May 27, 2025 by Olivia Clemmensen (‘26)
Saratoga Springs High School’s varsity baseball team had a very successful Memorial Day weekend, as they defeated Shaker High School in both Sectional Semifinal Game 1 and Game 2 of the NYSPHSAA Baseball Playoffs. Both these wins have set them up to advance into the finals next weekend, where they will bring their high energy and resilience in the hopes of continuing their success.
This past Friday, May 23rd, Toga drove to Lansingburgh High School to play Shaker, starting up the best of 3-game series of semifinals. Amidst the fluctuating weather and spontaneous downpour of rain mid- game, Saratoga brought energy like no other to the field from the very first pitch. Family, friends, students, and scouts alike came to watch as Toga left Shaker behind in a 5-1 game. The Blue Streaks came out of the game with 5 runs, 8 hits, and 1 error, whereas Shaker left the field with only 1 run and 5 hits. “[Friday’s] game went great; we faced the best pitching we have seen all year and didn’t let that beat us. It was tough at the plate, but we battled in the field for the win,” said junior outfielder and pitcher Cooper Villiere. Even with a strong opposing pitcher, the Streaks were able to play well and gain momentum against the Shaker Bison as the game progressed. One of the highlighted players at Saturday’s game, pitcher Jack Rigabar, commented that the team “kept it simple at the plate. We struck early in the first inning but gave one back to them. We continued to tack on runs throughout.” Rigabar had only thrown five innings and around 70 pitches prior to the game, and with that said, he was “very excited when [he] heard that [he] was gonna get the ball in game one of this series.” With their strong pitching and successful runs, Toga had set a great pace for the series to come.
A quick turnaround and a short ride from SSHS to the East Side Rec, Toga then played Shaker again on Sunday, May 25th, at their home field for Game 2 of the Semifinals, with the hopes of bringing the same outcome to the game as they did in the game prior. Sunday’s game turned out to be an even greater win for Toga, although the energy and drive of the team never changed. “Nothing was changed between [Saturday] and [Sunday]. We just did what we do best and stuck together as a team through all adversity, and we ended up coming out on top,” commented junior pitcher Brendan Kantscheidt. “Being as energetic as we [Toga’s team] are for 7 innings is hard, especially if things don’t go our way, but we did it and that’s a huge part I think of how we won this series,” he added. They brought 3 runs to the second inning, which set them up for a huge lead for the rest of the game, ending the 7th inning with a 4-2 win and a team camaraderie and pride ready to take on what’s to come this upcoming weekend.
“The energy is amazing. I feel that half the reason we are winning is because of the energy that comes from the dugout. The social dynamic is great- we aren’t only playing for the win, but we are playing for each other, and this makes us all the better,” reflected Villiere after Sunday’s game. In any sport, not only is athletic success important, but also working as a team and building one another up. This weekend, the Toga Blue Streaks showcased how important this is to their sport and to their achievements as a team.
Toga’s Varsity Baseball Team is now set to play Colonie Central High School this Friday for the first game of the sectional finals. In the hopes of breaking their losses against Colonie Central (as Toga has played them twice in the regular season and lost to them both times), the team is ready to bring that Toga spirit we all know and love and the grit and skill they have as a team to the field once again. Looking forward to Friday, Rigabar said that “if everyone does their part and sticks together, we are going to come out on top.”
Congratulations to Saratoga’s Varsity Baseball Team for their victories in the Sectional Semifinals, and best of luck moving forward into this weekend’s series.
photos taken by Max Greenblatt, top photo by Olivia Clemmensen