North Salem provides update on the future of baseball program

NORTH SALEM, N.Y. - The baseball diamond at North Salem High School might be a quiet place this spring.

Earlier this month, district officials made the decision to drop the program’s varsity team from the upcoming schedule.

Currently, North Salem is considering a merger with neighboring Somers for the varsity level, and still hopes to field JV and modified teams for the season.

North Salem’s storied baseball program had previously captured state championships in 2016 and 2017, and brought home the section title in the pandemic-shortened 2021 season.

The move to cancel the varsity season aroused concern and confusion and left parents and alumni looking for answers.

North Salem News spoke with Athletic Director Denise Kiernan to set the record straight about what factors led to the decision, and gain insight into what the future holds for Tigers baseball.

Difficult Decision

The decision to eliminate the varsity season came down to numbers.

After holding eight off-season workouts for grades 7-12 and a pair of meetings with student-athletes and parents, North Salem informed Section One on Feb. 4 that they would be dropping the varsity schedule, but still hoped to offer modified and JV seasons.

“The decision to move from varsity to JV was based on the level of experience of the returning players and significant injuries for key players in the lineup to compete at the varsity level,” Kiernan explained. “As of today, we are currently observing the registration numbers to provide data in order to do what is best for all student-athletes in the baseball program. Our number one priority is, and always has been, to keep North Salem baseball within North Salem. The registration numbers will hopefully allow us to provide a team this season.”

By the Numbers

Last year, varsity baseball included a roster of 16 players, while the modified team had 11 players. The JV team was not active for the previous two seasons.

The current slate of varsity spring sports offered in North Salem saw steady participation from male student-athletes last season, including lacrosse (15 members), track (12 members), and golf (13 members.)

A look at the district’s enrollment and participation numbers show high percentages of students donning Tiger uniforms.

For 2023-24, female enrollment in the district with 236, with 157 athletes playing for a 67% participation rate. Male enrollment was 221, with 154 taking part in sports for a 70% participation rate.

Upperclassmen in the district provided solid participation numbers, with 71% of seniors and 62% of juniors taking part in North Salem’s athletic programs. Of the seniors, 42% were three-sport athletes.

The Tennis Question

Parents concerned about the varsity baseball season folding pointed to a similar situation in the fall which saw the elimination of North Salem’s varsity tennis team.

Once again, it came down to the numbers.

Over the previous five seasons, the Tigers tennis squad had seen 10 or fewer players each year. In the fall, a dip in district enrollment and competition with other fall ports including cross country, volleyball, soccer, and field hockey ultimately led to the season being cancelled.

“There was a drop in enrollment from 89 to 61 seniors, lack of interest, and only two student athletes (a junior and a freshman) registered to play tennis in the fall,” Kiernan said. “Neither of these student-athletes participated the previous year. As a result, the team did not have a season.”

Tigers and Tuskers?

While a final decision has not yet been reached, a merger with Somers baseball could still give North Salem players a chance to take the diamond this season.

Currently, the Tuskers are a Class AA team, meaning that a merger with North Salem would not effect their classification for scheduling and postseason play.

Somers offers baseball at the freshman, JV, and varsity level, and the district currently enjoys a positive working relationship with North Salem to combine student-athletes for the wrestling and ski teams. A merger with the football program for the 2025 season is also pending approval by Section One.