The Rye Baseball team achieved its best season in more than a decade in 2025, winning league, sectional, and regional championships. Now in Class AA, they will look to play games into June for the second year in a row, although the task gets a little taller with their promotion.
“We are playing some different opponents this year as we move up to AA,” Head Coach Michael Bruno told MyRye.com before the season. “Our league arguably is the best league throughout the section. Suffern, Fox Lane, Nyack, Eastchester, Harrison and Clarkstown North will make for a very difficult and competitive schedule.”
Not only is the league slate – which begins April 13 at Nyack – chocked full of talent, the non-league slate also features several marquee opponents. “Crossovers with Ketcham, New Rochelle, Yorktown, Mahopac, Byram Hills, Tappan Zee, Lakeland, and Pelham make this one of the toughest schedules we have ever had,” Bruno continued. “It is our hope that this puts us in a position to be successful come playoff time.”
Those teams are likely viewing Rye as a tough test, too, consideing the Garnets went 23-5 last year, including seven postseason wins. Because of that success, Bruno has high hopes for the 2026 campaign.
“We always have high expectations,” the 19th-year head coach said. “Beat Harrison, win league, win section. We return a good bunch of starters from last year’s team. The hope is that with this experienced group, we can achieve our team goals.”
Four of the key bats from last year’s team will captain the Garnets – Nolan Hutson, Lucas London, Jamie Morris, and Jackson Pineault. All four are seniors and have at least three years of varsity experience.
“These four seniors bring a wealth of confidence, leadership and hard work to the program,” Bruno told MyRye.com. “They all continue to set a great example for their teammates and the younger players in the program.”
The Garnets kick off play later today, March 27, against Tappan Zee. They then head to Orlando for their annual Disney trip before returning home for a few more non-league games before the league slate picks up. They end the regular season with a home-and-home against the rival Harrison Huskies from May 7-9.
“The team always looks forward to playing Harrison,” Bruno said of the matchup. “This year they are back in our league with the jump to AA.”
While it will be difficult to replicate an .821 winning percentage, Rye’s experience gives them an upper hand in tight games. They have the pieces to make another deep run, even in Class AA.
