Defending Zone 1 champion Avon is off to 5-0 start

AVON – A year ago, the Avon American Legion baseball team made history capturing its first-ever Zone 1 championship. Post 201 had hopes of making some noise in the American Legion state tournament but they were upset by Enfield, 3-2, in the qualifying portion of the tournament. One bad game and it was over. 

Post 201 coach Brian Doyle thought his team might have the experience and talent to contend for a state championship this summer. But good players get other opportunities to play. Three of last year’s key players are playing in collegiate summer baseball leagues. Another top player decided not to play this summer. 

Once again, Doyle has a young team. But it hasn’t hampered the team in its five previous seasons since it was resurrected in 2009. Avon has won at least 20 games in all five seasons and they have played in the state tournament each summer. 

This summer, Post 201 is off to a 5-0 start after outlasting Winsted on Monday night, 1-0. Avon swept a Zone 1 doubleheader with Torrington on Sunday, 5-1 and 10-4. “I’m really excited about the kids we have on the team,” Doyle said. “They’re good kids. But we’re young.” 

Left-handed pitcher Michael Castellani (5-0, 2.52 ERA, 3 saves with Post 201) is playing with the New England Collegiate Baseball League’s Ocean State Waves in South Kingston, R.I. Former outfielder Liam O’Connor (.426, 23 hits, 12 RBI) is playing with the Martha’s Vineyard Sharks in the Futures Collegiate Baseball League while pitcher and outfielder Mac Crispino (.333, 9 RBI) is playing with the Denver Cougars in the Rocky Mountain Baseball League. 

But the cupboard isn’t bare in Avon. Pitcher Connor Dunn, who will attend Williams in the fall, returns. The Northwest Catholic graduate was 3-0, 0.76 ERA in 27.7 innings on the mound last summer and was one of the team’s top hitters with a .524 average with 11 hits and 5 RBI in 21 plate appearances. 

Catcher Cody Doyle, the Avon Old Farms graduate heading to Sacred Heart in the fall, is back. He hit .357 with 20 hits and nine RBI last summer. Centerfielder Ben Lombard (.327, 17 hits, 6 RBI), shortstop Ben Suski and outfielder Matthew Williamson all had playing time a year ago. 

Newcomers include third baseman Connor McCutcheon, second baseman/pitcher Justin Olsen, first baseman Sean Del Gallo, pitcher Matthew Boone and outfielder Andrew LeDuc. McCutcheon is completed his junior year at Avon High while Boone and Del Gallo are completing their sophomore year. Olsen is a freshman. 

Dunn looked sharp in Avon’s 2-0 season-opening win over Wolcott last week. He scattered five hits and struck out two in six innings of work. Boone came on for the save. Wolcott stranded nine runners on base. McCutcheon, Del Gallo and Doyle had big hits in the win. 

Avon won its second game with a strong pitching performance from Olsen in a 3-2 win over Unionville. Boone picked up second save in two nights. 

Dunn improved to 2-0 on the season in a 5-1 decision over Torrington on Sunday at Fuessenich Park. Boone picked up his first victory in game two, a 10-4 rout. Avon had 12 hits in the victory. Williamson had five hits in the two games for Avon. 

Against Winsted on Monday, Suski’s RBI double scored the game winning run. Williamson picked up the win on the mound with five shutout innings.

The contenders in Zone 1 are familiar teams. Southington, Simsbury and Bristol finished second, third and fourth, respectively, behind Avon last summer. Look for all four teams to be in the hunt again this summer. 

2013 Zone 1 standings: Avon 20-4, Southington 19-5, Simsbury 17-7, Bristol 16-8, Unionville 12-12, Torrington 9-15, Terryville 8-16, Wolcott 6-18, Winsted 1-23 

State tournament format: For the second year, Connecticut will have qualifying for two sectional tournaments. Teams from Zone 1, 6, 7 and 8 will play in the Northern Sectional tournament with teams from Zone 2, 3, 4 and 5 in the Southern Sectional tournament. 

Twenty teams will qualify for the two single-elimination sectional tournaments beginning on Saturday, July 20. The top four teams from Zone 7, the top five teams from Zone 1 and Zone 8 and the top six teams from Zone 6 will qualify for the Northern Sectional tournament. The top five teams from Zones 2, 3, 4 and 5 will qualify for the Southern Sectional tournament. 

Avon will need to finish among the top five teams in Zone 1 to advance to the playoffs.

Four teams from each sectional tournament advance to the double-elimination portion of the tournament. The Northern and Southern Sectional champions play a best-of-3 final to determine the state champion. 

In the single-elimination portion of the tournament, the zone champion will have to win one game to advance to the double-elimination portion of the tournament. The second place team in each zone will have to win two games. Other teams may have to win three or more games. 

The double-elimination portion of the Northern Sectional tournament will be played at Fuessenich Park in Torrington with the Southern Sectional in Stamford.

Remaining Avon schedule
JUNE: 18: at Bristol, 5:45 p.m.; 19: at Terryville, 5:45 p.m.; 22: UNIONVILLE (2), 1 p.m.; 25: SIMSBURY, 5:45 p.m.; 26: at Southington, 5:45 p.m.; 29: TERRYVILLE (2), 1 p.m.

JULY: 1: WINSTED, 5:45 p.m.; 3: BRISTOL, 5:45 p.m.; 6: at Wolcott (2), 11 a.m.; 8: TORRINGTON, 5:30 p.m.; 9: at Bristol, 5:30 p.m.; 10: SOUTHINGTON, 5:30 p.m.; 13: at Simsbury (2), 5 p.m.; 15: at Winsted, 5:30 p.m.
Home games at Avon Old Farms