Preseason Top 25 Preview: No. 25 Valley Central

March 16, 2016

Dan Cevette
Director, New York

After weeks of careful consideration, with schools in all classifications on the table including: NYC schools, private and catholic schools, public Class D through AA schools - We finally released our Preseason Power Top 25 Rankings.

Over 900 high schools were eligible for our Power Top 25. An executive team, comprised of 15 members scattered across the state, in conjunction with the NYSSWA was put together to help with all team rankings.

As the season begins our boots-on-the-ground scouting team will be out covering several HS games a week, compiling player and team data, that will be invaluable in accurately shaping this ranking. Today we take a look at our No. 25 ranked team on our poll, Valley Central.

Valley Central Team Preview

The Valley Central baseball team have been no strangers to the post-season scene having won their section (IX) two times prior. In order for any team to make a run at the high-school baseball level you need tough players and depth - Valley Central has just that.

2016 C Clayton Brooks (College of St. Rose) comes back from a season ending ACL injury to take over behind the dish. He's got an above average arm (sub 2.0 pop time) for high school and has shown in the past he can really hit for power. Brooks will need to play a strong leadership role for the Vikings potential to be maximized. 2016 INF/RHP Dan Delgaizo, a Cortland commit, will look to help out in a dual-role. On the mound he's a bulldog with a fastball hovering the 80-mph range with good-feel for his off-speed. He can handle the stick pretty efficiently as well and has good on-base speed. Another player to keep-an-eye-on is 2016 OF Fletcher Szabo (Marist). Just a terror on the base-paths, we had him in-game as low as a 4.09 home-to-frist time. Extremely smooth defender that covers a lot of ground from a lean, 6-foot-2, 185-pound body.

Others To Watch
+ 2016 RHP/OF Kenny Gray (Hamilton) (Football & Baseball) three sport standout who returned to the baseball-diamond last year with plenty of success.

+ Scrappy 2016 OF Tyler Sheeley (Ulster CC) and 2017 C Jacob Miller who was thrown into the fire when Brooks went down with the ACL injury. Miller did a nice job in a high pressure state playoff game vs. Mamaroneck.

+ 2018 C Ben Avila has shown some signs for a bright future behind the dish in the next couple years. 2.14 pop-time with a bat that keeps improving.

+ 2016 MIF Kenny Cummings

A Tough Road
Easily the toughest schedule in Section IX with non league matchups with Marlboro, Middletown, Kingston,Pine Bush, Massapeqa Tournament, Monroe-Woodbury & Cornwall. League play is not much easier with division opponents Warwick, Minisink Valley & Washingtonville all capable at making a run. If the Vikings make it out of Section IX class AA they will certainly be battle tested, with an overall record that will show some chinks in the armor.