Wednesday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 04/13/22

Today’s games are listed below.

Baseball
Attleboro, 12 @ Foxboro, 9 – FinalFoxboro raced out to a lead with five runs over the first three innings, but Attleboro’s offense roared to life with 10 runs in a three-inning span to secure a win on the road. The Warriors sandwiched a pair of one-running innings around a three-run third to stake a 5-2 advantage. The Bombardiers responded with three in the fourth, five in the fifth, and two more in the sixth, before holding off a four-run bottom of the seventh from the hosts to get the win. Jamie Bloch, Owen Taber (RBI), and Peter DelPozzo each had one hit and scored three runs while Cooper Johnson drove in four runs on the day and scored once himself. Matt Harvie added two hits and two RBI for the Bombardiers. Freshman Tyler Dunlea tossed three shutout innings in relief, allowing one hit and three walks while striking out six to get the win. For Foxboro, Ryan LeClair had a pair of hits, including a double, with three RBI and two runs scored, junior Sean O’Leary drove in two runs, and freshman Ryan O’Leary had a hit and an RBI. Junior Kenny Mello blasted a solo home run and had two RBI on the day.

Taunton, 8 @ Canton, 0 – Final

Franklin, 4 @ North Attleboro, 7 – FinalNorth Attleboro senior Brody Rosenberg blasted a second inning grand slam and classmate Tyler Bannon had a strong showing on the mound as the Rocketeers knocked off visiting Franklin. Danny Curran had a lead off single, Bannon followed with a single, and Christian Bates walked to load the bases for Rosenberg’s home run. North added three more in the bottom of the fifth as Dillon Harding and Derek Maceda singled, and pinch runner Kyle Conroy scored on an RBI double from Tyler DeMattio. Maceda came home to score on a wild pitch and DeMattio eventually scored on a double steal to make it 7-0. Franklin plated four runs in the top, including a pair of two-out singles. Bannon finished with 6.1 innings pitched, striking out six with two hits allowed, retiring the side in order in the first three innings. Chris Goode had two hits and an RBI for the Panthers, Evan Raider added a hit, a walk, and an RBI, and Jack Marino chipped in with an RBI and a run scored.

Sharon, 2 @ King Philip, 12 – Final (6 Inn.)King Philip moved to 4-0 on the season, scoring in double figures for the third time this season in a win over Sharon. The Warriors didn’t waste any time getting the bats going with five runs in the first inning. Shawn Legere knocked Travis Crawford (single) in with a base hit, Matt Kelley (single) scored on a wild pitch, and both Rudy Gately and Brendan Sencaj scored on a throwing error. Matt DiFiore brought in the fifth run with an RBI single to score Nick Viscusi. In the second, Gately had an RBI single to extend the lead to 6-0. In the bottom of the fourth, Gately drove in Legere with a RBI base hit, and Kelley came in to score on a wild pitch for the second time in the game. Luke Nixon and Will Astorino each drew a bases-loaded walk in the sixth and Brendan Weddleton had a two-run single to end the game in the bottom of the sixth. Viscusi got the win in the mound, tossing six innings with two earned runs while striking out eight.

Stoughton, 6 @ Mansfield, 7 – FinalMansfield scored two insurance runs in the top of the seventh that proved pivotal as the Hornets had to hold off a furious rally by the Black Knights in the bottom of the seventh. Mansfield scored two runs in each the first and third, and a single run in the fifth to carry a 5-1 lead into the final inning. Two runs in the top of the seventh ended up being the difference as Stoughton sent five runs home in the bottom half before Mansfield got the final out for the win. Anthony Sacchetti had three hits and scored three runs while sophomore Matt DeShiro had three hits, including two doubles and two stolen bases, and drove in three runs to pace the Hornets’ offense. Conner Zukowski added two hits (both doubles) and a run scored, Jimmy Gilleran had a pair of hits and two RBI, and Connor Curtis added two doubles. Gilleran tossed six innings on the mound, allowing one run (unearned) on four hits and two walks, striking out six.

Milford, 2 @ Oliver Ames, 5 – FinalClick here for a Recap and Photo Gallery from this game.








Softball
Foxboro, 4 @ Attleboro, 14 – FinalAttleboro’s Lily Routhier got her third win of the season in the circle while the Bombardiers belted out 14 hits for 14 runs in a win over visiting Foxboro. Routhier tossed a complete game, allowing two earned runs on six hits while striking out six. Offensively, Lindsey Perry had a pair of doubles with three runs scored, adding a pair of walks. Lauren Eby collected four hits with three runs scored and Routhier helped her own cause with a pair of hits and three runs scored. Peyton Feldman had a pair of hits for Foxboro with two runs scored while Emma Callahan had six strikeouts in five innings of work.

Canton, 1 @ Taunton, 21 – Final (5 Inn.)Taunton exploded for 14 runs in the second inning and scored more than 20 runs in a game for the second time this week. Ava Venturelli paced the Tigers offense, going 4-for-4 with two homers, a triple, and a double. She drove in six runs and scored four times. The top five hitters in the Taunton lineup combined for 15 hits and 14 RBI. Kyleah Plumb was 2-for-5 with two RBI, Kaysie DeMoura was 3-for-4 with two RBI, Brooke Aldrich was 2-for-3 with two RBI, and Hayley Krockta went 4-for-4 with two RBI. Liv Mendonca and Cate Larson combined on a four-hitter. Taylor Reynolds, Anna Lehan, Jess Wright, and Chloe Guershony each had hits for the Bulldogs.

North Attleboro, 10 @ Franklin, 0 – FinalNorth’s bats came alive to back up a stellar performance in the circle from Zoey McDonough. The Rocketeers totaled 16 hits including four from Kelly Colleran, who blasted a pair of homers and drove in seven of North’s 10 runs. McDonough was lights out, striking out 14 and holding Franklin to five hits. Ally Levine had three hits for North, which also got two hits apiece from Mandi Hanewich (two runs scored), McDonough, and Emma Hanwell. Maryellen Charette had a hit and an RBI and Grace Simmons made a nice catch in right and assisted on an out at second.

Sharon, 0 @ King Philip, 20 – Final (5 Inn.)King Philip pushed across eight runs in the first and nine more in the second while Emma Sheehan and Taylor Regan combined to toss a one-hitter in a win over Sharon. Sarah Cullen had a big day for the Warriors from the leadoff spot, collecting four hits, two RBI and four runs scored. Meg Sherwood (homerun) added three hits, five RBI and three runs, and Maddie Paschke (homerun) had four RBI on two hits with three runs scored. Sheehan (2IP) and Regan (3IP) each had five strikeouts.

Stoughton, 6 @ Mansfield, 5 – FinalClick here for a Recap and Photo Gallery from this game.

Oliver Ames, 5 @ Milford, 2 – Final (8 Inn.)Oliver Ames pushed across three runs in the top of the eighth inning and held on as the Scarlet Hawks had the tying run at the plate in the bottom half. Milford took the lead in the bottom of the second after a bunt from Jianna Fernandes was thrown away, allowing Sarah Wengal (walk) to score. OA struck back in the top of the fifth in similar fashion as Katherine Farley (dropped third strike) scored after a throwing error after a bunt from Madison Monteiro. OA took its first lead in the top of the seventh when Farley (single) scored on a double from Caitlin Miller to make it 2-1. Sophomore Grace Bonina hit a one-out single in the bottom of the seventh, moved to second on a sacrifice, and came to score on an effor to make it 2-2, sending it to extra innings. In the top of the eighth, freshman Emily Martin led off with a double and moved to third on a grounder from Lexi Galsband (two hits). Junior Katie Melendy, who also tossed an eight inning complete game for the Tigers, smacked a single up the middle to take the lead. Freshman Devon Morris followed with a single, and both Melendy and Morris scored on a single from Farley. Melendy worked around back-to-back one-out walks to get the win. Maeve Driscoll had 11 strikeouts in 7.1 innings of work for the Hawks.




Boys Lacrosse
Sharon, 14 @ Attleboro, 10 – FinalBrady Daylor found the back of the net eight times to lead Sharon to a win on the road over Attleboro. Along with Daylor’s eight goals, Ben Shocket (23-for-28 faceoffs) and Sam Rothbaum each added a pair of goals while Jacob Kaufman and Jordan Weizmann each scored once in the win. Matt Powers made 10 saves in net for the Eagles.

Girls Lacrosse
Attleboro, 14 @ Sharon, 6 – FinalBailey Garte had a hat trick for the Eagles, who also got goals from Anna Hertzel, Keira Lydeard, and Serena Bien-Aime.

Boys Tennis
Foxboro, 4 @ Attleboro, 1 – FinalFoxboro’s Bo Canfield didn’t drop a game at second singles and the Warriors won four matches in straight sets to get a victory over Attleboro. Canfield won 6-0, 6-0 while Garrett Spillane added a first singles win (6-2, 6-1) and Raj Jetty secured a win at third singles (6-2, 6-0). Foxboro added a win from Nate Cote and Luca Meyer at second doubles (6-1, 7-5). Attleboro’s Tyler Rocchio and Kyle Neuendorf continued their strong season with a 6-3, 6-1 win at first doubles.

Canton, 4 @ Taunton, 1 – FinalCanton won all three singles matches in straight sets and added a fourth point with a win at second doubles to secure a victory on the road at Taunton. Max Kupferman, Suraj Ramanathan and Justin Ngan all won in straight sets in singles for Canton in singles action, and the team of seniors Kevin Moltenbrey and Luke Romano took the win at second doubles. Taunton’s Andrew Letourneau and Derek Desseault took the first doubles for Taunton in straight sets.

Sharon, 5 @ King Philip, 0 – Final

Stoughton, 0 @ Mansfield, 5 – FinalMansfield took all five matches in straight sets to defend home court against visiting Stoughton. Freshman Neema Khosravani and sophomore Kailash Elumelai both won 6-1, 6-0 at first and second singles, respectively, while sophomore Iniyan Karruppusami grabbed a 6-3, 6-0 win at third singles. Junior Benson Delaney teamed with senior Jonah Fine for a 6-1, 6-0 first doubles win while sophomore Nikhil Nain and senior Pratham Tallam grabbed a 6-2, 6-2 win at second doubles.

Oliver Ames, 5 @ Milford, 0 – FinalOliver Ames sophomore Nick Westerbeke didn’t drop a set at first singles while seniors Kylash Gannesh and Raphael Vache both won in straight sets as the Tigers took a 5-0 win on the road at Milford. Westerbeke won 6-0, 6-0, Gannesh grabbed a 6-1, 6-4 win at second singles, and Vache earned a 6-0, 6-1 win at third singles. OA’s first doubles team of freshmen Patrick Dolan and Alex Efremidas secured a 6-1, 6-4 win at first doubles while junior Ben Dias and sophomore Alex Vasiliou emerged with a 4-6, 7-5, 12-10 win at second doubles in a great match with Milford senior Pedro DeSouza and freshman Todd Ostertog. Both coaches praised the effort of the second doubles players, with the both sides hitting great shots and earning key points.

North Attleboro, 0 @ Franklin, 5 – FinalAfter splitting the first two sets, Franklin senior Thomas Broyles won a 10-point tiebreaker to complete the sweep for the Panthers. Broyles ended with a 6-3, 4-6, 10-8 win at second singles, Vashnav Malhotra added a 6-0, 6-1 first singles victory, and senior Drew Mahoney won 6-1, 6-3 at third singles. The team of senior Tim O’Keefe and sophomore Jay Gorgas notched a 6-1, 6-0 win at first doubles, and senior Sameen Shaik and sophomore Ahan Shetty won 6-0, 6-1 at second doubles.




Girls Tennis
Attleboro, 1 @ Foxboro, 4 – FinalA sweep in singles action plus one doubles win gave Foxboro a 4-1 win over visiting Attleboro. Athena Li (6-0, 6-0), Hailey Kornbluth (6-0, 6-1), and Analise Jia (6-0, 6-3) won at first, second, and third singles, respectively, while Abby Costa and Juliana Preston added a 6-2, 6-2 first doubles win. Attleboro’s Allison Rebelo and Presley Biller added a 6-4, 6-4 win at second doubles.

Taunton, 1 @ Canton, 4 – FinalA pair of wins from singles action plus two more in doubles play gave Canton a win at home over visiting Taunton. Camila Cutter battled to a hard-fought 6-4, 7-5 win at first singles while Laura Correal secured a 6-4, 6-3 win at second singles for the Bulldogs. The team of Olivia Durham and Grace Powers emerged with a 6-1, 7-6 (7-5) win at first doubles and Canton’s second doubles team of Olivia Maloney and Allie Wong rallied for a 2-6, 6-4, 6-3 win. Taunton’s Ava Alves notched a 7-5, 6-2 win at third singles.

King Philip, 0 @ Sharon, 5 – FinalAfter two very tight battles in singles action, and a three-set doubles battle, Sharon took home a 5-0 decision over visiting King Philip. Navya Shukla and Hannah Faberman both emerged from hard-fought matches with identical 7-6, 6-4 wins at first and second singles, respectively, while freshman Judy Song added a 6-1, 6-1 third singles win. Junior Sophia Oh and senior Sasha Fein grabbed a 6-1, 6-3 win at first doubles while Sharon’s second doubles tandem of juniors Ellie Zhao and Wenxin Lu prevailed with a 7-5, 3-6, 6-1 win for the Eagles.

Mansfield, 3 @ Stoughton, 2 – Final

Milford, 1 @ Oliver Ames, 4 – FinalBoth of Oliver Ames’ doubles teams won in straight sets without dropping a game to secure a 4-1 victory over Milford. The team of Caroline Peper and Morgan Vasiliou won at first singles while Marina Mierzwinski and Olivia Querzoli grabbed the win at second doubles, both matches finishing 6-0, 6-0. OA freshman Hannah Farber added a 6-1, 6-0 win at first singles and Elizabeth O’Brien prevailed from third singles with a 6-0, 2-6, 10-2 win. Milford’s Paige Gaulik rallied for a 1-6, 6-4, 10-8 victory at second singles.

Boys Volleyball
King Philip, 1 vs. Millis, 3 – Final
Milford, 3 vs. Medfield, 0 – Final

2022 Hockomock League Baseball Preview

2022 Hockomock League Baseball Preview
Taunton returns a strong group of players looking to challenge for the Kelley-Rex division title. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)

By HockomockSports.com Staff

2022 Hockomock League Baseball Preview

Attleboro

2021 Record: 5-11
2021 Finish: Reached Div. 1 South First Round
Coach: Steve Dunlea
With a good mix of new faces and experienced veterans, Attleboro is aiming to be in the mix of a loaded Kelley-Rex division. For the Bombardiers, it will lean heavily on a deep pitching staff.

It starts with seniors Billy Saltmarsh, who is committed to UMass Dartmouth, and Cian Kelleher, who is committed to Stonehill. They’ll be joined in the rotation by junior lefty Danny Johnson while senior Jamie Bloch and junior Sean O’Hara lend strength to the relief corps. Sophomore Matt Harvie, sophomore Johnny Pagano, and freshman Tyler Dunlea will also be in the mix to see innings on the mound.

Senior captain Owen Taber (UMass Dartmouth) will be an anchor of the Bombardier defense at second base while juniors Peter DelPozzo and Cooper Johnson, along with Pagano, look to fill in at shortstop as senior captain Evan Houle works his way back from an injury from basketball season. Johnson, DelPozzo, and Dunlea are in the mix for the starting job at third while Bloch (committed to UMaine Farmington) and Christian Dame provide depth at first base.

In the outfield, senior Nate George will cover a lot of ground from his spot in centerfield, and the Bombardiers will rotate between Parket Sacket, Hayden Hagerty, Ben Hochwarter, Danny Johnson, Brody McKenna, and Harvie for the other two outfielder spots. Junior Aidan Hochwarter provides a steady presence both at the dish and behind the plate at catcher.

“The strength of this team is its chemistry,” said Attleboro head coach Steve Dunlea. “We have a great group of returning players who have really worked hard to build a team bond through the pandemic. I give a lot of credit to the captains from last year and this year. Despite the challenges they faced with COVID, they were able to rebuild the chemistry of the Attleboro baseball program that was lost when the 2020 season was canceled.”

Canton

2021 Record: 8-7
2021 Finish: Reached Div. 2 South First Round
Coach: Ben Shuffain
Canton got off to a great start to the 2021 campaign, winning six of their first seven games but ended up with a first-round exit in the playoffs. With a strong core of returning players plus a couple of promising young players, the Bulldogs are aiming to get back to the postseason again this season.

The Bulldogs certainly have some holes to fill with the loss of a talented senior class and the departure of ace Andrew Middleton. Fourth-year head coach Ben Shuffain will lean on captains Andy Butler and Matt Chafin to lead the charge this season, along with three-year players Nico Bonanno, Matt Quan, and Zach Peters. Chafin was one of the best offensive players in the league last year, finishing second with a 0.442 average.

2022 Hockomock League Baseball Preview

Shuffain has a lot of options for pitching, with at least a dozen choices to fill out the rotation and relief corps. Jay Kelleher, Hayden Rose, and Owen Lane will all be in the mix for innings on the mound. Matty Lesser, James Young, Jack Digirolomo, and freshman Kyle Redquest will work the infield while the catching duties will fall to Sean Sullivan and Matt Hart.

“We are a very experienced team with a lot of guys with a lot of innings pitched from last season and wins under their belt,” Shuffain said. “With a few of last year’s backups moving into starting roles and the addition of a few younger guys and the experienced upperclassmen this team should have a good season as they will continue to work hard on the field and in the weight room.”







Foxboro

2021 Record: 5-10
2021 Finish: Reached Div. 3 South Preliminary Round
Coach: Derek Suess
Foxboro has some of the top returning talents in the league but will look for some of its younger players to provide the depth needed to compete for a division title this season.

Junior captain Sean O’Leary is one of the top arms in the league and has a lot of varsity experience under his belt already. He will be the ace of the staff that will also feature junior Mathieu Sullivan, who made his varsity debut last season, and freshman Nolan Gordon, who has impressed during the preseason. Pitching depth will come from seniors Andrew Peterson, Tom Marcucella, Liam Mulkern, and junior Alex Stern.

Senior captain Tom Marcucella is one of the most experienced players in the league and his versatility gives head coach Derek Suess a lot of options in the infield. Marcucella can play at any of the four infield spots but will spend the majority of his time at first base. Junior Ryan LeClair is back in the mix at shortstop after a breakout season a year ago, sophomore Tyler Prescott is back for his second year with the squad, and freshman Ryan O’Leary offers a solid bat and glove. Senior Kyle Smith and junior Josh Connolly provide solid depth in the infield.

Senior captain and three-sport star Jack Watts will patrol center field for the Warriors and will be flanked by juniors Kenny Mello and Louis Carangelo, all three looking to make an impact with their bats this season. When not pitching, Gordon will also be in the mix for some innings in the outfield and sophomore Shane Henri gives Suess another solid option. Mulkern is the starting catcher with freshmen Ben Angelini and Mike Marcucella in the mix as well.

“We have great leadership from our captains and upperclassmen which has set the tone for the rest of our guys,” Suess said. “The underclassmen have bought in and can contribute right away. We must embrace the daunting challenge of playing in the Hock, and compete with confidence to give ourselves the best chance to reach our goals.”

Franklin

2021 Record: 16-2
2021 Finish: Reached Div. 1 South Final
Coach: Zach Brown
Franklin graduated some of the best players in the league after last season, but the Panthers still have a loaded lineup and a deep and talented pitching staff that could result in a very deep playoff run.

Not many teams could lose one of the best hitters in the league (Nate Cooke, 0.429) and one of the best catchers in the league (Jake Fitzgibbons, 0.353) and still boast one of the best lineups in the league but that’s how deep the Panthers are. Jack Marino, Ben Jarosz, and Chris Goode were all among the league leaders offensively a season ago, and Franklin also has sophomore Henry Digiorgio and junior Eisig Chin back after picking up a year of varsity experience. Junior Ryan Gerety, a Northeastern commit, is one of the best fielders in the region and is very dangerous at the plate.

2022 Hockomock League Baseball Preview

And after surrendering a league-low 40 runs last season, Franklin returns its entire rotation. Jacob Jette had a great junior season and will be one of the best pitchers in the Hock while junior Alfred Mucciarone will look to build upon a solid sophomore campaign. Relievers James Kuczmiec and Ethan Voellmicke dominated last season, coming in time after time and shutting opponents down.




King Philip

2021 Record: 8-8
2021 Finish: Reached Div. 1 South First Round
Coach: Jeff Plympton, Jr.
It was a good start for head coach Jeff Plympton as the Warriors won eight games last season and went to the playoffs, bowing out to eventual state champions Xaverian.

King Philip has the majority of its lineup back and will be looking to make some noise in a very competitive Kelley-Rex division. After averaging almost five runs a game last year, the Warriors have some key bats back in the lineup this year. Senior Shawn Legere is a returning league all star that starts at shortstop and is coming off a season in which he hit 0.386 and scored a league-best 16 runs. Rudy Gately had a breakout sophomore season and will be a key bat in the lineup again this year.

Gately will also be a go-to option on the mound for Plympton after going 4-0 last season, striking out 33 in 34.1 innings of work with an impressive 1.03 ERA. Tommy Martorano also gained a lot of experience last year as a sophomore and will give the Warriors a solid 1-2 punch for its starting rotation.

“We have a lot of arms to roll out if we need them which is great,” Plympton said. “Shawn Legere provides great leadership to the team and demands hard work at practice and games. Our fielding should be strong this year but I’m looking forward to watching our offense. Last year we struggled at the plate but this year looks promising. Last season we notched our first playoff win in over a decade and we look to keep those strides moving forward this year.”

Mansfield

2021 Record: 8-8
2021 Finish: Reached Div. 1 South First Round
Coach: Chris Hall
With a talented and experienced pitching staff and a list of players eager to make a name for themselves at the dish, Mansfield enters the season with the goal of challenging for the Kelley-Rex division title.

The Hornets were young last spring, and a lot of players earned their first varsity starts on the mound and at-bats. Mansfield has the majority of its team back and will be looking to turn that valuable experience into a successful 2022 campaign. They certainly aren’t shying away from testing that talent with defending state champions Xaverian, Maryland powerhouse Archbishop Spalding, and other top teams on its schedule along with a loaded Hock schedule.

2022 Hockomock League Baseball Preview

Seniors Anthony Sacchetti, Aaron Blinn, Jimmy Gilleran, and Colby Geddis highlight a deep and talented pitching staff for the Hornets. All of those arms got their feet wet during last year’s season and now give head coach Chris Hall a lot of flexibility with his rotation. There won’t be a drop off as the games go on with four solid options.

The big challenge for the Hornets a season ago was offense, scoring a division low 57 runs. With a strong offseason under their belts, there are a lot of names eager to step up and improve that number. Sacchetti, Gilleran, Geddis, and classmates Andrew Slaney and Jared Fraone will try to lead the way while juniors Conner Zukowski, Sam Martin, Caden Colby, Aidan Jones, and Rocco Scarpellini are all in the mix. Sophomores Connor Curtis and Jake Maydak both played varsity last year and could be impact players right away. Behind the dish, Aidan Jones and Wyatt Bolduc are battling for the starting spot at catcher after the Hornets lost senior Liam Anastasia to an injury.

“The keys to success this season rely heavily on every player doing their job,” Hall said. “The Hornets bring a well-rounded roster to the table and expect to compete all season long. Pitching and defense continue to be a strength for the Hornets. Offensively, the Hornets look to use a variety of talent to score runs and win baseball games.”

Milford

2021 Record: 5-9
2021 Finish: Missed Postseason
Coach: Alex Dion
There were some growing pains for the Hawks a season ago with a young squad, but with just five players graduated from a year ago, the Hawks are hoping to be a contender in a deep Kelley-Rex division.

Head coach Alex Dion plans to get contributions from all four classes this season, starting with a strong group of seniors that cover the field. Tyler Lane and Grant Scudo will see time in the outfield, Justin Luchini mans first base, Alex McColl can play in a number of spots in the infield, Cole Forrest is a versatile weapon, and John Denegris is an option on the mound.

The rotation will be anchored by junior Evan Cornelius, junior Tyler Caldon, and sophomore Anthony LaPierre. Cornelius started every game for the Hawks last season and will play at first when he’s not on the mound. Caldon and LaPierre, both right-handed pitchers, are up from the JV squad and have impressed in the early going.

2022 Hockomock League Baseball Preview

Offensively, sophomore Keith Lee picked up valuable experience after starting nine games as a freshman last season. He will start behind the dish and be one of the most important bats in the lineup. Sophomores Damien Carter and Sean McGee also started last season and will make up Milford’s middle infield.

“I am excited about the potential that this group has,” Dion said. “With strong senior leadership and varsity players in all four grades we have an opportunity to compete this year and for years to come. This is a great league and I have a lot of respect for the other teams in it. It starts on the mound and if we can get quality pitching out of the arms that we have here we have a chance to compete. We will have to win games in a variety of ways and I believe that we have the athletes to do that.”




North Attleboro

2021 Record: 12-5
2021 Finish: Reached Div. 2 South Semifinal
Coach: Mike Hart
After splitting the division title a season ago, the Rocketeers enter the 2022 campaign with a chance at winning back-to-back division titles for the first time in 30 years.

Replacing ace Dennis Colleran won’t be easy but North Attleboro has some solid arms on the mound including senior Danny Curran and senior David Floyd, who missed last season. Curran went 2-0 last year and struck out 22 in 23 innings of work with a 3.65 ERA. Head coach Mike Hart also has pitching options in senior Anthony Wescott, and juniors Jordan Paradis, Derek Maceda, and Ayden Delaney.

One of the big reasons the Rocketeers had such success last season was their offense, which scored a Davenport division 110 runs. Maceda was one of the best bats in the league and will patrol the outfield for the Big Red along with Curran, Paradis, and senior Christian Bates. In the infield, Floyd will be joined by classmates Brody Rosenberg, Gavin Wells, and Nik Kojoian, and senior Tyler Bannon will patrol shortstop. Junior Aidan Conrad had a breakout season starting behind the dish a year ago.

2022 Hockomock League Baseball Preview

“We’re going to look to put a lot of pressure on other teams offensively,” Hart said. “We have many capable pitchers who can provide quality innings. We feel our defense will limit mistakes and not give many runs away. If we want to have a successful season we will need contributions from everybody on the roster on a daily basis. We will rely on our senior leadership and experience to guide us through the season. We need guys to excel in their role and focus on the job at hand.”

Oliver Ames

2021 Record: 9-6
2021 Finish: Reached Div. 2 South First Round
Coach: Joe Abarr
After earning a share of the Davenport title last season, the Tigers have the pieces in place to make another run at the division crown this year.

A combination of veterans and new faces eager to make an impression gives head coach Joe Abarr a nice mix to work with. Offensively, the Tigers will look for their senior captains to lead the way. Jake Waxman will play first base and potentially some outfield and is one of the best bats in the Hockomock League while Joe Cicchetti could also see time at first as well as the outfield, and is a strong two-way player. Patrick Finnerty is back in the mix after a strong junior season.

2022 Hockomock League Baseball Preview

On the mound, OA has a pair of lefties at the top of the rotation. Nick Clark (3-0, 2.78, 32K) and Jack Richardson (2-2, 2.07, 21K) are both coming off great junior seasons and will give the Tigers a solid 1-2 punch on the mound this year. Richardson will also see time in the outfield and will be a key piece of the lineup offensively.

“We have a good mix of returners and young talented players looking for opportunities to help our team win,” Abarr said. “We are excited for a full ‘normal’ season back in the Hock.”

Sharon

2021 Record: 3-12
2021 Finish: Reached Div. 2 South Preliminary Round
Coach: Andrew Poliferno
Sharon enters the season with a roster eager to compete among the Hockomock League’s top teams, but the Eagles will have to do so all on the road this season. With the construction of the new high school currently underway where Sharon’s field was, it will be all road trips for the Eagles this season.

It will start with the 10 seniors on the team, including captains Dan Okstein and Dylan Labbe. Okstein is back after an injury limited his time a year ago and will be a key piece in the lineup offensively. He will be the anchor of the outfield, playing mostly in left but could also see time in center. Labbe has a ton of varsity experience and will be the ace of the pitching staff this year. Also on the mound returns sophomore Luke Meixel, one of the league’s breakout players last year as a freshman. junior Alex Coughlin, Ryan Baker, Zach Loomis, Jack Broughton, and Okstein will also be in the mix for innings on the mound.

Offensively, Nate Yaffe is back after a great year at the dish a year ago and will take over at shortstop. Not only is Yaffe consistent with the bat, but he’s also very dangerous on the base paths. Another speedy option at the dish will be Palash Raina and the Eagles are hoping to get key contributions at the plate from Okstein and varsity newcomer Connor Blaney. Liam Conway takes over behind the dish and Will Hippler, Owen Kevorkian, Eli Greenfield, Josh Tolentino, and Jake Loomis are all in the mix for spots in the lineup as well.

2022 Hockomock League Baseball Preview

“As a second-year varsity coach, I couldn’t be prouder to see how ready our players are to play their 2022 season,” said Sharon head coach Andrew Poliferno. “It is evident our players worked hard during the off-season to prepare to compete in the Hockomock. Our players are gritty, determined, and not afraid to put in the hard work that it takes to improve. In addition to their drive to succeed, the team vibe is positive and players go out of their way to encourage one another. I believe we have the makings of a very talented and passionate group of players ready to make noise for their 2022 season.”

Stoughton

2021 Record: 4-10
2021 Finish: Missed Postseason
Coach: Kevin Carty
There will be a lot of new faces in the Stoughton lineup this season, and that goes for the dugout too as Kevin Carty takes over for Mike Armour, who was the longest-tenured coach in the Hockomock League.

Carty is going to lean heavily on his seniors, who make up over half of the Knights’ roster. There is a lot of versatility among the senior class as well with players like Joe McNulty and Jonah Ly, who could see time in the outfield, the infield, on the mound, and in McNulty’s case, even behind the dish. Brad Franey, Anthony Girolamo, Anthony Tilton, James Price, and Owen Wiesnberger are all seniors that are in the mix for infield spots.

Girolamo, Ly, and Price will be joined by sophomore Will Worsley, junior Jeriel Cuello, junior Sean Farley, junior Joe Rush, and sophomore Hunter Malkin as options on the mound for Carty.

“We have a deep group of seniors that will carry us this year,” Carty said. “These seniors are very athletic and can play anywhere on the field. They have the ability to be great leaders for the younger players. We will go as far as they carry us.”

Taunton

2021 Record: 13-5
2021 Finish: Reached Div. 1 South Semifinal
Coach: Blair Bourque
Replacing a league MVP is never an easy task as the Tigers have to do with Danny MacDougall, but Taunton has a lot of depth and a lot of new faces looking to make a name for themselves as they help Taunton challenge for the Kelley-Rex title.

The strength of the 2022 Tigers will be offense and defense. Taunton has already lost some pitchers to injury so it will be a group effort on the mound this season. Coming off a season in which they scored 119 runs (nearly 7 runs a game), the offense will once again be a key component. Dawson Bryce had a breakout year after hitting 0.341 and driving in 12 runs a season ago, and junior Ryan MacDougall is one of the best power hitters in the league.

Seniors Evan Cali, Colby DeCouta, Colin Botelho, and junior Braden Sullivan are all very experienced at the varsity level and head coach Blair Bourque will lean on their leadership this season.

“Unlike in years past, we don’t have any true pitchers; our pitching staff consists of position players who will need to step up and give us an opportunity to compete,” Bourque said.”Offensively, we’ll look to have productive at-bats, be patient, and take advantage of mistakes. We should have one of the more productive offenses Taunton has had in some time. Although we’ll continue to play fundamental baseball, we hope to be able to capitalize when opportunity presents itself.”