Berkeley Prep (15-0) Continues its Undefeated Season with a Win Over St. Ignatius (OH)

To close out the month of March, the St. Ignatius Wildcats came down from Cleveland, Ohio to take on the undefeated Berkeley Prep Buccaneers. For both teams, there was a ton of unfamiliarity in this one as we don’t often see these types of out-of-state matchups. However, this was going to be an extremely tall order for a Wildcats team that was facing off against a Buccaneers team that is nationally ranked (#9 as of March 29th, 2022). With weather conditions a factor in this one culminating in a short delay early on, both teams were ready to go.

In the early goings of this one, both lineups were kept off the scoreboard as both starting pitchers were able to take control of the game. For the Buccaneers, they sent 2022 RHP JT Quinn (Ole Miss Commit) to the bump. Coming into this game, Quinn sported a minuscule 0.59 ERA in 23.2 IPs. Despite him dealing with some command issues early on, he was able to get into a groove and go back to what’s been working throughout the season. For the Wildcats, they sent 2024 RHP Sawyer Solitaria (Ohio State Commit) to the mound. In this pitching matchup early on, Solitaria seemed to have the upper hand as he pounded the strike zone and kept the Bucs lineup off balance. However, that didn’t last…

After seeing very little offense in the early goings of the game, the Bucs bats started to heat up as we moved into the home half of the 3rd. To lead things off, 2022 MIF Cade Kurland (University of Florida Commit) showed off his power to the opposite field with a solo blast. This was a huge momentum swing as the Bucs lineup never looked back. Later in the inning, 2022 UTIL Owen McElfatrick (Northwestern University Commit) sent a home run of his own over the left-center field wall which extended the Bucs' lead to 3. That wasn’t the end of the power surge as 2023 1B/OF James Hankerson (Wake Forest Commit) joined in on the fun with a bomb over the center-field wall. So, at the end of the 3rd, the Bucs had a commanding 6-0 lead. 

While the Bucs would add a few more runs late in the game for some insurance, some notable pitching performances took center stage. While JT Quinn could not get past the 4th inning in this one, he was still as dominant as ever blanking the Wildcats’ lineup. His fastball was sitting between 89-92 mph. After Quinn departed the game, it was all 2025 LHP/OF Rivers Kurland who put the game away with 3 quality innings of work. While Kurland wasn’t overpowering the Wildcats lineup, he did a great job of showcasing his full arsenal and it paid off in the end as he got the final out in a 9-0 Buccaneers victory. 

NEXT UP:

Berkeley Prep (15-0) looks to continue its undefeated season with a home game against Brooks DeBartolo (4-8) on April 5th. For St. Ignatius (1-2), they round out their Florida road trip with a matchup with Jesuit (11-5) on April 1st and then head back north.

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Players of the Game

2023 1B/OF James Hankerson (Berkeley Prep)
Here we have a name that may get overshadowed at times due to some of the other names on this roster but Hankerson showed out in this one and deserves to be on this list. Coming into this game, Hankerson was hitting .333 with 6 RBIs. He went deep for the first time this season in this one as he was a major part of the offensive spark in the 3rd inning. Hankerson has a long frame with present physicality. He understands his swing and that showed in each of his at-bats in this one. The Wake Forest Commit will continue to be a big part of this Berkeley Prep lineup for the next 2 seasons.  

2022 UTIL Owen McElfatrick (Berkeley Prep)
McElfatrick has made his name known throughout the season especially due to some of his clutch performances. In this one, it was much of the same. He was also a big part of the offensive explosion that occurred in the 3rd inning. He sent a ball over the left-center field wall. Coming into this game, McElfatrick was hitting .326 with 3 HRs and 16 RBIs. The Northwestern commit has the ability to play all over the field. McElfatrick has an athletic frame, quick hands, and a ton of present power. He has been a big part of his teams’ success and he will look to finish off his senior season on a strong note.

2022 MIF Cade Kurland (Berkeley Prep)
At the center of the Buccaneers lineup is Cade Kurland. Kurland has impressed all throughout the season as his line coming into the game was a .442 BA, 7 HRs, and 19 RBIs. The team leader in each of those categories. Kurland didn’t disappoint in this one either. He was the tone-setter in the 3rd inning with a solo blast the other way. Kurland is very successful at hitting balls the other way and it seems as if it is an important part of his game plan. Nevertheless, this guy is just an all-around playmaker. At SS in this one, he was making play after play no matter where the ball was taking him. The UF commit exhibits a very athletic frame, quick hands, and a great approach. 

UNDERCLASSMAN TO KEEP AN EYE ON:

2025 LHP/OF Rivers Kurland (Berkeley Prep)
The last name may ring a bell as we just referenced his older brother and highly touted prospect, Cade Kurland. However, Rivers is starting to carve out his own path as a baseball player. Kurland, a freshman already looks to have a ton of upside. In 17 IP, his ERA sits at 1.62. All of that potential was on display in this one. While he is not overpowering just yet, he has the makeup and stuff to be lethal in the coming years. His curveball and changeup combination exhibited a ton of deception and was very impressive. His stature isn’t gonna be intimidating by any means but Kurland has a great feel for his stuff and he is going to only get better as time goes on. Keep an eye out…