By STEVE MAZZONE

Sports writer

LINCOLN --- By the way pool play ended in District IV, it would appear the marquee match-up in the upcoming finals of the All-Star Tournament would be undefeated Lincoln versus equally-unbeaten Cumberland National.
Lincoln, a multiple winner of the district championship, finished atop the standings in Pool A with a 4-0 mark. In all four of its games, Lincoln mercy-ruled its opponents and outscored its rivals by a 71-1 margin.
Although it was a little more challenged, Cumberland National prevailed in Pool B with a 4-0 mark. The Nats proved they’re for real in their last outing by beating North Smithfield, 13-3, in a contest that decided who would earn the top seed.
Again, as it looks, Lincoln and Cumberland National would appear to be the teams representing District IV in the finals on Friday.
Only problem -- they still have to get by their semifinal opponents tonight. And, according to Lincoln manager Dale O’Dell and Cumberland National skipper Rocky Baldelli that may not be an easy task with some quality hurlers on the mound in their single-elimination, cross-over games at Randy Hein Field.
“I don’t know? We got to get by one of the better pitchers (C.J. Dandeneau) in the state,” said O’Dell, whose squad faces North Smithfield (3-1) in the opener of the twin bill at 5:30. “I am not even thinking about the finals. Basically, pool play doesn’t mean anything.”
“I got be real honest,” commented Baldelli, a day before his team takes on Scituate-Foster (3-1) in a 7:30 tilt, “I’ve never seen (Scituate-Foster) play and don’t know anything about them. The only know thing I do know is they have a real good pitcher in Tyler Schemeck.”
Lincoln, which has averaged nearly 18 runs a game in the tourney, will be tested in a big way when it goes against Dandeneau, the young pitcher who has dominated his opponents so far this summer and has a fastball in the 75 mph range.
To prepare for Dandeneau, O’Dell has brought in people to throw to his team with similar speed, and his players have responded.
“I think he’s probably the best pitcher in the state,” he said. “But to be the best, you have to beat the best.”
What Lincoln does have is two strong pitchers - Tyler Duquette and Jeff Sheehan - that O’Dell believes can perform in the pressure-filled game. He hasn’t decided who will get the nod in today’s semis, but he’s confident either hurler is worthy of the task.
“Sheehan probably throws a little harder and is more a power pitcher,” said the Lincoln manager. “Duquette throws almost as hard, but has more control.”
With what he calls two “aces” on his staff, O’Dell feels he has an edge in the game if it turns into a pitcher’s duel. According to the tournament rules, a pitcher has to be taken out of the game if he reaches 85 pitches.
“I think I have the advantage,” O’Dell said. “I have two really good pitchers. If it’s 0-0 and both (starting) pitchers reach 85 pitches, I still got another guy…How we uses our pitchers is important.”
Lincoln‘s dominance in the District IV Tournament over the years, where it has earned the trip to the state championship multiple times, is a major reason the districts incorporated pool play and the single-elimination semifinals and finals, says O‘Dell. It’s also a format that benefits teams such as North Smithfield, who have that one dominant pitcher on their club.
“The bottom line is in this format, the best team may not win the districts,” O’Dell said. “In double-elimination, you can have two pitchers matched up. In single-elimination, it’s a different story. It makes you nervous. In any given game, a team can beat you (with a top pitcher).We need to play a very good game. I’m not thinking about any other game.”
Lincoln has shown throughout the tournament that it has the power at the plate with 11 home runs and more than 60 hits in its four games. Several players have been involved in the offense, including Sheehan, Duquette, shortstop Sam Brito, catcher Chris Leclaire and centerfielder Alex  Cronan.
“Put an asterisk near him,” said O’Dell about Cronan. “He has three homers already. He has really been hitting the ball in practice.”
Certainly the area where Lincoln has not been tested with its blowout wins is the defense. With that in mind, that has been a primary focus for O’Dell and his coaching staff each practice.
“We practice defense every day,” said O’Dell, who often has his squad practice twice a day. “When we played Gloucester ( a 24-0 victory last Thursday), we practiced for two hours in the morning and then played the game. You got to have the whole package. The bottom line is if you want to win the districts or the states, you have to be well-rounded.”
Just like O’Dell and Lincoln, Baldelli is equally concerned about the hurler his Cumberland National squad will face on Tuesday. Schemeck is a player he witnessed first-hand, having coached the pitcher this summer on the Rhode Island Reds - an 11-year-old AAU squad.
“He’s got a great family. A great mom and dad,” Baldelli said. “I love them all, but I’ll love them better after the game.”
In its four games during pool play, Cumberland National had a few close ones, including a 5-4 seven-inning decision over Cumberland American and a 10-9 squeaker over Smithfield. But in its last game, the Nats unloaded on North Smithfield, leaving the field with a 13-3 rout that was called after four innings.
The Nationals have outscored their opponents by a 36-21 margin en route to their unbeaten mark in a heavily-talented Pool B division.
“On out team, we mostly have 10- and 11-year-olds and three 12-year-olds,” Baldelli said. “They have gone above and beyond what we expected. A couple of young guys have really stepped it up.”
Strong bats throughout the tournament have come from shortstop Josh Brodeur, pitcher Dante Baldelli, first baseman Tyler Calaboro, catcher Justin D’Arbosca  and outfielder Jax Domonte.
The elder Baldelli, however, is confident whoever steps to the plate.
“Anybody in the line-up,” he said. “It depends on the day.”
While he likes his pitching and offense, Baldelli believes a primary reason his team has been able to be successful is its defense.
“Hands down we have the best defense in the tournament,” he said. “We don’t have a power pitcher or power hitter. We are a sound bunch fundamentally. Sound boys that have stepped up and are ready for the challenge.”
O’Dell also feels his team is ready.
“I’m pretty excited about seeing what we got,“ he said. “The kids have put a lot of work in. We’ll see what we got.”