Sleepy Hollow Baseball Makes Quantum Leap

It takes a lot of determination to see a high school sports program develop in an upward direction.    

But that's the direction the Sleepy Hollow baseball program is headed.

Last year, the Headless Horsemen were 3-16. This year though, thanks to a combination of having a group of players that have played together for a long time and some talented players making the move up from JV, Sleepy Hollow finished 8-11.    

Included in that record was a playoff appearance as Sleepy Hollow traveled to Rockland League Champion Pearl River in the opening round of the Section 1 Class A tournament. Sleepy Hollow gave the Pirates from across the Tappan Zee Bridge a serious scare, leading 2-1 in the fifth inning before losing 5-2.   

While the season ended in a loss, that kind of effort can mean only good things for the Horsemen in the future.   

One reason Sleepy Hollow coach Ray Farrell is setting a goal of winning the league championship next year is the fact that he will have junior Aydan Ellman back next spring.

This year, Ellman was an all-section honorable mention catcher who hit over .400 from the 3-hole in the lineup.     

Ellman, one of four Sleepy Hollow co-captains, led his the team with his on-field performance.   

"Aydan leads by example," Farrell said. "He has a great swing as a hitter and I feel he was the best defensive catcher in the league. He's not a rah-rah type of guy, he doesn't lead that way. He just leads by the way he plays."   

Batting close to .400 this spring was sophomore shortstop/pitcher and lead-off hitter Armando Cabrera, who was named all-league. Whether it was with the bat or the glove, Cabrera was the sparkplug to Sleepy Hollow's success.  

"We could always rely on him to make a big catch in center field or start us off in the right direction with a big lead-off hit offensively," Farrell said. "He has a lot of talent and he puts a lot of work into his game."   

Another Sleepy Hollow player who has put a lot of work into his game is senior co-captain pitcher and first baseman Danny Kaplan, who was named all-league honorable mention and was the ace of the Horsemen staff.   

"Danny was a gamer," Farrell said. "When we needed a big performance on the mound we got it from him. He pitched well in our playoff game against Pearl River. When he wasn't pitching he excelled at first base, where he was a gold glover."   

Besides being a solid pitcher and fielder, he also provided Sleepy Hollow someone with a solid bat.   

"We had him as our No. 4 hitter because we needed someone to protect Aydan," Farrell said. "He probably is a more natural 2-hole hitter but he hit where he did because it was what was best for the team and did a good job."   

Also doing a good job was senior co-captain Weston Murphy, who provided a solid glove at third base and was the emotional leader of the team.   

Senior outfielder Yuniel Santana also provided leadership to the Horsemen as a co-captain and power, as he hit a team-leading three home runs.