Jordan Perry. Griffin brings the consistency, cashing in 45 RBIs thanks to 47 hits and a team-high .402 average. Cubello supplies the speed for the Cardinals, possessing 22 stolen bases in addition to 42 hits and a team-high 48 runs scored. Perry completes the trifecta, adding 46 hits with 45 RBIs.
 
If they advance past the wild card game, the Pioneers will face either Russell Sage or St. John Fisher in their first game on Friday.
 
Pioneer Playmakers: On the mound, the Pioneers will most likely roll with their top duo of Kooper Knabe (Cortland, NY/Cortland) (3.95 ERA, 43.1 IP, 19 ER, 26 K's) and Austin Rhodes (Wappingers Falls, NY/Kennedy Catholic) (10.16 ERA, 31 IP, 35 ER, 14 K's). The presence of Jordan Henkel (Melville, NY/Walt Whitman) will be missed as the Pioneers third starter will miss the tournament due to an injury sustained last week against Hamilton. Henkel had been coming into his own as of late, and will be tough to replace in the Pioneer rotation. Some other possible starting options include a rookie rotation of Dean Ennis (Middle Island, NY/Longwood) (4.05 ERA, 13.1 IP, 6 ER, 10 K's), Ty Montrose (Whitesboro, NY/Whitesboro) (11.20 ERA, 13.2 ERA, 17 ER, 17 K's), and Michael Flint (Rome, NY/Rome Free Academy) (6.75 ERA, 12 IP,  9 ER, 5 K's). In relief, the Pioneers have many battle-tested bullpen options, including Connor Ford (Swedesboro, NJ/Kingsway Regional) (7.03 ERA, 32 IP, 25 ER, 25 K's), Tim Martin (Honeoye Falls, NY/Honeoye Falls Lima) (11.08 ERA, 13 IP, 16 ER, 16 K's), Kody Czternastek (Whitesboro, NY/Whitesboro) (7.71 ERA, 4.2 IP, 4 ER), and one of the conference's top, if not the top, closer in Peyton Newton (Weedsport, NY/Weedsport). Newton has been unstoppable in relief this season, picking up four wins and holding an impressive 4-0 record despite being the preferred finisher for the Pioneers. The Weedsport native has allowed just three earned runs in his 18 innings pitched, posting a 1.50 ERA and striking out 22 batters. His appearances will be much needed this weekend, as he could be called into action at any moment to secure a late lead. The Pioneers will hope to have his help multiple times this weekend if possible.
 
On offense, Montrose and the rest of a very balanced Pioneer lineup will need to produce at their highest rate of the season. In a tournament where teams will be thrown into unusual pitching situations, the team will need to take advantage of the other team's mistakes on the mound. Montrose will be at the forefront of the action, using his team-high 29 RBI to try and break through. The rookie sensation also holds a .327 average and nine stolen bases. After Montrose, the Pioneers have a deep pool of offensive talent to draw from, with five players recording exactly 21 RBIs on the year, including Czternastek, Mike Rockwell (Liverpool, NY/Cicero), Jacob Scalise (Utica, NY/Whitesboro), Lance Berger (Lindenhurst, NY/Saint Anthony's), and Justin Mazovec (Lake Grove, NY/Centereach). Josh Duval (Utica, NY/Proctor) (17 RBIs), Steve Sclafani (North Massapequa, NY/Farmingdale) (18 RBIs), and Jacob Pian (Stony Point, NY/North Rockland) (15 RBIs) round out the normal producers at the plate for Utica. Czternastek and Mazovec lead the way in terms of average, holding a .364 and a .341, respectively. This group of guys will try to get the job done at the plate for the team in their quest to achieve an Empire 8 Championship.
 
Anyone can take home the top prize if they get hot at the right time, and the Pioneers have been as hot as any other team in the conference over the past few weeks, having a 5-2 record since mid-April.
 
Tune in this weekend as the Pioneers contend for the conference's top prize!