High school central

On April 1, the Elmont baseball team knocked off Mepham 4-3, and it was no April fool's joke.

Robert Gates is in his seventh season as the head coach at Elmont. The past six years – an 0-19 campaign in 2007 and five years spent in the developmental and County wide leagues – have proven to be tough times.

But those trials and tribulations have led Elmont back to Conference AA-IV, and...

Jesse Berardi, Commack, SS, Jr.: Smooth fielder with outstanding range. Left-handed stick who uses the entire field. Heavily recruited by D-I schools.

Mitch Calandra, Floral Park, C, Soph.: Two-year starter who threw out 17 base stealers as a freshman. Hit .333 with three home runs.

Chris Cepeda, Ward Melville, P/IF, Jr.: Transferred from Comsewogue and brings a nasty slider and moving...

It’s game day and some of Long Island’s best pitchers are taking the mound. For many, pitching preparation doesn’t start when the school bell rings – it’s an all-day affair.

Patchogue-Medford’s Matt Vogel always has his iPod with him, listening to some of his favorite hype-up tunes.

“Music is a big part of my life,” Vogel said after a Newsday photo shoot Thursday night. “I have to listen...

High school softball teams have their own way of getting fired up. Here are some neat ones that some of Long Island's top players shared during a photo shoot at Newsday before the start of the 2013 regular season.

Island Trees junior pitcher Alannah Basile and senior third baseman Tori Tedeschi enjoy the Bulldogs’ pre-game ritual.

“Before the game, we lay on our stomachs in a circle...

As a new high school baseball season dawns, a similar theme has arisen. No, it isn’t who throws the best high heat in Suffolk or who can hit the farthest long ball in Nassau. It’s a lot less complicated than that.

Simply put – it’s cold out there!

As tryouts end and practices begin, the task of keeping warm is as much a part of everyday routines as taking ground balls and long tossing...

Matchup: Harborfields (20-2) vs. Maine-Endwell

Game time: Friday, 1:30 p.m.

Harborfields started the season with relatively modest goals: win League V and contend for a Suffolk championship. They accomplished both, then went on to capture their first Long Island title since 2007.

They’ve since set their sights a little higher. Headed upstate now, coach Russ Tietjen said, “We might...

Matchup:  Sachem East (21-1) vs. Ossining (20-4)

Game time: Friday, 6:15 p.m, Hudson Valley CC.

The Flaming Arrows are “loving life right now,” coach Matt Brisson said. For good reason.

This scrappy bunch earned its first Long Island championship since 2010 and now seeks to do what that group did three years ago: capture the state title.

Standing in the way, though,...

Long Island Lutheran, Sachem East and Harborfields are the only teams still alive with the public school state championships this weekend and the Federation championships starting March 22.

1. Long Island Lutheran (19-4): Lutheran was idle again this week as it prepares for the Class A Federation tournament, starting March 22.

2. St. Anthony's (22-6): The Friars’ season ended, Wednesday...

St. Mary's, St. Anthony's and St. John the Baptist are the three Long Island teams in the CHSAA AA state girls basketball tournament, starting Wednesday. Semifinal games are Friday at St. John Villa at 5:45 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. The championship game will be Saturday at Cardinal Spellman at 7 p.m.

Here are Wednesday's quarterfinal match-ups:

(1) Bishop Ford vs. (8) St. John the Baptist,...

1. Long Island Lutheran (19-4): Lutheran was idle this week as it prepares for the Class A Federation tournament, starting March 22.

2. St. Anthony's (22-5): Rebecca Musgrove had 11 points and 10 rebounds and Chastity Taylor scored 13 points to lead the Friars to their third straight CHSAA league championship, Sunday, 48-36 over St. Mary’s. St. Antony’s will be the fifth seed in the CHSAA...