Entering the playoffs as the #4 ranked team in the AA division of the PSAL, the 2025 Academy Eagles are hungry to claim the first baseball championship in school history.
The Eagles maintained a perfect 14-0 record throughout the regular season after being moved up from the 1A division last year: a season in which they also held an undefeated record en route to an appearance in the city championship game. Given a top seed once again, the team is preparing to improve upon their finish from last season and set the record straight; they are fighting to become PSAL champions.
“Cages up. See you all tomorrow at 6:45,” head coach Bill Carey texts in the baseball team group chat, now up to four times per week. The team has been preparing for the playoffs since the first tryout before the season began, but with the first elimination game being played this week, a greater sense of urgency has pushed the entire team to maintain their focus. “Players are waking up early and getting on the rind. They come in at 6: 45 in the morning even though they don’t have class until 8 or 9 o’clock and this shows the hard work and dedication of our team. We’ve had a great year and great success and our record and our performance on the field displays the hard work we put in,” says assistant coach Jason Silver.
The Eagles opened their season with a statement 12-0 win over Middle College High School on March 19, but preparation for a dominant season began long before that. “I like to say that hard work pays off,” Carey says, a sentiment which instills a sense of pride and dedication within his players. “Everyone on this team puts the work in on their own and plays 40-50 games a summer. I think getting a cage this year has been a huge attribute to our success.”
In the final four games before postseason play, the Eagles are outsourcing opponents 51-4. “We have a clean slate and only look at the next game. We aren’t here to skate, we are here to dominate. We are going to mercy every team and play the best brand of baseball we can. We are a family and all of us have only gotten better and continue to get better just by being around one another,” says slick-hitting third baseman Everett McConnell.
While their 2025 season was impressive, it would require an extended period of near-flawless play to match the success of the 2024 team. Last season, the undefeated Eagles fell to Louis D. Brandeis High School in the city championship game, an embarrassing 15-0 defeat in which scrappy utility outfielder Will Kaplan tallied the lone base hit, breaking up a no-hitter and the addition of insult to the team’s collective injury. “The embarrassing championship loss from last year has left us with a sour taste in our mouths and helped push us to work all offseason and become the best possible team we could be,” declares ace pitcher and team captain Micah Liu, the AA Queens West ERA leader.
On a cold Thursday afternoon, first pitch of the Eagles’ round one playoff matchup was at 3:00, an hour earlier than usual, so the game would be over by the time it began raining again. Despite the efforts of the umpires and both teams, by the third inning, it resumed. However, it didn’t prevent the Eagles from what they are accustomed to- dominant victory. They defeated Seward Park High School 7-1 despite the wet conditions. Five-tool left fielder Ben Janis had to say after the win, “This is a kid’s game. It’s hard not to smile when you’re playing like a kid and having fun.”
Janis put the team ahead with a two-run, two-out single in the second inning and added two stolen bases in the contest. Janis’ attitude emulates the whole teams’ persona of having fun. Rewatching the videos and just listening to the volume from the dugout is just an example. Players were piling out of the dugout and even being warned by the umpires to calm down. “This shows how we are a family AND WE ARE DIALED [in],” said McConnell.
After a rain delay, the Eagles’ round two matchup will resume on May 29, their next step in a run towards immortalization in team history.
