Lumberjacks look to repeat baseball success in 2024
By Dick Sterling
2024 proved to be a very special year for the Tupper Lake Lumberjacks baseball team. The Jacks breezed their way through their Northern Athletic Conference (NAC) East Division schedule and finished league play with a perfect 12-0 record (14-2 overall). The hometown hitters slammed Brushton-Moira 10-0 in the Section 10 Class C Championship game to earn a spot in the New York State Class C playoffs.
Two big innings by Section 2 champs Chatham, however, spelled doom for the Jacks. The Lumberjacks yielded five runs in the first inning, fell behind 10-1 before rallying to trim the big lead back to 12-9 before the Panthers scored six times in the top of the seventh inning and won the playoff game by a final score of 18-10.
Tupper Lake Head Coach Dan Brown is confident that the 2025 version of the Lumberjacks has what it takes to compete for the East Division crown and earn a spot in the Class C playoffs. That quest could start this week, weather permitting, as the Jacks were scheduled to play at Madrid-Waddington yesterday (Tuesday) and will head to Norwood-Norfolk tomorrow (Thursday).
The Jacks opened the 2025 season by dropping a 24-8 decision to a powerful Peru team in a non-league season opener. Most Section 10 weekday games are scheduled to start at 4:30 p.m.
“I think we have what it takes to return to where we were last year,” said Coach Brown. “I know that our quest is to make it back to the state playoffs for a chance to do better than we did last year, when a couple of bad innings caused us to lose a state playoff game… we’ve got a lot of returning talent and the boys are ready to go,” said Coach Brown.
“This year we have five seniors who will lead the charge. Karter Kenniston, will be returning as one of our leaders. He will pitch this year as our ace and play shortstop and catch. He’s been our lead off hitter for three years, but will switch to hit in the 3 or 4 hole for us this year. He will definitely be in contention for league Most Valuable Player (MVP) Award,” said Coach Brown.
“Wyatt Godin, who has been one of our shortstops and pitchers, is converting over to first base to fill a gap. He has the athleticism to make the adjustment and has always played great defense. He’s also been one of our hitting leaders with a career varsity average just over .500. He too will be a league MVP contender. He will hit in the 4 or 5 hole for us and be a big presence on the mound!”
Another returning senior will be Cooper Cuttaia. “Cooper has played outfield and pitched for us. Last year he had the third most innings pitched for us, and we expect that to be the same again this year. Cooper throws hard and has a great curveball. He’s one of our most motivated players on the team and he wants to do well. He will play outfield as well and will be a large part of our offense,” said the Jacks veteran Head Coach.
“Senior Kyler McClain is one our most versatile guys and there’s a good chance he’ll do just about everything for us this year. He’s looking to step up and fill as much of Griffin Shaheen’s shoes as he can behind the plate and is making a great adjustment. We look forward to seeing him contribute big at the plate as well,” said Coach Brown.
Another senior leader is not a key to the offense or defense, but a huge addition to the Lumberjacks being a real team. “Ayden Rabideau is our student manager coming back for his second year and is a huge part of the personality within our team, explained the coach and former athletic director.
Coach Brown feels that one of the keys to success this year will be a deep and talented pitching staff. “Our pitching staff, as a whole, is going to be one of the best in section 10. We have six to eight guys they can throw and contribute. That is great from a pitching standpoint, but it will also takes pressure off of our offense, he said.
Other players on the 2025 Lumberjack varsity baseball roster include juniors: Colin Bencze and Liam McClain. “Both boys will contribute defensively, filling out center field (Liam) and right field/first base when needed (Colin).
There are also five sophomores included on this year’s roster, many of whom will make a big impact on the Jacks success. Sophomores include John Tower, Gauge LaValley, Ethan Barkley, Colton Benware and Lucas Stevens. “We have a strong group of sophomores who will contribute as a whole this year and will definitely provide strength as they age, said Coach Brown.
“Johnny Tower will be a big part of our defense and pitching efforts. He will eat up a lot of time on the mound and put us in good places to win. Ethan Barkley will put some time in behind the plate, and shows a lot of skill and speed, so we hope he can provide us with as much as he can for the year.
And finally, the Jacks will introduce two freshmen to varsity play, Charlie Skiff and Luca Dukett. “These two guys will eat up a lot of time on the lineup card- especially for ninth graders. Luca will pitch and play third, while Charlie will play second and some outfield, along with some innings on the mound,” said the Jacks Coach, who will, once again, be assisted by Coach Korey Kenniston.
“Our goal is the win the section again and bring some momentum into the New York State playoffs. Two out of the last three years we’ve made the regional or sub regional game and just need to break through that hurdle,” said the veteran coach here.