It was a brutal way to end a season. Rallying in the seventh inning of an elimination game against Archbishop Molloy, Cardinal Spellman runner Bobby Biolsi and batter Joey Biolsi – brothers – were called out because of an illegal slide by Bobby, according to umpires. The Pilots would have had two runners on with one out down 2-0.
Lou Brescia isn’t worrying about that loss sticking with his players. Spellman won’t have a short memory this year – it’ll have no memory. These Pilots are almost a completely new group.
“We were still losing the game, but you never know what can happen,” Brescia said. “They don’t really bring it up. It’s only a couple kids left.”
Denis Gostev
Spellman's Danny Hernandez will return at shortstop for the Pilots.
Spellman is heavy with juniors, some of whom came up from the successful junior varsity. There is just six seniors on the roster. But the youth and inexperience aren’t a bad thing.
“I think we got a better team than last year, but those kids played their hearts out,” Brescia said.
The Pilots will be relying on veteran players such as right fielder Dominick Longo, shortstop Danny Hernandez and second baseman Joey Colon. Brescia really likes what he has seen from sophomore catcher/pitcher Nick Padilla, the only 10th grader on the roster.
“He’s gonna be a kid to watch,” the coach said. “Down the road, by senior year, this kid is gonna be a really good player.”
Left fielder Kyle Benjamin, pitcher Will Hodges and third baseman Tommy Montelli will all be key players. Chris Sholkoff has emerged as a potential ace, but Spellman won’t have any dominant pitchers, just a handful of solid arms.
“Hopefully, the sticks can come around a little bit,” Brescia said. “If we hit a little bit, we’ll be very competitive.”
He thinks Spellman has a shot to contend in a loaded division with title contenders Iona Prep and Fordham Prep. And with all the juniors and a good JV, the Pilots might be in the midst of one of their best stretches in a long time.
“I think we’ll be even stronger next year,” Brescia said.
That could also be the case for Archbishop Stepinac, which has 17 underclassmen on the roster. Coach Pat Duffy will be looking to ace Christian Huertas and junior shortstop Skylar Mercado, the team’s No. 3 hitter with a ton of pop in his bat.
“The big story with us is that we’re going young,” Duffy said. “We’re gonna try to be as competitive as we can with our pitching and defense.”
Brandon Soto will be at third base, left-handed Frankie Guiliano will pitch and play first and Chris Rooney will bat leadoff and provide exceptional defense in center field. Julian Ponce will play a little first and also be the No. 2 guy in the rotation behind Huertas, while Joe Costanz will be in left.
Stepinac is trying to win on its brand new field, which just opened in the fall. Duffy is excited.
“It’s kind of the talk of the league,” he said. “It’s beautiful. It’s state of the art. … I think it’s gonna help us get more athletes. It should do wonders for recruiting.”
Mount St. Michael will look to a pair of Riveras to get the job done on the mound. Luis Rivera is the team’s defacto ace and Mark Anthony Rivera (no relation) is coming off a fine fall season.
“Both of them are very much alike,” Mountaineers coach Wally Stampfel said. “They’re gonna have to throw strikes.”
On offense, Mount will be intriguing, led by Jakeel Daniels, a 6-foot-4, 230-pound highly touted college prospect. The senior will see time in the outfield and at first base.
“He’s gonna anchor the lineup,” Stampfel said. “He’s very imposing. I think he can be one of the most feared hitters in the league.”
Setting the table for him will be second baseman Taylor De La Rosa and left fielder Michael Rodriguez. Jonathan Cardona, the younger brother of former Mount stud Tommy Cardona, will pitch and play first, Aaron Sosa will be at third and pitch and Geramy Rosario, a middle-of-the-order power guy, should see time at a number of infield positions.
Najae Brown, an All-City football senior quarterback for Mount, has returned to the team for the first time since his freshman season. He’ll start in center and be a demon on the bases.
“He shocked the hell out of me when he showed up at tryouts,” Stampfel said. “He’s an awesome defensive center fielder.”
Salesian will also contend in Bronx/Westchester.
mraimondi@nypost.com
Cardinal Spellman, Spellman, Danny Hernandez, Archbishop Molloy, Joey Biolsi, Bobby Biolsi, Brescia, Wally Stampfel, Coach Pat Duffy, Christian Huertas
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