By HockomockSports.com Staff
Players are listed alphabetically
Eisig Chin, Senior – Franklin
Coming off an appearance in the Division 1 state championship game, Franklin’s lineup is loaded with returning talent and ready to make another run at both another Kelley-Rex division title and the state title. You could pick a handful of different Panthers to make this list like Northeastern commits Ryan Gerety and Henry Digiorgio, or the big bat of Jase Lyons, but Chin — who is committed to play at Stonehill — is coming off a breakout year and gets the nod. A three-year starter for head coach Zach Brown, Chin hit 0.339 last year with 21 hits, 20 RBI, 17 runs scored, and seven walks. His emergence at the dish really strengthened Franklin’s offense and the Panthers will rely on his power in the heart of the lineup this time as he has started the year batting third.
Jack Digirolamo, Senior – Canton
Canton has aspirations to contend for the Davenport division title this year along with other potential hopefuls Foxboro and Mansfield, and their lineup could be the reason they have a serious chance. Canton has put up double-digit runs in each of their first three games in wins over North, Sharon, and Norwell so the offense is certainly off to a good start. At the heart of that lineup is senior first baseman Jack Digirolamo, who is coming off a monster junior season in which he hit 0.446 with 29 hits and 14 RBI. There are other Bulldogs that could have made this list, like Brandies commit Matt Chafin who was on it last year, because of their success at the dish. Digirolamo and Chafin are joined by Hayden Rose, Matt Hart, and Nick Gillis are returners this season that hit over 0.300 last year. If Digirolamo can replicate his success from last year, expect Canton to be in the mix for the title.
Patrick Finnerty, Senior – Oliver Ames
After graduating a majority of their lineup, including some of its top producers at the plate and on the mound, there will be some new faces in the mix for Oliver Ames this year. But one veteran piece of the lineup that head coach Joe Abarr will be able to lean on is senior Patrick Finnerty. Committed to playing in the Northeast 10 Conference next year for Bentley, Finnerty is coming off a solid junior campaign in which he batted over .300 and had 10 runs scored and 12 RBI, helping the Tigers reach the postseason (and win a game). He will be back patrolling center field for the Tigers, dealing with the infamous tree in play at Frothingham Park. He will also get some innings on the mound as a reliable arm in relief.
Rudy Gately, Senior – King Philip
King Philip is coming off a spot in the Div. 2 state title game and the Warriors have a strong squad to try and go a step further this spring. Gately will be crucial for KP after showing his ability to impact the game on the hill and at the plate. He was the staff’s ace last year, going 5-1 with a 2.73 ERA. He stuck out 50 batters in a team-high 56.1 innings. Offensively, the Bowdoin commit batted 0.329 with 25 hits and six doubles. He drew 12 walks, drove in 21, and scored 21 runs. Gately’s competitiveness on the mound gives the team energy and he was counted on to face some of the best teams in the state, including six games against teams that reached the Final Four. The Warriors want to compete with Taunton and Franklin in the league, as well as make another D2 title challenge, and Gately’s ability as a pitcher and batter will be crucial to that.
Ryan MacDougall, Senior – Taunton
The defending Div. 1 state champs will be one of the favorites again this season and MacDougall’s return to the lineup will be a major reason why. The reigning league MVP and HockomockSports.com Player of the Year was a dominant presence at the plate last spring, batting 0.476 with a league-best 30 hits. He scored 17 runs, drew 11 walks, and knocked in 19 runs in the regular season. He also stepped up in the clutch, batting 0.600 in the playoffs and hit a game-winning solo homer in the sixth inning of the state championship game. The Dayton commit was also strong on the mound, tossing 36 innings and posting a 7-1 record with a 1.94 ERA. This year promises to be one of the most competitive seasons that we’ve seen in the Kelley-Rex division and MacDougall will give Taunton a foundation to try and build another state title-winning campaign.
Derek Maceda, Senior – North Attleboro
The defending Davenport champs will be in the Kelley-Rex this season and a young roster is going to lean on its experienced leaders to carry it through what should be an ultra-competitive spring. Maceda has been vital to North’s success over the past two years and the senior outfielder has become one of the most consistent hitters in the league. Setting the table at the top of the order, Maceda batted 0.402 last year. He had 33 hits, including seven extra-base hits. Maceda had 12 RBI and scored a team-high 31 runs. A dynamic base runner, Maceda puts tons of pressure on the opposition and his aggressiveness helps manufacture runs. After getting to the Div. 2 Final Four in 2022, North will be counting on Maceda’s leadership to keep the Rocketeers in playoff contention again this year.
Alfred Mucciarone, Senior – Franklin
Franklin got to the state title game only to fall to rival Taunton. The Panthers will be seeking some revenge this season and will have a strong roster that can make another deep tournament run. Mucciarone will be the team’s ace this year. The UMass Lowell commit is in his third year on varsity and the righty has proven to be one of the league’s top starters. He went 6-1 with a 2.05 ERA, walking just six batters on the season and striking out 56 over 54.2 innings. An accurate thrower with explosive stuff, Mucciarone puts the pressure on opposition lineups and he showed composure in big games. A leader of the Franklin staff, Mucciarone will need to have his best stuff again this season, which promises to be as competitive as ever and with typically high expectations for the Panthers.
Sean O’Leary, Senior – Foxboro
Foxboro surprised a lot of people by making a run to the Div. 3 Final Four and nearly pulling off the upset of top seed Austin Prep. O’Leary was a big component in one of the best seasons in program history. He was 6-2 on the mound, throwing 40.1 innings with a 2.25 ERA and holding opponents to a 0.208 batting average. O’Leary also had a pair of saves. One of the best hitters in the league, the UMass Lowell commit hit 0.443 with 31 hits, including 10 doubles. He drove in 25 runs and scored 13. Controlling games on the hill and punishing pitchers at the plate, O’Leary was one of the best two-way players in the Hock. Foxboro will be trying to build off the momentum of last spring and O’Leary will be a major factor for the Warriors with his ability to impact games in multiple ways.
Brendan Sencaj, Senior – King Philip
King Philip has a good handful of bats back from last year’s squad that made a run to the Division 2 state championship before ultimately falling to a tough Milton squad. One of those bats is one of the best in the league is senior third baseman Brendan Sencaj. Last season, he was second on the team in average (0.390), runs (26), hits (30), and had a team-high in doubles (6) and RBI (25). He is among the most dangerous hitters in the league, having nine extra-base hits as a junior. He is also committed to play in the Northeast 10 Conference next year at Bentley University, joining OA’s Patrick Finnerty (above). The Warriors have aspirations to compete for the Kelley-Rex title and make another run in the D2 tournament, and having one of the best hitters in the league in Sencaj will give them a big boost.
Braden Sullivan, Senior – Taunton
Not every team has the luxury of bringing such a loaded lineup after winning a Division 1 state championship the year prior, but that’s the situation that Taunton finds itself entering this season. The Tigers have six of their eight starters from the championship game back in the mix, including reigning league MVP Ryan MacDougall (above) and star shortstop Dawson Bryce (Merrimack), and there are a number of players that could make the list but we’ve gone with UMass commit Braden Sullivan. Sullivan returns to third base to complete a very talented left side of the infield alongside Bryce. He led the Tigers in average last year at 0.482, was third on the team with 27 hits, and had a team-best 21 RBI during the regular season. There’s no doubt Taunton will be right back in the thick of the league title race, and the return of Sullivan will be a big reason why.