HS of American Studies is ‘AA’ champ

High School of American Studies baseball coach Howard Blitz had a very simple game plan for how to lock up the Bronx ‘AA’ division title Monday afternoon versus the David A. Stein Riverdale/Kingsbridge Academy (M.S./H.S. 141, RKA) — hand the ball to Jack Buckley, then sit back and enjoy.

Buckley, the Senators senior lefty, has been brilliant all season and Monday was no exception as he struck out 14 Tigers and limited them to just one hit. The trio of Casey Press, Eli Kimbell and Julian Trebach paced the Senators explosive offense with two RBI apiece as American Studies rolled to an 11-1 victory over RKA at Lehman College to claim the team’s first goal of the season by securing the Bronx ‘AA’ title.

It was just business as usual for Buckley on the hill.

“This is the third time this year he’s only given up one hit,” Blitz said. “He’s been tremendous. In high school baseball, 90 percent of it is pitching, and we got it. That’s what it’s all about.”

Buckley was dominant from the start as he struck out RKA’s Nick Acosta to open the game and set the tone for what would be his latest masterpiece. The lefty with the popping fastball and nasty curve struck out at least two batters in every inning and fanned the side in both the fifth and sixth innings to finish his day with a flourish.

He allowed just the one hit, a single by Antoine Warner to open the top of the sixth, and walked just two. The run he allowed in the second inning was unearned.

“I think I was getting a little bit stronger,” Buckley said. “I started off slow like I did against them the last time, but I just got into a groove as the game went on.”

The Senators (13-1) got on the board first in the bottom of the first when Jakob Feinstein’s triple brought home Noah Gordon for a 1-0 lead. RKA (8-6) tied the game in the second when Julio Paca scored on Peter Rondinone’s fielder’s choice. But from there on it was all American Studies.

The Senators added two runs in the second when Gordon’s RBI double to left scored Chris Campuzano before Kimbell plated Gordon with his own RBI double for a 3-1 lead. American Studies then broke the game open with a four-run third inning with Trebach’s two-run single, which scored Press and Bo Wilke, being the key hit. The Senators added three more in the fifth led by Press’ two-run single before little-used Jacob Klawans completed the scoring — and sent the Senators into a frenzied celebration — with his first hit and first RBI of the season coming in the sixth. 

With the victory complete — and division title locked up — the Senators can now turn their attention to closing out the regular season this week before gearing up for the postseason. American Studies reached the Public School Athletic League (PSAL) championship game at Yankee Stadium last year where it fell to East Side High School, 7-0. So there is a bit of unfinished business for these Senators.

But step one is completing the regular season with a flurry.

Looking ahead

“Every time we step out on the field we want to win. We want to win every game,” said Buckley, who will make his next start when the playoffs open next week. “Thursday is going to be a good game. [Roosevelt] is a good team and I think that will gear us up for the playoffs. They’re like tune-up games for us but they are still important.”

Blitz, who is in his 11th season with American Studies, says he remembers the Senators’ lean years and is enjoying this group as it prepares for another run at a championship. 

“My main concern is I want these guys to have a good time. That’s what I preach to them,” Blitz said. “You win the games? Fine. I’ve been at American Studies for 11 years now and for the first seven years we were at the bottom of the pile. But about four years ago, the whole tide of the team changed.”

This is a very loose bunch of Senators, who seem to be enjoying every step of the ride this season. After Klawans was mobbed at first base at game’s end after his rare RBI single, the team handed him the game ball. Just another fun moment on the way to another championship run.

“We are a loose bunch but we are also a close bunch, especially the seven seniors,” Buckley said. “All of us are close friends and we know we have each other’s backs out there.”

So with the division title already tucked in their back pocket, the Senators will play out the regular season and get ready for what Buckley and the rest of the seniors - Feinstein, Kimbell, Wilke, Campuzano, Gordon and Noah Koy — hopes will be another opportunity to reach the finals at Yankee Stadium and this time come away with the title that eluded them last season. 

“We’re definitely confident,” Buckley said. “We know we have three senior starting pitchers so we know that every game they will keep us in it. We know it will come down to our bats and our defense. All season they have been great.

The pieces are certainly in place for a run at the title. But Blitz, the savvy veteran, is not about to anoint his team champions just yet.

“To be perfectly honest there is a lot of luck involved,” Blitz said. “You’ve got to get a good draw [in the playoffs] and people got to get hot at the right time. So we’ll see what happens. It’s possible. I got two guys I can wheel out there and they could throw a no-hitter at any time. I have Jack and Eli Kimbell. He actually threw a no-hitter last week against Columbus which is a very, very good hitting team. But it all depends on how the pieces fall. It’s very hard to predict.”