The last time Plattsburgh High School baseball won a state championship was 1989. But now, the Hornets are two wins away from making 2023 the year for their second title. “This has been a dream ever since I started playing baseball for the school in 7th grade,” said Plattsburgh senior catcher Jake Calkins. “Now we have the chance to do it.” The Hornets have had their ups and downs this season. After a 0-2 start against Schuylerville High School and Beekmantown High School, Plattsburgh ramped up their play, winning nine of their last 10 games. They then used that momentum to grab a win against then-undefeated Peru High School, finishing as the No. 2 seed in the Section VII Class B playoffs. Plattsburgh kept their play up into the postseason, winning against Saranac Lake in the sectional semifinals to getting their revenge against Beekmantown, winning the sectional championship. “Our goal was to win the sectional championship all year,” said sophomore infielder Braedan Calkins. “Once we got that, our goal was to focus on the next game, and here we are.” Their focus did not waver. Plattsburgh stayed hot against Section X’s Salmon River high school in the Class B regional finals, winning 9-3 and advancing to their first state final four since 2006. It’s a moment that comes full circle for head coach Patrick Shaughnessy. He’s coached this squad for five years but also played baseball for Plattsburgh on the same team that made the state semifinals in 2006. “I’m very excited,” Shaughnessy said. “This is a great group of guys that we have here. I enjoyed it when I was a player; now I know what they’re in for, so it will be interesting.” Now Shaughnessy and his Hornets have the chance to rewrite history. It’s a group that is confident they can do it if they put all the intangibles in play. “If we just keep playing hard, play the defense that we can and make no errors and hit the ball hard, we’ll have a good shot at the state,” Jake Calkins said. Plattsburgh will face Section VI’s Depew high school on Friday, June 9, at 2 p.m. at Union-Endicott High School. If the team wins that, they will go on to play in the state championship on Saturday, June 10, at 4 p.m.
The last time Plattsburgh High School baseball won a state championship was 1989. But now, the Hornets are two wins away from making 2023 the year for their second title.
“This has been a dream ever since I started playing baseball for the school in 7th grade,” said Plattsburgh senior catcher Jake Calkins. “Now we have the chance to do it.”
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The Hornets have had their ups and downs this season. After a 0-2 start against Schuylerville High School and Beekmantown High School, Plattsburgh ramped up their play, winning nine of their last 10 games.
They then used that momentum to grab a win against then-undefeated Peru High School, finishing as the No. 2 seed in the Section VII Class B playoffs.
Plattsburgh kept their play up into the postseason, winning against Saranac Lake in the sectional semifinals to getting their revenge against Beekmantown, winning the sectional championship.
“Our goal was to win the sectional championship all year,” said sophomore infielder Braedan Calkins. “Once we got that, our goal was to focus on the next game, and here we are.”
Their focus did not waver. Plattsburgh stayed hot against Section X’s Salmon River high school in the Class B regional finals, winning 9-3 and advancing to their first state final four since 2006.
It’s a moment that comes full circle for head coach Patrick Shaughnessy. He’s coached this squad for five years but also played baseball for Plattsburgh on the same team that made the state semifinals in 2006.
“I’m very excited,” Shaughnessy said. “This is a great group of guys that we have here. I enjoyed it when I was a player; now I know what they’re in for, so it will be interesting.”
Now Shaughnessy and his Hornets have the chance to rewrite history. It’s a group that is confident they can do it if they put all the intangibles in play.
“If we just keep playing hard, play the defense that we can and make no errors and hit the ball hard, we’ll have a good shot at the state,” Jake Calkins said.
Plattsburgh will face Section VI’s Depew high school on Friday, June 9, at 2 p.m. at Union-Endicott High School. If the team wins that, they will go on to play in the state championship on Saturday, June 10, at 4 p.m.
