Franklin senior Alfred Mucciarone celebrates after recording his 10th strikeout to seal the win over Taunton. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)
FRANKLIN, Mass. — The Hockomock League runs through Franklin — again.
The Panthers clinched their fourth straight Kelley-Rex crown with a 7-4 verdict over rival Taunton, sweeping the season series against the Tigers and staying undefeated at 15-0.
The bottom of Franklin’s lineup spearheaded a six-run second inning and senior right-hander Alfred Mucciarone struck out 10 — his fifth double-digit strikeout performance in six starts — in a complete game effort.
“It’s a balancing act,” said Franklin head coach Zach Brown of dealing with all of the storylines surrounding the matchup with the Tigers, including a second rematch of last year’s Division 1 state championship. “Sometimes when you have all this motivation it can work against you in baseball. We have to trust our leadership and when you have these veterans, who are saying all the right things, it makes it easier.”
After leaving the bases loaded in the first, Franklin’s big offensive inning came an inning later. Senior and seven hitter Ethan DePaolo found a hole in the left side for a leadoff single and senior Luke Sidwell battled back after falling behind 0-2 to leg out an infield single. Senior Ryan Carlucci, inserted into the lineup at first base due to an injury, smoked the second pitch he saw to the base of the center field fence to plate the first run of the game.
“It just lengthens us,” Brown said of the production from the bottom of the lineup. “We were playing today without Benny Jarosz, and Ryan Carlucci comes up and has that big double, and he was really good the other day against King Philip too. The bottom part of our lineup has been really productive and they’re relentless with their at-bats. They go down two strikes and they battle away, extending at-bats, seeing more pitches. Sometimes they will go down but what they’ve done is made it easier for the next guys coming up. It’s a team approach to offense and those guys have really developed their own identity. We can do a lot of different things with them and they now know what we’re looking for from them and how they can be effective out there.
“The bottom part of our order is relentless and they got us going there. That gave our more veteran guys an opportunity with runners in scoring position. They’ve worked really hard, great attention to detail, and to see it pay off in games is rewarding.”
That set the stage for the heart of the lineup as leadoff hitter Ryan Gerety (Northeastern) ripped an opposite field double to bring in two. After a single from Jase Lyons, senior Eisig Chin (Stonehill) had a line drive to right — Franklin’s sixth straight hit — for another run. A balk brought a run home and junior Henry Digiorgio (Northeastern) had an RBI groundout to extend the lead to 6-0.
Franklin had only allowed a total of eight runs in its first 14 games so the big second inning certainly put the Panthers in prime position.
But Taunton answered quickly and kept it close the rest of the way. Junior Andrew Cali and senior braden Sullivan had back-to-back one-out singles before Mucciarone got the second out with a strikeout. Senior Dawson Bryce, who will be joining a slew of former Panthers next year at Merrimack, delivered the big hit as he smacked a three-run homer over the left field fence to make it 6-3.
The bottom half of Franklin’s lineup delivered again as Sidwell, the eight hitter, turned a routine base hit into a double with his speed in the bottom of the third. A groundout from Carlucci moved the runner to third and Sidwell came flying home on a wild pitch to give the Panthers another insurance run.
“All year, we’ve been able to limit damage but we knew coming in we wouldn’t be able to afford too many mistakes,” said Taunton head coach Blair Bourque.
“They made us pay the price and we have to do a better job of limiting it. Dawson’s swing got us back in it and we got a little momentum there but Mucciarone is the best pitcher in the state for a reason. We knew it’d be a dogfight and we’d have to be at our best but we weren’t good enough.”
Mucciarone didn’t have much trouble the rest of the way, retiring the side in order in the fourth (two strikeouts), working around a two-out walk to Ryan MacDougall in the sixth, and sat the Tigers down in order in the seventh, punctuated with his 10th strikeout.
Taunton was able to pull one back in the fifth when Cali reached on an error, stole second, took third on a throwing error, and came home to score on Sullivan’s groundout.
“He’s just a special competitor,” Brown said of Mucciarone, who improved to 6-0 on the year with 62 strikeouts. “He’s everything you’d want in an ace: he’s got great stuff, he has tremendous ability, but more importantly are all his intangibles. He’s a tremendous competitor, a great leader for our younger pitchers, and he does so much on a daily basis in our dugout. We’re thankful we have him, he can make you look like a good coach.”
As the Tigers battle some injuries to their rotation, they did get some positive innings from both MacDougall, who was making just his second appearance on the mound, and Bryce, who made his fourth relief appearance of the year.
MacDougall allowed one hit and two walks, striking out two in two scoreless innings while Bryce had two strikeouts while pitching a shutout sixth inning.
“With Jack [Cali] and Shawn [Cali] injured, we’ve kind of had to rely on some other guys,” Bourque said. “We weren’t anticipating having to use Ryan too much on the mound but we’ve had to start to have him throw some bullpens. Dawson’s been able to come in all year, and we’re being cautious with his arm, and his stuff is electric but we can’t use him much more.”
Franklin baseball (13-0 Hockomock, 15-0 overall) is back home on Tuesday evening to take on the Rocketeers of North Attleboro at 7:00. Taunton (9-4, 11-4) has a non-league matchup at Plymouth North on Monday.
Taunton players celebrate after beating Franklin to win the D1 state title. Both teams bring back strong teams and are contenders to win the state championship again this spring. (Josh Perry/HockomockSports.com) By HockomockSports.com Staff
2022 Record: 5-15 2022 Finish: Missed postseason Coach: Steve Dunlea
Attleboro returns a strong core from last year and will be aiming to make some noise in one of the toughest divisions in the state. The Bombardiers had three one-run losses last year and two more in extra innings, and despite their record, just missed out on the state tournament. A big reason for that is the challenges they face throughout the season as the Kelley-Rex division last year featured both Division 1 state finalists (Franklin and Taunton), the Division 2 state finalist (KP), plus Mansfield, who reached the Division 2 final four.
The Bombardiers boast a lot of returning players up and down the lineup, and on the mound as well. Although it’s a young rotation, Attleboro has some talented arms that picked up some invaluable experience a year ago. Sophomore right-handed pitcher Tyler Dunlea (3-3, 2.74) will anchor the rotation a year removed from striking out 23 batters in 23 innings of work as a freshman. Junior Jonny Pagano is another righty that gained key experience last year and senior Sean O’Hara will be a veteran presence in the rotation. Senior Owen Lombardo, juniors Matt Harvie, Braxton Levin, Tyson Forte, and freshman Ryan Landry are all in the mix to get some innings in relief.
Offense will be an area that Attleboro will look to improve on as they go against some of the best pitchers in the area. Senior Danny Johnson is in his third year as a varsity starter and will lead a talented outfielder group that features Harvie and classmate Brody McKenna. Seniors Casey Victorio and Ran Martin, along with junior Jackson Huntington, will look to provide an offensive punch as well. Senior captains Peter Delpozzo and Cooper Johnson (0.364 average last year) are back in the fold and will lead by example both offensively and defensively for head coach Steve Dunlea. Pagano, junior Andrew Gorman, and sophomore Jacob Bettencourt are all battling for time in the infield as well. Aiden Hochwarter resumes his role as the starting catcher for the Bombardiers.
2023 Hockomock League Baseball Preview
“I am very excited about this year’s team,” said Attleboro head coach Steve Dunlea. “We have excellent leadership in our three captains. Our pitching and defense will continue to be a strength for us. We also have a great mix of returning starters and new players on offense. These guys are well aware that we play in arguably the toughest division in Massachusetts and you have to be ready to compete every day.”
2022 Record: 9-12 2022 Finish: Reached Div. 2 Round of 32 Coach: David Walsh
Canton has a new head coach in David Walsh but the goals remain the same as the Bulldogs will be aiming to return to the state tournament again this year. With a talented core back in the fold from last year’s team, not only will the Bulldogs be in the mix to make the playoffs, they could contend for the Davenport division title.
The lineup will feature a lot of familiar faces from last year that is anchored by a seasoned senior class. Shortstop Matt Chafin is among the best players in the league and is committed to play at the next level at Brandies. He will be joined in the lineup by Jack Digirolamo, one of the most dangerous hitters in the league. Digirolamo led the team in average last season with a 0.446 batting average (29 hits), which was good for fourth in the entire league while Chafin finished at 0.350 with 16 runs scored. Senior Hayden Rose (Framingham State) is another familiar name that will play a lot of innings for the Bulldogs, coming off a season in which he hit 0.328 with a team-high 17 RBI.
Rose will anchor a pitching staff that will need to fill some holes this year. Rose was among the league leaders in terms of innings pitched last year, coming in second in the regular season in the Hock with 43.2 innings of working. He posted a 4-4 record with a 2.89 ERA, striking out 28. Andrew Butler and Zach Peters combined for over 50 innings last year but with both players graduated, there will be an opportunity for new faces to step up for Walsh. While the Bulldogs get the rotation set, Walsh is preaching fundamentals and having the team pride themselves on good defense.
“This will be a fundamentally sound group who is gritty, tough, and are not afraid of the everyday grind,” Walsh said. “We will rely on our pitchers to throw strikes, defense to be routine, and situationally hit. If we are able to do all three in each game we will be very competitive.”
2022 Record: 16-8 2022 Finish: Reached Div. 3 Final Four Coach: Derek Suess
Foxboro was one of the feel-good stories last season as the Warriors made a dramatic tournament run to the state semifinals before falling to eventual state champ Austin Prep. While the Warriors are strictly focusing on the road ahead, last season set a new standard for Foxboro.
There is a lot of optimism that the Warriors can pick up where they left off because they have almost their entire roster back for 2023. Last year’s squad had a lot of young and inexperienced players that matured quickly throughout the year. Foxboro won’t be sneaking up on anyone this year as they start the season as a serious contender for the Davenport division title. On the mound, Foxboro has six players back that tossed varsity innings including their top three: senior Sean O’Leary (UMass Lowell), senior Mat Sullivan, and sophomore Nolan Gordon. Senior Alex Stern and sophomores Danny Jacobs and Tommy Watts are also back in the fold and the Warriors have added junior Pradyu Gubbala and sophomore Ryan O’Leary to the mix. Ryan LeClair, a veteran in the group, could also see time on the mound this year.
Sophomore Mike Marcucella returns behind the dish after earning the starting role as a freshman last year. LeClair (Stonehill) returns to shortstop and is one of the best defensive players in the region and he’s complemented by Sean O’Leary, who will play third when he isn’t pitching. On the right side, junior Tyler Prescott will man second base and he will also be counted upon to set the table for the offense out of the leadoff spot. Ryan O’Leary will take over at first base this season. Stern, Sullivan, and Watts will add infield depth when not on the mound.
The outfield will also have a lot of familiar faces with veteran Louis Carangelo back in left field after a breakout junior season. Carangelo was one of the most consistent offensive players in the Hock, hitting 0.333 with 16 RBI. Sophomore Ben Angelini has had a strong preseason so far and will patrol center for the Warriors while junior Shane Henri will be in right field. Senior Kenny Mello was a solid contributor for Foxboro last year but will miss the season with an injury. Freshman Aidan Stow and Gordon will provide outfield depth.
“Despite last season’s success, this season provides new opportunities and challenges for our ballclub,” said Foxboro head coach Derek Suess. “We will be battle-tested, with an always difficult Hockomock League schedule, and a strong non-league slate as well. We need to compete each day, at a championship-level standard, to give ourselves the best opportunity to reach the goals we have set for the season. Our leadership and culture have never been stronger.”
2022 Record: 23-4 2022 Finish: Reached Div. 1 Final (Kelley-Rex champion) Coach: Zach Brown
Although Franklin has won three straight Kelley-Rex division titles, there is still plenty of motivation for these Panthers.
The Panthers are coming off a tough one-run loss in the Division 1 state championship to rival Taunton, but with a strong core returning it looks like Franklin will once again be among the top powerhouses in the state this year. One obvious strength will be the offense with five players back in the lineup from last year’s squad. Not only is it an experienced group (multiple players entering their third year starting), but it’s an incredibly talented one that features senior Ryan Gerety (Northeastern), senior Jase Lyons, senior Eisig Chin (Stonehill), senior Ben Jarosz, and junior Henry Digiorgio (Northeastern). Gerety and Chin will return to their spots in the outfield while Lyons (1B), Jarosz (3B), and Digiorgio (SS) are all back in the infield. Seniors Tyler Bellan, Luke Sidwell, and Ethan DePaolo also provide some experienced depth and newcomers Rex Cinelli, Ryan Carlucci, and Koen Bonetti will all try to contribute for head coach Zach Brown.
Pitching will be another strength with senior righty Alfred Mucciarone (UMass Lowell) back after going 5-1 during the regular season last year, posting a 2.33 ERA with 45 strikeouts in 42 innings. His experience gives the Panthers an ace to rely on as they navigate a difficult schedule. Junior lefty Austin Campbell could be the next breakout star for Franklin after some impressive outings last year, and juniors Jake Shaughnessy (LHP) and Matt Miller (RHP) fill out a strong core of pitchers. Both Chin and Lyons will also be in the mix while senior newcomers Dillon Cashin and Zach Ramaswamy are prepared to come on in relief when needed.
“We are returning a strong senior class and veteran core,” Brown said. “We are excited about how hard this group has been preparing for the upcoming season. The seniors have provided great leadership during the preseason and scrimmages.”
2022 Record: 16-9 2022 Finish: Reached Div. 2 Final Coach: Jeff Plympton, Jr.
King Philip is another squad that is coming off a tremendous season (a trend among most Hock teams) as they reached the Division 2 state championship, falling to Milton. The Warriors are also following another trend in the league as they have the majority of their lineup back in the mix this season as they look to challenge for the Kelley-Rex division title in a loaded field.
The Warriors have a strong pitching staff in the league, highlighted by senior Rudy Gately. Gately has been KP’s ace for the past two seasons and will resume that role again this year. During the regular season, he tossed 39 innings and struck out 37, posting a 3.41 ERA. He will be joined by lefty Tommy Martorano, who missed virtually all of last year with an injury. Junior Tommy McLeish emerged as a reliable option in relief last year, striking out 22 batters in 20.2 innings and he should be in line for an expanded role this year.
Offensively the Warriors will have a big void with the graduation of Shawn Legere, one of the best hitters in the state. But head coach Jeff Plympton Jr. has plenty of options to work with, including senior Brendan Sencaj, who is coming off a terrific season in which he hit 0.371 with 15 RBI and 21 runs scored. Gately, a middle infielder, is a strong two-way player that hit 0.344 last year with 16 RBI and senior Matt Kelley is a great all-around player that will make the switch to center field this season, and another weapon in the lineup. Junior Max Robison is coming off a breakout campaign (0.359 average) and is one of the best defensive first basemen in the Hock.
“We are excited to be bringing back a great core of guys from our team last year,” Plympton Jr. said. “We’re hoping to build off of our success last season and continue to build a winning culture. We will have a lot of new arms in the rotation and a few very good returning arms from last year.”
2022 Record: 17-8 2022 Finish: Reached Div. 2 Final Four Coach: Chris Hall
Mansfield lost some key contributors from a sizable graduating senior class that led the Hornets to the Division 2 Final Four a year ago, but the cupboard is far from empty for head coach Chris Hall.
The most experience back on the team comes on the offensive end with some key bats back in the lineup. Senior captains Sam Martin and Conner Zukowski look to man the left side of the infield while returning starters Matt DeShiro and Jake Maydak — both juniors — will hold down the right side. Zukowski had a great season at the dish, hitting 0.344 during the regular season with 15 runs scored while DeShiro had a breakout sophomore campaign, leading the Hornets in batting average with a 0.373 average and a team-high 25 hits, driving in 13 runs as well. Defensive wiz and captain Aidan Jones returns as the starting catcher for the squad.
There is a lot of competition in the outfield right now including junior Brian Butler, another returner from last year. Seniors Kyle Marnikovic and Will Lund are also in the mix along with juniors Wyatt Bolduc, Connor Curtis, Drew Urban, Dylan Saraceno, Anthony Saraiva, and Joey MacIntyre. Juniors Matt Tryon and Derek McGrath are versatile pieces that will bring some power to the lineup.
Mansfield lost its top three starters from a year ago in Jimmy Gilleran, Aaron Blinn, and Anthony Sacchetti, who combined to pitch over 100 innings during the regular season. Hall will turn to junior Connor Curtis, who didn’t allow an earned run in 16 innings of work in the regular season last year, recording three saves with 19 strikeouts. Maydak is also in the mix for an expanded role on the staff along with juniors Yuv Sakhalkar and Ryan Jeans, and sophomore Luke Rogan. Senior Nate Thibault will chip in as a reliever.
“Most teams who play in the Hockomock League have a chance to make a run at a state championship due to the competition you face every single game in the regular season,” Hall said. “I believe the makeup of our roster puts us in that conversation this year. This year’s team is a tight-knit, cohesive group that battles with one another at practice. They thrive off competition and work together to do whatever they can to best benefit the program. We are excited for the season and look forward to the challenges presented to us.”
2022 Record: 7-13 2022 Finish: Missed postseason Coach: Alex Dion
Similar to Attleboro, the Scarlet Hawks were a victim of playing in a division that had three teams reach a state championship game and another reach the final four. With another year of experience, Milford will look to challenge those top teams and make a push for the postseason.
The roster features a lot of familiar names that are either in their third or second year in the lineup and head coach Alex Dion is hoping that experience will lead to competing with some of the state’s best teams. The pitching staff starts with three-year starter and right-handed pitcher Evan Cornelius. A top two-way play and multi-sport athlete, Cornelius leads by example both on and off the field for the Scarlet Hawks. He went 4-2 last year with a 2.31 ERA, ranking among the league leader with 48 strikeouts in 30.1 innings of work. Junior righty Damien Carter is also in his third year while senior Tyler Caldon and junior Anthony LaPierre logged a lot of work on the mound a year ago and return as starters this year. Senior Mason Baldic and sophomore Ian Carter are both in the mix for innings this year as well.
While pitching looks to be a strength for Milford this year, the Hawks will rely on a lot of the same names to deliver offensively as well. Cornelius will man first base when he isn’t on the mound and is a reliable offensive option. Damien Carter, junior Sean McGee, and freshman Joey McGee are options in the infield alongside Cornelius while Ian Carter, Baldic, and sophomore Nick Koch are in line for opportunities in the outfield. Junior Keith Lee is back behind the dish as taking on that role a season ago and junior Nate Scudo can be effective in a variety of positions. Seniors Brady Butler, Tony Fontes, Jacob Gove, Guy Saintyl, and Cam DelPrete will provide key depth while junior Victor Martinez will look to provide some pop in the lineup.
“Looking forward to competing in this great league again this spring,” said Milford head coach Alex Dion. “We have a number of guys that have been together for three years now. I have seen strong leadership from veterans early on, a group of guys that are competitive on the mound, and some athletes that are eager to learn and compete at a high level.”
2022 Record: 18-6 2022 Finish: Reached Div. 2 Final Four (Davenport champion) Coach: Mike Hart
The Hockomock League had so much success during last season’s tournament that the Rocketeers’ accomplishments almost get lost in the shuffle. North Attleboro went 13-3 in league play last year and reached the D2 final four, picking up wins over D1 state finalists Franklin and D2 state finalists KP in the process. Now the Rocketeers join a loaded Kelley-Rex division along with those two squads, defending state champs Taunton, and two improved squads in Attleboro and Milford.
That means North Attleboro has its work cut out for them as they not only try to navigate a difficult schedule but has a lot of holes to fill in the lineup after graduating nearly a dozen seniors from last year’s 18-win squad. Head coach Mike Hart has done a terrific job since taking over the helm of the program and he will be leaning on the handful of returners he does have to lead the way this year. Hart has a dozen more seniors this year led by veterans Derek Maceda, Dillon Harding, and Jordan Paradis. Maceda will patrol center field, Harding is at shortstop, and Paradis is a seasoned pitcher that had 18 strikeouts in 17 innings of regular season work. Maceda will also get some innings on the mound along with classmates Ayden Delaney Peter Santoro, junior Parker Abrantes, and sophomore Gio Martello, and Harding will be a go-to option to close games out.
Martello was a late-season call up to the varsity squad and made an impression in his short stint with the squad. He will complete the middle of the infield at second base and will be a key piece in the lineup offensively. Seniors Jack Munley, Mark Vogel, Delaney, and sophomore Bryce Kiser are also in the mix for spots in the infield. Along with Maceda and Paradis, seniors Kyle Conroy and Reed Collins, along with junior Chris Hanewich, will cycle throughout the outfield. Junior Nate Kelly and senior Harrison Gagne are competing for time behind the dish. Hart expects the defense to be a strength of this year’s squad.
“We are looking forward to a season of growth,” Hart said. “We have many quality players new to varsity baseball who are looking to take the next step in their development and continue the success we have been privileged to have over the last few seasons. Derek Maceda, Dillon Harding, and Jordan Paradis are three capable and proven players in all three phases of the game. We will look to our pitching staff to lead us. Our team has committed to getting better each and every day. We are excited to get out and compete!”
2022 Record: 11-11 2022 Finish: Reached Div. 1 South First Round Coach: Joe Abarr
After graduating one of the largest senior classes in the league, there is plenty of opportunity to go around for Oliver Ames and head coach Joe Abarr this season. After an up-and-down year that included a playoff win, the Tigers will be looking to challenge the likes of Foxboro and Mansfield in the division title race.
With a lot of pieces departed from last year’s lineup, Abarr will start the season leaning heavily on the handful of returning pieces that played key roles last year. Senior captain Patrick Finnerty will be a major part of the defense and offense this year, as the Bentley University commit will patrol the center field and anchor the offense. On the mound, the Tigers will turn to senior captain Andrew Zagami to lead a relatively young staff that will include juniors Ian Kelley and Lucas Riley, both returners from last year’s team.
Abarr noted that there is a lot of competition in the squad right now as they battle for spots in the lineup, and he’s hoping the first few weeks will allow for a consistent lineup to emerge. Senior Nathan Luke, another returner from last year’s roster, will play the corners in the outfield at Frothingham Park this year.
“Many players have been stepping up in early practices and inter-squads and will be counted on early in the season,” Abarr said. “If we consistently stay after hitters and throw strikes we will be a competitive club. We have the potential to hit well, but the Hock’s pitching will be top-notch again based on some of the stellar returners around the league.”
2022 Record: 3-17 2022 Finish: Missed postseason Coach: Andrew Poliferno
The Eagles will have to replace some of the production lost from the 10 seniors that graduated from last year’s squad, but Sharon has some key pieces in key spots and will look to continue to improve.
One strength the Eagles will have early on is the return of almost all of its pitching staff back from last year, plus the addition of some more talented arms to create some strong depth at the position. Junior captain Luke Meixel was among the league leaders in innings pitched last season and will anchor this year’s staff. He had 33 strikeouts in 38 innings of work as a sophomore year and the Eagles are looking for him to take a big step this year. Senior Alex Coughlin will pair with Meixel to create a formidable 1-2 punch, and the Eagles will also get pitching contributions from Cole Arundale and Zach Loomis.
Senior Palash Raina is a captain alongside Meixel and Coughlin, and he will be a staple in Sharon’s lineup this season. He battled through an injury almost all of last season but is ready for a breakout final year on the diamond as he patrols center field. Head coach Andrew Poliferno believes there is a lot of depth — and internal competition — in the lineup, and that should improve production at the plate. Sophomore Drew Yaffe got his feet wet at the varsity level last season and will be looking to turn that experience into more production this year. Junior Liam Conway is back behind the dish after a strong defensive year in 2022.
“I’m really excited to see what this group of players accomplishes this season,” Poliferno said. “We have a large group of players on varsity and in the greater SHS baseball program who are hungry to compete and win games. My expectations for this team are high and that is a direct reflection of the level of talent and work ethic our players have exhibited since day one.”
2022 Record: 3-15 2022 Finish: Missed postseason Coach: Kevin Carty
Although the Black Knights lost a lot of production from its eight-member senior class that graduated last Spring, there is a lot of opportunity for new faces to work their way into the lineup for Stoughton head coach Kevin Carty.
There are some key pieces back in the mix this season after getting some valuable experience a year ago. Carty will lean on senior captains Sean Farley and Joe Rush to lead the way, with Farley both patrolling center field and pitching while Rush will play first base when he isn’t on the mound, and potentially some time behind the dish at catcher. There is also a strong contingent of players looking to build off of last year, including seniors Jeriel Cuello, who will play in the infield, and outfielder/pitchers James McCarthy and Liam Dunn, and Andrew Beder, who can play both in the infield and outfield, as well as on the mound.
Juniors Hunter Malkin, Ryan Summers, and Dom Belle all factored into the lineup for the Black Knights a year ago as sophomores and are in line for bigger roles this year. Malkin will pitch and play at first, Belle can play at both corners of the infield, and Summers will see time behind the dish at catcher.
“So far I could not be more impressed with the hard work and attitude from all of our players in the program, especially the new players on the roster,” Carty said. “I am very excited to work with these guys on a daily basis and can’t wait to see them improve throughout the season.”
2022 Record: 22-3 2022 Finish: Won Div. 1 State Championship Coach: Blair Bourque
The defending Division 1 state champions enter this season with a massive target on their back, but Taunton has the majority of its talented lineup back in the mix and is ready to take on all challengers, including a very competitive and skilled Hockomock League.
Athleticism, competitiveness, and experience will all be strengths for this year’s Taunton squad which has a lot of familiar faces in it including last year’s league MVP Ryan MacDougall, who had the game-winning home run in the state final against rival Franklin. The left side of the infield might possess the best duo in the state in seniors Braden Sullivan, a UMass commit with a strong bat that plays third base, and Dawson Bryce, a slick-fielding shortstop with consistent offensive production that is also going to play at the D1 level at Merrimack. That trio makes up the heart of the lineup for the Tigers and will make life difficult for opposing pitchers. Junior Brayden Cali, who started at second in the championship game, will be another key piece offensively for Taunton.
MacDougall also led the Tigers in innings pitched during the regular season, and classmate Shawn Cali was right there with him, posting a 4-2 record with a 1.60 ERA, striking out 27 in 35 innings of work. That gives Taunton a strong 1-2 punch in its rotation, but there’s also room for opportunity with the graduation of Evan Cali, who went 3-0 in the regular season and started the state championship game.
“The majority of our guys are multi-sport athletes who love to compete,” said Taunton head coach Blair Bourque. “And since many of our starters from last season are returning, they know the challenges of playing in arguably the most competitive league in the state as well as how to manage playing in the high-stress environment that is the post-season. Taunton has never been in a position with such high expectations so as a coach, I’m excited to see how my kids respond. This is a close-knit group and even with all the talent, they have great camaraderie.”
Taunton third baseman Braden Sullivan makes a throw to first base against Franklin. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)
TAUNTON, Mass. — In a back-and-forth seesaw battle between two of the top teams in the Hockomock League, the Taunton baseball team emerged with a quality win over visiting Franklin.
Franklin built a pair of leads but Taunton erased both of them, using a three-run fifth inning to take the lead for good in a 7-5 win.
The Panthers seized a 2-0 edge in the top of the second inning only for the Tigers to answer with four runs in the bottom half of the inning. Franklin’s offense struck for two runs in the third to tie it and took the lead once again with a single run in the fourth, but Taunton rallied for a second time by plating three runs in the fifth.
“We knew we were going to be in for a good one today,” said Taunton head coach Blair Bourque. “Franklin is always a perennial powerhouse so we knew what we were getting into. I told them the guys before the game they might get punched in the mouth, and I wanted to see how they’d respond. I was really proud of them for having good, quality at-bats. We were moving guys over, hitting the ball hard, putting pressure on them.
“It’s a great group, really hard working. I can’t say enough about the camaraderie, really happy to be coaching them.”
Trailing 5-4 and down to the final nine outs in the bottom of the fifth, junioe Dawson Bryce hustled down the first base line and slid in head-first for a leadoff infield single. Two pitches later, junior Ryan MacDougall smacked his second single of the day to put the go-ahead run on base.
Senior Colby DeCouta delivered the biggest of the game, driving a double to the outfield to bring in both runs for a 6-5 lead. An error allowed DeCouta to move up to third and two batters later, junior Brady Boucher laid down the squeeze bunt to bring DeCouta home for a key insurance run.
“It’s about piecing things together, and we had some fundamental baseball with some small ball,” Bourque said. “We work on it quite a bit and even though Brady’s hitting the ball pretty well, we felt like we wanted to make sure we get that run across and he did a great job and it was great execution, both Brady’s bunt, and Colby’s read. Having that two-run lead is huge, that’s really important. That comes from doing the little things.
“I give a lot of credit to Colby, he’s the leader on the team right now. He got them together and got them going, making sure we were confident in our ability to come back. I think we have one of the better offensive teams that we’ve had in a while. Colby’s a leader behind the plate, and on the bench, and he deserves a lot of credit for making sure, mentality-wise and confidence-wise, that they could come back.”
MacDougall, who took over in the top of the fourth inning, stranded a runner on third with a strikeout to end the sixth inning. Franklin kept fighting until the end, as Ben Jarosz (walk) and Henry Digiorgio (single) both reached with two outs but MacDougall ended the game with his seventh strikeout.
Taunton baseball
MacDougall finished with just one run allowed, as the first batter he faced — Ryan Gerety — singled and scored on a base hit by Evan Raider. The only other hit he allowed was to Digiorgio just before the final out.
Taunton senior Evan Cali started on the mound and pitched three solid innings, allowing four runs but just two earned while striking out three.
“We don’t really have that number one [pitcher],” Bourque said. “Evan’s a great pitcher, Ryan’s a great pitcher but in years past, we’ve had college-level pitching, we don’t have that this year. So we’re going to have to trust our defense, put the ball in play, and help them out as much as we can. We need the pitchers to throw strikes and they did that today.
“Evan did a great job keeping us in the game early, his pitch count started to get a little high. Ryan came in and did really well. We were able to come back and put a couple runs on the board.”
Jarosz laced a one-out double in the top of the second and came around to score two at-bats later on a double from Joe Tirrell. Gerety followed with a hard hit ball over the right fielder’s head for a triple, scoring speedy courtesy runner Luke Sidwell to make it 2-0.
Taunton baseball
Braden Sullivan led off the bottom half of the inning with a walk and moved to third on a base hit by Shawn Cali, who took second on the throw. A ground ball snuck past third and stayed fair for Boucher, bringing Sullivan home. Jack Gobin followed with a base hit of his own to tie the game, and Andrew Cali reached safely on a bunt.
With the bases loaded, Evan Cali brought a run home on a fielder’s choice with the force out at second. Bryce added another single for the Tigers, bringing Taunton’s fourth run of the inning home.
Franklin chipped away at the lead right away as Raider and Eisig Chin both reached on infield errors by the Tigers. Jase Lyons made them pay with an RBI single to right field to cut the deficit down to one. With runners on the corners and two outs, Digiorgio delivered a single to bring the tying run home to make it 4-4.
Franklin starter Jacob Jette (4.1IP, 9H, 4K, 1BB) retired the side in order in the bottom of the third, sandwiching a pair of fly balls to the outfield around a web gem of a catch from Jarosz at third.
Gerety singled, Jack Marino walked, both runners moved up on a ground out from Chris Goode, and Raider drove one up the middle to bring Gerety home to give Franklin its second lead of the game, 5-4.
“This is always a tough place to come play, they have a great club,” said Franklin head coach Zach Brown. “We knew coming into the game it was going to be back-and-forth, you know that’s real competition. They do good things, we do good things. Unfortunately at the end of the pendulum today, they had the upper hand.
“But what I really liked from our guys is they kept fighting. They could have folded but even down to two outs, we were scrapping and clawing to get the tying run on base with a chance there at the end. It didn’t go our way today but we’ll learn from it and hopefully, it will fuel our desire to continue to work hard during practice and heighten our attention to detail.”
Taunton baseball (3-0 Hockomock, 3-0 overall) will hit the road on Wednesday for a trip to Canton. Franklin (3-1, 3-1) is on the road again on Wednesday with a trip to Community Field to take on North Attleboro on tap.
Franklin junior reliever James Kuczmiec threw two perfect innings of relief for the Panthers. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)
FRANKLIN, Mass. – The Franklin baseball team came up just short in the D1 South Sectional Final against Xaverian, but it sure wasn’t for a lack of effort.
The Panthers rallied to get within one run twice and had the tying run in scoring position in the bottom of the seventh but couldn’t get over the hump, falling 5-4 to the visiting Hawks.
Franklin had a hit in five of the seven innings, putting a runner in scoring position in four of those frames. The Panthers pushed across three runs in the bottom of the fourth and made it a one-run game again with a run in the sixth, but Franklin also left the bases loaded in two innings and left a runner in scoring position in two other frames.
“It was a great game, both teams competed hard and both teams had opportunities…they just made a few more plays than we did today,” said Franklin head coach Zach Brown. “We certainly applied pressure and had our chances, even right there to the end. But unfortunately, some walks, some miscues…and they had two big blows. I’m just really proud of this team, especially the seniors.
“Having that gap year, you wonder and worry about if the culture is going to change. When I say they’ve done everything I’ve asked them to, and they’ve done it with tremendous attention to detail, passion, and effort. It’s a great group and I’m really sad to see this season at times.”
Franklin sophomore Alfred Mucciarone worked around a pair of errors in the top of the first inning, getting a soft grounder back to the mound to strand a Xaverian runner at third. Franklin also put a runner in scoring position in the first on hits from Chris Goode and Nate Cooke, but the former was stranded at second.
The Hawks broke open the scoreless game in the top of the third inning on a one-out single from Liam Foley, who moved to second on a walk to Matt Brinker. Foley came around to score on an infield error as the ball got through on the left side to make it 1-0. On the next at-bat, Xaverian’s John Connolly launched a three-run blast over the fence to give the visitors a 4-0 lead.
Franklin junior lefty Ethan Voellmicke came on in relief and got back-to-back fly balls to get out of the inning without further damage.
Voellmicke gave up one hit in the top of the fourth but quickly bounced back to get out of the inning and Franklin’s offense got them back in the game with a big bottom of the fourth.
Jack Marino kept the inning alive with a two-out single, Eisig Chin followed with an infield hit, and CJ Jette walked to load the bases. Junior Jacob Jette, fresh off a 12 strikeout performance in the semifinals, came in and delivered a huge two-out RBI pinch-hit up the middle to get the hosts on the board.
Sophomore Ryan Gerety kept the momentum going by smacking a line drive to left to score both Chin and CJ Jette to get the Panthers within a run. Goode walked to load the bases again for Franklin but Xaverian starter Ryan Douglas got a pop-up in foul territory to the catcher to keep the lead.
Franklin got two quick outs to start the fifth inning but Connolly struck again, this time with a solo shot over the left field fence to give the Hawks a two-run cushion.
Junior righty James Kuczmiec took over on the mound for the Panthers and retired the Hawks in order to give the Panthers some momentum going to the bottom half.
“Those guys have been just nails for us all year out of the pen,” Brown said of Voellmicke and Kuczmiec, who combined to allow just two hits in 4.2 innings of work. “We do it a little bit differently, we pass the baton and trust those guys to do their job. And thankfully, they’ve really embraced that role. They aren’t questioning me about being a starter. Their role is equally as important and they are out there throwing those critical innings at the end of the game. And we have all the confidence in the world to go with them.
“Ethan did a great job settling it down and this team answers, they really do. We’ve talked a lot about being frontrunners or competitors, and frontrunners kind of go away when it gets tough and these guys don’t. They keep fighting, keep competing, keep clawing and keep applying pressure so I’m really proud of them.”
CJ Jette and freshman Henry Digiorgio earned back-to-back one-out walks and Gerety smacked a single into right field but Brinker fielded the throw from right fielder Justice Ciampa on the bounce and applied the tag at home to cut down a runner.
Goode had a two-out single to load the bases for Franklin and Digiorgio came in to score on a wild pitch. With first open, Xaverian elected to intentionally walk Jake Fitzgibbons to load the bases, and Connolly, who came on in relief, got a big strikeout to end the threat and the inning.
Marino came up with a big one-out hit in the bottom of the seventh, representing the tying run on base. Connolly got another strikeout for the second out but Marino stole second to get into scoring position. Franklin put the ball in play but it was a line drive right at the shortstop for the final out.
“A lot of times we try to use this game as a vehicle to try and teach those life lessons,” Brown said. “Sometimes it doesn’t go your way but I’m really proud of how they handled it. Some teams come unglued and there’s finger-pointing, but that’s not this group. They stay together, they fought to end because they really care.”
Franklin sophomore Ryan Gerety slides safely into second with a stolen base in the first inning against BC High. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)
FRANKLIN, Mass. – It looked like Franklin and BC High were headed to extra innings when Panther junior Chris Goode flared a high fly ball into foul territory down the right field line with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning.
Instead, the ball eluded the right fielder and dropped harmlessly in foul territory. Goode made the most out of his second chance.
Franklin baseball
With a runner on third, Goode hit a slow roller to the left side of the infield and raced down the first base line, beating the throw from the shortstop for a walk-off infield single as CJ Jette crossed the plate for the winning run, giving the top-seeded Panthers a 2-1 win over 13th-seeded Eagles.
Franklin will host Xaverian on Monday night in the D1 South Sectional Final.
“After I popped it up, and my approach for every at-bat, I just take a deep breath and erase everything that happened before and focus on the next pitch,” Goode said. “I worked the count to 3-2, saw the outside pitch and put it on the ground, put it in play and the second I saw it on the ground I was going to beat it out with the shortstop playing deep.”
Franklin baseball
CJ Jette was the catalyst behind the winning run, recording his third hit of the game out of the eighth spot in the lineup to lead off the bottom of the inning. Head coach Zach Brown went to his bench next, bringing in senior Jon Turner, who laid down a perfect sacrifice bunt to move Jette over to second.
Sophomore Ryan Gerety grounded out to short but Jette advanced to third on the play. Goode overcame the foul ball early in the at-bat to work the count full before putting it in play for the game-winning hit.
“He’s been one of our best guys all year,” Brown said of Goode, who was without a hit to that point. “It felt like he had just missed a couple of pitches [in previous at-bats]. He was on time, just a little under. He made the adjustment after he hit the foul ball and got above it and it worked out for us.”
“It was exactly what we thought it was going to be. Just two really good two baseball teams locking together. We had a feeling it was going to come down who could execute in the late innings. I’m just proud of the guys. CJ Jette is an animal at the bottom of the lineup, and Jon Turner, a senior coming off the bench, hasn’t really played much this year and was in a big spot, and he had ice water in his veins. Just really proud of the guys.”
Franklin baseball
The Panthers were in position to win largely due to a stellar pitching outing from junior Jacob Jette, who tossed a complete game with 12 strikeouts for the win. In the final four innings, he allowed just one hit (a single in the fourth but stranded the runner at second) and one walk (stranded the runner at second after a stolen base). He retired the side in order in the fifth and seventh, giving the Panthers some momentum heading into the home half of the final inning.
“Unbelievable performance by Jette,” Goode said of his classmate. “We couldn’t pick him up with the run support but it ended up working out. He pitched his ass, he was having more kids swinging swords than I’ve ever seen in my entire life.”
Franklin didn’t waste much time grabbing the lead, pushing across a run in the bottom of the first. Jacob Jette worked around two walks in the top half, getting back-to-back strikeouts and a pop-up to center to give the Panthers energy heading into the bottom half.
Gerety was hit by a pitch, stole second, moved to third on a fielder’s choice by Nate Cooke, and came home to score on a wild pitch as Franklin seized a 1-0 lead.
CJ Jette reached on a two-out bunt in the bottom of the third and Jake Fitzgibbons drew a two-out walk in the third, but neither advanced past first. BC High scored a run in the top of the third to tie the game. Tim Wagner smashed a two-out double off the fence in right-center field to bring Chris Capozzi (leadoff single) home to make it 1-1.
After being retired in order in the fourth by BC High starter Josh Sunderland (CG, 2ER, 5H, 3BB, 8K), Franklin’s offense had a big opportunity to take the lead back in the bottom of the fifth. CJ Jette singled, freshman Henry Digiorgio was hit by a pitch, and Gerety was intentionally walked to load the bases with no outs.
Sunderland got a big out with a strikeout and then got a huge assist from his defense as first baseman Andrew Manning made a diving catch on a hard-hit line drive from Fitzgibbons and quickly got back to his feet to tag first for a double play to escape the inning without any damage.
Wagner walked to open the top of the sixth but Jacob Jette got back-to-back strikeouts (both looking) and a grounder to first to halt any momentum the Eagles possibly picked up.
“They’ve just been really resilient all year,” Brown said. “They’re a confident group and they believe in each other, and that’s been on display. You can’t fake that stuff. You feel the emotion swing and then you feel the resolve. A lot of that had to do with Jacob. He went out and had a good inning and gave us another chance to come back and execute.”
It marks Franklin’s first appearance in the D1 South final since 2011, when they also beat BC High in the semis and played Xaverian in the finals, earning a 6-5 win that year.
First pitch between the Panthers and Hawks is scheduled for Monday at 7:00 PM at Franklin High.
Franklin junior left-handed pitcher Jacob Jette throws a pitch in the first inning against Taunton. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)
FRANKLIN, Mass. – Through seven games this season, the Franklin baseball team hasn’t faced too much adversity, outscoring opponents 71-18 in dominating fashion.
So when head coach Zach Brown looked up at the scoreboard after 3.5 innings and saw a three-run deficit — the first time the Panthers had trailed by that much all season — he knew he was going to learn something new about his team.
Six straight singles and four runs later, the Panthers were back on top, an advantage they would hold the rest of the way in a 4-3 win over the Tigers.
“We talk about it all the time, adding another tool to the toolbox,” Brown said after his team improved to 9-0 on the season. “So knowing that you can come back in a game against a good team is important. The message to the players was that we were going to learn a lot about us as a team. The game doesn’t go according to a script as much as we’d love it to. Taunton is a really good team, they’re the defending state champs so expect nothing less than a really good fight.”
Taunton took the lead with a run in the top of the third and added onto its advantage with two more in the top of the fourth.
Sophomore Ben Jarosz led off the bottom of the fourth inning with a single through the left side and junior Jack Marino followed with a base hit through the right side. Sophomore Eisig Chin joined the hit parade with a hit up the middle to bring Jarosz home to get the Panthers on the board.
CJ Jette battled back from an 0-2 count and hit one to the left side that was knocked down by the third baseman but without a play at first, there was no throw which loaded the bases. Freshman Henry DiGiorgio smacked a hard ground back to first that was knocked down but no play could be made and a run crossed to make it 3-2.
“I was a little disappointed yesterday because I felt like we struck out too much,” Brown said. “I felt like we needed to get back to shortening up a little bit, just finding a way with a better two-strike approach. I really do feel like that inning was a pretty good example of that. CJ Jette’s at-bat really stands out to me, he was down two strikes, shortened up, found a way, and hit a hard buy in the five-six hole to keep the inning alive for us. There were a lot of good at-bats there but that one stuck out to me.”
Franklin baseball Taunton baseball
Ryan Gerety then connected on Franklin’s sixth straight single, this one up the middle that plated both Chin and Jette to put the hosts ahead 4-3. Taunton starter Danny MacDougall (6IP, 9H, 1BB, 4ER, 4K) prevented any further damage by getting three straight pop-ups from the heart of Franklin’s lineup to strand runners at second and third.
Franklin turned to the bullpen to replace starter Jacob Jette (5IP, 6H, 2BB, 3ER, 3K), bringing in junior James Kuczmiec to close the door. Kuczmiec and classmate Ethan Voellmicke have been steady, reliable options for the Panthers so far this season.
Kuczmiec got the job done on Tuesday night, retiring the side in order in the top of the sixth. Taunton’s Ty Cali stroked a two-out single to put the tying run on base but Kuczmiec induced a grounder for the final out to get the two-inning save.
“The back end of our bullpen has been really, really good, it’s been a strength for us all year and those two guys (Kuczmiec and Voellmicke) have been really sharp,” Brown said. “They’ve given us great effort and I’m really proud of them both. We’re going to keep relying on them to do those things for us. Anytime they have the ball, we feel pretty good about our chances.”
There wasn’t much happening offensively for either side between the first two innings. Franklin junior Chris Goode drew a one-out walk in the first and made it to third after Nate Cooke reached on an error but MacDougall stranded the runner on third.
The Panthers put runners in scoring position again in the second on a single from Chin and a bunt single from CJ Jette but sophomore Ryan MacDougall got an unassisted out at first and Bretton Heggs made a nice catch in left to keep the game scoreless.
Taunton took the lead in the top of the third when Colby DaCouta ripped a ground-rule double over the field in left field. Cali had his first single of the day to move DaCouta to third and he scored on a wild pitch to make it 1-0. Jacob Jette prevented further damage by getting a strikeout and a ground to strand Cali at second.
In the top of the fourth, junior Dawson Bryce led off with a single up the middle and moved to second on a fielder’s choice for the second out. Sophomore Shawn Cali connected for a double to bring Bryce home to double the lead and Jack Gobin followed with a base hit to bring Cali home for a 3-0 lead.
“It feels like we’re one play away, one inning away,” said Taunton coach Blair Bourque. “We need someone to step up and make a play or make a pitch in those situations. We’re right there we just have to eliminate those big innings, stop the bleeding somehow. We have a great team so we’ll figure it out but it’s a short season so we don’t have as much time. But we’re excited to get back at it again tomorrow and try to figure things out.”
Franklin baseball (6-0 Kelley-Rex, 9-0 overall) is in action on Thursday with another home game, this time against Sharon. Taunton (3-3, 5-4) returns to host North Attleboro on the same day.
Taunton senior Danny MacDougall, pictured here as a sophomore in 2019, is one of the few returners for the defending D1 State Champs. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com) By HockomockSports.com Staff
2019 Record: 14-10 2019 Finish: Reached Div. 1 South Final Coach: Steve Dunlea
Two years ago, Attleboro made a run to the Div. 1 South final, only to run into league rival and eventual state champ Taunton. While the Bombardiers only return three players with varsity experience, Attleboro will be looking to replicate some of that momentum and challenge the top teams for the Kelley-Rex division title this spring.
2021 Hockomock League Baseball Preview
Senior catcher Bailey Camacho caught half the innings during his sophomore season and will be the starter this spring, as well as an important presence in the lineup. Seniors Jake Gorman and Matt McMahon will both be part of the rotation and play corner infield spots when they’re not on the mound building off the experience they got two years ago. Senior Cam Foster adds speed at short and will be the closer, while juniors Billy Saltmarsh and Cian Kelleher, and sophomores Dillon James and Danny Johnson are part of what should be a deep staff for the Bombardiers. Speed should also be a strength for Attleboro, including outfielders Ben Hochwarter, Nate George, Hayden Hegarty, and Packer Sackett, and middle infielders Owen Taber and Evan Houle. Junior Christian Dame is a versatile player who can step in at multiple positions.
“We’re excited to get our players out there to see what we can accomplish,” said Attleboro coach Steve Dunlea. “Our guys have worked very hard during the off-season and have come a long way in the past few years. We are particularly proud of our senior leadership. It’s been a tough year and we are so grateful to the MIAA and ADs for making this season happen for our seniors.”
2019 Record: 6-14 2019 Finish: Missed postseason Coach: Ben Shuffain
Canton had a great start to the 2019 season under then first-year head coach Ben Shuffain, including an impressive win over Wellesley. But almost all of the Bulldogs’ wins came in the first half of the season. Now Canton will look to start strong and continue that throughout the year as they look to challenge for the Davenport division title.
The Bulldogs are one of the teams that have a good number of players that played back in 2019 so there is a lot of optimism surrounding the experience on the roster this season. Canton has four starters back for this year’s campaign: shortstop/right-handed pitcher Steve Burbank, outfielder Cam Sanchez, catcher/outfielder Sawyer Julier-Albert, and right-handed pitcher Nate Hewit. Both Burbank (0.328) and Julier-Albert (0.395) were among the league leaders in batting average as sophomores so they will be key pieces for the offense this year. Shuffain will also look for contributions from outfielders Andy Butler and Zach Peters, infielder Nico Bonanno, and utility option Matt Quan — all four could also see time pitching.
Burbank will also see time on the mound and Hewit will be an important piece of the pitching staff this year. Junior Andrew Middleton, who tossed a perfect game in the season-opener, will obviously be a major part of the rotation as well, giving the Bulldogs solid depth. Behind the pitching staff, there will be a lot of players who have experience at the varsity level so Shuffain hopes mistakes will be at a minimum.
“We are lucky to have a good number of players who have varsity experience from 2018 and 2019,” Shuffain said. “They have been preparing for 18 months for this season and this group has tremendous leadership and a ton of talent. I am excited to see what they can do on the field.”
For the 2021 season, it all starts with pitching for the Foxboro Warriors. The 2019 squad graduated six players, and there were nine juniors on that team that missed out on their senior season a year ago. That means Foxboro has four players coming back for this spring, and almost all picked up a lot of valuable experience the last time out.
2021 Hockomock League Baseball Preview
Seniors Cam Prescott and Sean Yoest will headline the Warriors’ rotation, bringing a lot of experience to the staff. Prescott logged over 26 innings as a sophomore, allowing just four walks with a 1.86 ERA. Yoest had a lot of success at the plate as a sophomore and will be looking to replicate that on the mound this year. Sophomore Sean O’Leary will likely be a key piece on the mound when fully healthy and the Warriors will look to seniors Dylan Quinn, Mike O’Toole, Ryan Jacobs, and Sebastian Ortiz, as well as juniors Liam Mulkern and Tom Marcucella to provide pitching depth.
Yoest will patrol the outfield when he’s not on the mound and will be a key piece offensively after hitting 0.346 as a sophomore with 11 runs scored and 11 RBI. Yoest will be joined in the outfield by junior Jack Watts, a three-sport athlete who has excelled in golf and hockey, and sophomore Kenny Mello. Marcucella will also see time in the outfield while senior Griffin Morse is a solid depth piece that can play all three spots in the outfield.
Prescott will see time at either third or shortstop when he’s not pitching. Beyond Prescott, the Warriors will have some inexperience around the infield with freshman Tyler Prescott (second base) and sophomore Ryan LeClair (shortstop) impressing early on. Mulkern and O’Toole will provide the infield with some senior leadership from first while Marcucella and Ortiz providing depth. Mulkern will also be an option behind the plate while junior Mike LaVita will step into the starting role at catcher.
“We are excited for the opportunity to get back on the field and compete every day,” head coach Derek Suess said. “Having our top two arms still here is comforting, but we will need contributions from many different guys. We have a good mix of seniors and underclassmen who have bought in to our vision for the season.”
2019 Record: 22-3 2019 Finish: Reached Super 8 Coach: Zach Brown
While Franklin won’t be able to make it three straight appearances in the Super 8 with the tournament not happening this year (and possibly for a couple of years), there is something the Panthers can do: defend their Kelley-Rex division title.
2021 Hockomock League Baseball Preview
The Panthers were nearly perfect in league action during the 2019 season (15-1) and will be one of the favorites for the title again this year. But it will be almost an entirely new cast of players doing so. Franklin had 10 seniors on that team plus another seven juniors that graduated last year, meaning just a handful of players from the roster are back. Of that group, just one starter is back in senior Jake Fitzgibbons, who played second base at the time.
Now Fitzgibbons moves behind the plate and will be in charge of handling a pitching staff that is new to the varsity level. Having him behind the plate should make it easier for the likes of junior Jacob Jette and sophomore Alfred Mucciarone, who figure to be two of the key components of Franklin’s rotation this season. And when needed, Fitzgibbons will switch out from behind the plate and take the mound himself.
Seniors Nate Cooke and CJ Jette serve as captains alongside Fitzgibbons and will provide leadership both on and off the field. Cooke is slated to start at first base and will bring a big bat to the lineup while Jette will see time both in the outfield and at designated hitter. Seniors Luc Boudreau (outfielder) and Nick Quinn (right-handed pitcher) have impressed early on as well.
“As always the cornerstone of our program is pitching and defense,” said head coach Zach Brown. “We believe we have the right mix of athletes and arms to compete daily this season. Offensively, we believe that our line-up can be pretty athletic. Obviously, we are all in the same boat missing last season so it will be an exciting season to get back out onto the field. I know the players and our coaching staff are really excited for the games to start up.”
2019 Record: 8-12 2019 Finish: Missed postseason Coach: Jeff Plympton
There will be a lot of new faces on the mound, in the field, in the batter’s box, and even on the bench for the King Philip Warriors this season. Looking back at the 2019 season, only one name is back in action for the Warriors this season. And on top of that, there’s a new coach in the dugout in Jeff Plympton.
2021 Hockomock League Baseball Preview
Both Conor Cooke and Jack Silveria saw plenty of action during their sophomore seasons but Silveria will miss his senior campaign after undergoing Tommy John surgery. That means that Plympton and the rest of the Warriors will lean heavily on Cooke, a three-year starter who will guide KP from behind the plate. Cooke, who is committed to play at Brown University, is a rock behind the plate and that will be important as KP deploys a pitching staff that is new to the varsity level. That rotation will feature junior Nick Viscusi and sophomore Rudy Gately, with seniors Jack Mullen, Grayden Lawrence, Harry Brown, and Jake Burns all providing depth.
Cooke will be a key part of the offense as well, slated to hit from the clean up spot. Viscusi will set the tone from the leadoff spot and can cause some damage on the base paths with his speed. Junior Shawn Lagere will start at shortstop and bat third in the lineup, providing the Warriors with some power while Gately will see time at third when he isn’t on the mound. Seniors Ethan Hurwitz and Mikey Malatesta provide outfield depth and Plympton has 10 juniors on the roster to help fill out the lineup.
“Looking forward to getting the season going and watching the team play together,” Plympton said. “It’s been a long time since we’ve had high school baseball and most of our guys, like many teams, are new to the varsity level. We have some good talent on our team. Plenty of good throwing arms to get us through the new pitching restrictions. The infield is solid with very dependable fielders around the diamond. The outfield is fast and does a great job tracking fly balls. I believe defense will be our best strength this season. The players have been putting in a lot of hard work during practices.”
2019 Record: 18-7 2019 Finish: Reached Super 8 Coach: Chris Hall
Joe Breen had a very successful run at the helm of the Hornets, and his successor is one that the program is very familiar with. Chris Hall, who served as Breen’s assistant, takes over and is aiming to continue the success that Mansfield has had in recent seasons.
Coming off one of their best seasons in program history that culminated in a second straight Super 8 appearance, the Hornets will try to rebuild their lineup with a strong core of seniors. Eric Sullivan will move into the starting role behind the plate and will be a vocal leader both on and off the field for the Hornets. Three-sport athlete Jack Colby is slated to take over at first base, Luke Urban looks to take over at second base, Ben Mintz can slot into a variety of roles, including in the field or on the mound, and Greg Coyle, the lone returner from the 2019 team, will be an option on the mound for the Hornets. Juniors Jared Fraone and Liam Anastasia will help round out the lineup.
Coyle will be joined by juniors Aaron Blinn, Anthony Sacchetti, and Jimmy Gilleran on the Hornets’ staff. That group brings a lot of baseball experience and a range of knowledge, and Hall is hoping all of that will translate to the varsity level. Mintz, Colby Geddis, and Brayden Purtell will look to provide additional innings in relief.
“With two years off due to COVID-19, and few players having varsity experience, I expected tryouts to be exciting,” Hall said. “Our players knew they had to come in and earn everything to gain a spot in the starting lineup. There continues to be daily position battles daily and it pushes players to improve. The talent we have in the program is consistent from top to bottom. The team brings energy and enthusiasm to everything they do and it truly makes the atmosphere on the field second to none. We cannot wait to get out on the field and compete against some of the best competition in the Hockomock League.”
2019 Record: 11-11 2019 Finish: Reached Div. 2 South Quarterfinal Coach: Alex Dion
Milford will be the new kids on the block this season in their first year apart of the Kelley-Rex division, which features two teams that went to the Super 8 last time out and another that won the D1 State title.
The Hawks are going to rely on their pitching as they compete for the division title. Senior right-hander Mario Lee and classmate Wes Solomon, another righty, both picked up valuable experience as sophomores during the 2019 season and will anchor the Milford pitching rotation. Lee, who is committed to playing both football and baseball at Wesleyan, pitched in 10 games out of the bullpen in 2019 while Solomon appeared in five games with a 2.33 ERA.
Sophomore Evan Cornelius is a “big, physical kid” according to head coach Alex Dion, and he will round out the Hawks’ rotation this season. When he isn’t on the mound, Cornelius will be behind the plate and the same goes for Solomon, who could also see him in the middle infield. Lee will also be in the lineup when he’s not on the mound, playing at either first or third. Senior Carter Scudo burst onto the scene as a sophomore, hitting 0.352, and will be the catalyst to the offense this year, batting in the leadoff spot. He will anchor the outfield defense from center field.
“I’m excited to start our 2021 season,” Dion said. “It has been great to get back out on Fino Field for the first time since 2019. I have a good group of young men this year with players from all four classes making the varsity roster. This is a great league with quality teams, players, and coaches throughout. We will go out and compete to the best of our ability on a daily basis. I am optimistic about what this group has to offer this year and in the future.”
2019 Record: 11-10 2019 Finish: Reached Div. 2 South First Round Coach: Mike Hart
North Attleboro head coach Mike Hart has the best arm in the Hockomock League in senior Dennis Colleran and the 2019 HockomockSports.com Underclassman of the Year Jared Penta as the catalyst for the offense so the Rocketeers will certainly be in the mix for the Davenport title this season.
2021 Hockomock League Baseball Preview
Colleran, who is committed to pitch at Northeastern, has been a member of the Rocketeers since his freshman year, making his first appearance in North’s D2 South Semifinal win over Dartmouth back in 2018. He logged 37.1 innings as a sophomore, posting a 3-4 record with a 2.63 ERA during the 2019 season. Since then, Colleran has honed his skills on the club scene and is poised to lead the Rocketeers this year. Senior Joe Hartnett and junior Danny Curran look to fill out the rotation while the Rocketeers have plenty of depth pieces including Tyler Bannon, Dan Pedro, Derek Maceda, and Aidan Weir.
Penta will hit from the leadoff spot and set the tone for the offense. Weir and classmate Justin Vecchiarelli will anchor the infield Maceda, a sophomore, could be poised for a breakout season at shortstop. Curran will also see time in the outfield when he isn’t pitching while senior Evan Vigorito, and juniors Brody Rosenberg, and Gavin Wells will be in the outfield mix. Bannon and Nik Kojoian will be options behind the dish for the Rocketeers.
“Just like other teams in the league, we are curious how our players will make the jump to varsity baseball,” Hart said. “We will do our best to be fundamentally sound and keep things simple. Our pitching staff has a handful of competitive guys who are looking for an opportunity to help the team. The boys are excited about the season and hope we can bring a consistent approach to all our opportunities this year.”
2019 Record: 12-13 2019 Finish: Reached Div. 2 South Semifinal Coach: Joe Abarr
After reaching the D2 South Sectional Final in 2018, the Tigers fielded basically an entirely new squad during the 2019 campaign. Two years later, Oliver Ames looks to be in the same boat as there minimal varsity experience on the roaster.
Senior Nate Fulford is one of the few players that did see varsity action two years ago, emerging as a go-to option offensively as a pinch-hitter as a sophomore. Now Fulford will be a key piece in the lineup each game, manning third base and bringing a big bat to the heart of the lineup. Senior Jadon Ricci will take over at shortstop and is slated to hit near the top of the lineup.
Junior Jack Richardson was a part of the Tigers’ varsity squad as a freshman and is now in position to anchor the rotation. He’ll be in the lineup even when he’s not on the mound, patrolling the always tricky outfield at Frothingham Park for the Tigers. When it comes to new faces on the squad this year, junior Jake Waxman brings a big bat to the lineup and can bring some pop to the offense; he will start at first base defensively. Junior Joe Cicchetti has impressed early on in tryouts and the preseason both offensively and defensively, and he is slated to start in center for the Tigers.
“We should have a solid lineup,” said OA head coach Joe Abarr. “We have depth at most positions and decent options on the mound. With so little practice time prior to the first game, there are still a lot of questions to be answered, but we have a great group of guys that are really looking to compete this year.”
2019 Record: 2-18 2019 Finish: Missed postseason Coach: Andrew Poliferno
The last time the Eagles hit the field, they had one of the youngest teams in the Hockomock League. Now that means there is a lot of returning players back in the dugout this year and Sharon should be one of the most experienced groups in terms of baseball played.
2021 Hockomock League Baseball Preview
Sharon has a new head coach in alum Andrew Poliferno, who is no stranger to the program after coaching at each level over the past few seasons. Poliferno takes over for Kee Arguimbau, who had been with the program as a coach for nearly 20 years including the last four as head coach. Poliferno has 10 seniors at his disposal this year including two of the most experienced players in JD Rittenberg and Justin Brown, who both started as sophomores in 2019. Playing at second and short, respectively, the Eagles will have solid defense up the middle of the field. Sharon expects strong defense to come with the experience it has.
Junior Dylan Labbe pitched some innings as a freshman so the Eagles will lean on him as one of the anchors of the pitching staff. Senior Justin Nault and junior Ryan Baker will also see time on the mound while freshman Luke Meixel is slated to be a part of the starting rotation right away. Offensively, Rittenberg and Brown will lead the way once again. Baker and classmate Nate Yaffe should slot into the lineup in their first year on varsity, playing third and outfield, respectively. Poliferno is also looking for contributions from Damien Bonner and Daniel Zagoren offensively.
“After a missed season, it’s wonderful to see our players back out on the field,” Poliferno said. “Despite the year off, I was impressed with the growth and progress our players made since they last played high school baseball. It was clear to me we have a program of players who work hard during the off-season and I look forward to seeing their hard work translate to wins this season.”
2019 Record: 14-9 2019 Finish: Reached Div. 2 South Semifinal Coach: Mike Armour
Like most schools, Stoughton has a limited number of players with varsity experience on the roster this season. It will be baptism by fire for a lot of new faces as head coach Mike Armour will look to get the most out of his lineup to try and compete for the Davenport division title.
The players that do have any varsity experience will be key, especially early on in the season as the rest of the Black Knights get used to the varsity level. Senior Brady Conlin will anchor the Stoughton staff on the mound this year and also hit in the heart of the lineup. Conlin has experience both pitching and at the plate and could be one of the most dangerous all-around players in the league. Senior captain Kyle Doolin will anchor the infield and is an option to pitch as well. He is slated to hit near the top of the lineup and could also see time behind the plate defensively.
Jake Queeney, another senior captain, will patrol center field for the Black Knights and hit from the leadoff spot. Queeney’s speed has been on display on both the basketball court and football field, so his legs could cause some damage on the base paths. Senior captain Brandon Mantilla-Mercado will take care of the pitching staff this year as the starting catcher and will bring some power to the plate offensively. Junior infielder Anthony Tilton has impressed early and figures to be a top bat in the lineup, juniors Jonah Ly and James Price will both see innings in the infield and on the mound, and junior Brad Franey is slated to take over at second. Seniors Joe McNulty, Colby Andrews, Andrew Scardina, and junior Colin Alessi provide lineup depth. Freshmen Hunter Malkin and Ben Zola will likely make an immediate impact for Stoughton.
“The kids are excited to play baseball,” Armour said. “They have brought a positive attitude and willingness to work to practice, which is all I can ask for as a coach. We are excited to get a little bit better every day, and put ourselves in a position to win some ballgames this season.”
2019 Record: 21-7 2019 Finish: Won Div. 1 State Championship Coach: Blair Bourque
It seems like just yesterday the Tigers were celebrating their Division 1 State Championship at LeLacheur Park in Lowell. Yet at the same time, it somehow also feels like a lifetime ago.
2021 Hockomock League Baseball Preview
The Tigers are one of the teams that will “what if” when it comes to the 2019 season, as they were set to have eight starters back to try and defend their first-ever state championship. Now for the 2021 season, there is just one Tiger starter back from that regular season. That is senior pitcher/infielder Danny MacDougall, who will anchor the pitching staff and also return to his shortstop position. Ty Cali, who took over for MacDougall after an injury sidelined him for the postseason, is also back to give Taunton a solid 1-2 punch up the middle of the field. Cali can also slide over and play short when MacDougall, who is committed to playing at the University of Hartford next year, is on the mound.
Sophomore Ryan MacDougall is set to finally make his varsity debut this year. A verbal commit to the University of Dayton, Ryan MacDougall was on the playoff roster for the state championship team as an eighth-grader. Not only does he bring a big bat and power to the lineup, head coach Blair Bourque described his plate discipline as “well beyond his years.” If the Tigers want to compete at a high level, Bourque noted the importance of senior pitchers Conor Quinlan, Bretton Heggs, and Matthew Ferrara. In total, Taunton boasts a dozen seniors on the roster.
“My expectation for this season is for us to compete as a team and individually every day as best we can, but ultimately, I will be grateful I get to spend time on the field with my players,” Bourque said. “It is always about the relationships formed with your players throughout the course of a year, you don’t always appreciate how good you have it until it’s gone. Losing last season really made me appreciate my role as the head coach for the Taunton High baseball program.”
Over the past couple of months, our staff has reviewed hundreds of championship-caliber Hockomock League teams from the past decade (Fall 2010 through Winter 2020) and selected its Top 20 “Teams of the Decade.” During that process, we came across so many talented teams that accomplished so much. Below is a list of teams that just missed out on the final list but stood out for their postseason performances.
2019 Taunton Baseball
Record: 21-7 Division 1 State Champions
The stars aligned perfectly for the Tigers when the postseason rolled around. Although Taunton finished in third in the Kelley-Rex division in the regular season (behind Super 8 selections Franklin and Mansfield), the Tigers took full advantage of their opportunity in Div. 1 South. At 11-7 midway through May, Taunton won four straight to finish the regular season at 15-7 for the fourth seed in the D1 South bracket. After dispatching Marshfield, the Tigers rallied to stun Catholic Memorial with a seventh inning rally, scoring the game-winning run off a bunt from Lucas Martins. Taunton followed with a shutout of Catholic Conference power Xaverian before taking down Hockomock rival Attleboro, 6-1, to win the South.
The magic continued for Taunton, head coach Blair Bourque, and its playoff hero Nic Notarangelo in the D1 State Semifinals. Against a powerful Lincoln-Sudbury side (21-2 entering the game), the Tigers fell behind 3-0 in the top of the first inning. Logan Lawrence had a huge game, hitting a two-run home run in the first and pitching four scoreless innings in relief. Notarangelo smacked a hard hit to right to score sophomore Ty Cali in the bottom of the ninth inning for the game-winning run. Taunton capped its magical run with a 5-3 win over Shrewsbury and 6’8 Boston College-commit John West. Josh Lajoie made his first start of the playoffs, senior Evan Melo put a cherry on top of a special individual postseason by driving in the game-winning run, and both Notarangelo and Lawrence – as they had done all tournament – made key plays in the final innings to help Taunton secure its first-ever Div. 1 State Championship.
2016 Franklin Boys Hockey
Record: 18-4-5 Division 1 State Champions
Just one year removed from a historic trip to the Super 8, and after graduating 21 seniors, Franklin showed off the depth in its program and erased its demons at the TD Garden, ending a three-decade wait for a second state title. A team without a true star, Franklin’s depth and its work rate were its greatest strengths. The Panthers were 12-3-5 and the fourth seed in Div. 1 when the playoffs began, but it felt like a wide open bracket. The tournament run began with a 2-1 win against Wellesley, followed by a 1-0 win against Walpole in a jam-packed Pirelli Rink.
After dispatching a third straight Bay State Conference team, Newton North, in the semifinal, Franklin avenged a late-season loss against highly-regarded Marshfield. In the state title game at the TD Garden, a place where Franklin and head coach Chris Spillane had come up empty three seasons in a row earlier in the decade, the Panthers led 3-1 heading into the third period against St. Mary’s (Lynn), a team that just missed out on a Super 8 berth. The game went to double overtime before senior Jake Downie assisted on sophomore Luke Downie’s dramatic game- and title-winner and secured a first state title since 1983.
2018 Franklin Baseball
Record: 21-5 Division 1A (Super 8) State Champions
It was a season that started with high expectations and ended in history, but it was hardly a straight and easy path for Franklin. Few will remember because of how the season ended, but the Panthers opened the season by being shutout by Foxboro, were swept by Taunton, and finished a game behind Mansfield in the league. Through it all, Franklin put together a good enough resume that it was selected for the Super 8 for the first time in program history. The Panthers (21-5) entered as the No. 7 seed, but once the playoffs began everything seemed to fall into place.
Thanks to the dynamic duo of Jake Noviello and Bryan Woelfel and a lineup filled with clutch hitters, Franklin beat Wachusett in the opening game and then proceeded to beat St. John’s Prep and Central Catholic (twice). The final three games were all one-run wins. In the Super 8 finale against the Raiders, head coach Zach Brown brought Noviello into the bottom of the eighth in a tie game with runners at second and third. He struck out three of the next four batters (hitting one in between) to somehow keep it tied and in the top of the ninth Evan Wendell’s perfect suicide squeeze plated Steve Luttazi with the title-winning run.
2016 Foxboro Girls Tennis
Record: 19-2 Division 2 State Champions
The third time proved to be the charm for the Foxboro girls’ tennis team. After coming up short in the state final in 2014 and 2015, the Warriors took a 3-2 decision over Wayland to clinch the title. The Warriors dropped two matches all season, both 3-2 to eventual Davenport division champion Sharon, as Foxboro finished second in the division at 14-2. The sister combination of Diana Prinos at first singles and Sophia Prinos at second singles gave Foxboro a huge advantage while junior Lexi Nelson was such a steady presence at third singles.
Behind interim head coaches CJ Neely and Jon Montanaro, the Warriors earned the fourth seed in the Division 2 South bracket and survived an early scare with a 3-2 win over Westwood. The second doubles team of Michaela McCarthy and Morgan Krockta helped the Warriors knock off a strong Hingham team in the quarterfinals and Foxboro swept singles action in both the sectional semifinals and finals to defeat previously unbeaten and top-seeded Apponequet and Hopkinton, respectively. After dropping a singles match in the state final, the Warriors had to show off their depth as a team and the first doubles pairing of sophomore Kayla Prag and freshman Julia Muise pulled out a 7-6 (7-4), 7-5 win to secure the title.
2012 Sharon Football
Record: 10-3 Division 3 Eastern Mass. Champions
It’s hard to think of a more special individual season than the one the Sharon football team had in 2012. To put things in perspective, the Eagles had just won seven games over a seven-year span in the previous decade and its last winning season came in the late 1980s. Head coach Dave Morse led Sharon to four wins in his first year in 2011 but that turned out to be just a preview of what was to come. The Eagles had a special group of players come together and accomplish something a lot of people thought they would never see: bringing a Super Bowl title back to Sharon.
While it wasn’t a perfect season, the Eagles got it done against division foes. Sharon knocked off Canton in overtime, scored with under a minute left to stun previously unbeaten Stoughton, and used a gutsy fourth-quarter fourth-down conversion touchdown to secure a win over Foxboro and clinch its first Davenport division title. In the playoffs, the Eagles held on for a 7-6 win over Pembroke when the Titans’ two-point conversion with a minute to go fell short. In the Super Bowl, senior running back Sean Asnes capped a terrific season with a pair of touchdowns as Sharon notched a 12-3 win over Wayland in a freezing cold game at Bentley University.
2018 Mansfield Boys Basketball
Record: 27-2 Division 1 State Champions
Mansfield’s playoff run during the 2017-2018 season was as close to perfect as you can get in basketball. The Hornets were very good during the regular season, but they were close to unstoppable once the state tournament rolled around. Mansfield suffered two setbacks during the season, one in December to BC High and a 15-point loss on the road to rival Franklin in January. Head coach Mike Vaughan has said that second loss might have been the spark that ignited one of the most impressive playoff campaigns of the decade. With seven seniors (John McCoy, Tyler Boulter, Ryan Otto, Nick Ferraz, Alex Ferraz, Justin Vine, Sam Hyland) and a trio of talented juniors (Damani Scott, Tommy Dooling, Khristian Conner), the Hornets made the most of the playoff opportunity.
The top-seed in Division 1 South, Mansfield rolled through the bracket — and we mean rolled. Mansfield beat all four of its opponents by double figures, dismissing Newton South (76-49) in the first round, avenging its loss to BC High (71-58) in the quarterfinals, eliminating a very good Newton North (70-50) team in the South semis, and beating a talented Brockton (79-65) squad to win the South championship. The momentum continued as the Hornets secured a spot in the state final with an impressive win over Everett (73-65) at the TD Garden. In the D1 State Championship, the Hornets capped a terrific postseason run by taking down rival Franklin (67-54); the matchup marked the first time a pair of teams from the same league met in the D1 final.
2017 Franklin Boys Basketball
Record: 22-5 Division 1 State Finalists
This Franklin boys team might not have won it all, but it packed some of the most memorable games into its great postseason run. The Panthers were good throughout the regular season, and they certainly had their fair share of impressive wins including one over league champ Mansfield, one over a very good Cardinal Spellman team, and concluded the regular season with arguably its best win, a 70-53 decision over a good Tech Boston team. But there were five losses too, including on the road at Canton, and early season tilts against Malden Catholic and Catholic Memorial.
The wins over Spellman and Tech Boston to finish the regular season were a clear sign to head coach CJ Neely that this squad was ready to make some noise in the state tournament. Junior Jalen Samuels helped the hosts knock off upset-minded Acton Boxboro in the opening round and senior Connor Goldstein gave Franklin a needed spark in its semifinal win over St. Peter Marian. In the Central final against perennial power St. John’s Shrewsbury, freshman Chris Edgehill sank a huge three with just over a minute left in overtime and then hit two from the free throw line in the final seconds to help secure Franklin’s first sectional title. In the state semifinal against Springfield Central, the Panthers snatched victory from the jaws of defeat with an improbable 8-0 run in the final 20 seconds to force overtime. Four minutes later, Franklin was on its way to its first state championship. Although the Panthers ran into a juggernaut in Cambridge, the run that the Panthers had leading up to that point was a very memorable one.
2018 North Attleboro Baseball
Record: 22-2 Division 2 State Champions
North Attleboro rolled through the regular season, finishing 14-2 in the league and 18-2 overall. Big Red ended a 12-year wait for a league title and took the top seed in Div. 2 South. North’s run to a first-ever state title was hardly a surprise, but the way that the Rocketeers rolled through the South bracket was more than impressive. North scored at will over the first three games of the tournament, out-scoring its opponents 41-4, including a 20-2 win against Dartmouth in the semifinal and a 19-2 win against Oliver Ames in the final.
Behind the pitching of Nick Sinacola and the clutch bat of Zach DeMattio, the Rocketeers were unstoppable heading into the final against Beverly and jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the state championship game (all four runs driven in by DeMattio). The Panthers got to Sinacola for three runs in the fifth to cut the lead to just one run, but he settled down, with the help of his defense, to get through a scoreless sixth and seventh inning and becoming the second Hockomock League baseball team in a week to win a state title.
2018 Taunton Softball
Record: 26-2 Division 1 State Champions
Taunton had lost in the first round in each of the past two postseasons, both times on its home field and both times to league opponents (King Philip in 2016 and North Attleboro in 2017), but the Tigers put it all together in 2018 to erase those playoff struggles. Always one of the most feared lineups in the state, the Taunton offense exploded for 44 runs in six playoff games. The Tigers, under the guidance of legendary coach Dave Lewry, scored nine runs against Dartmouth and Bishop Feehan, six against Newton North, and 13 in the state final against previously unbeaten Wachusett.
The toughest, and arguably most memorable, game of the playoff run was the Div. 1 South final against KP. The Warriors won the league title and had also scored 21 runs in three games to get to the final. After rallying to tie the game in the fifth, Taunton scored the game-winning runs on a single down the third base line by surprise starter and No. 9 hitter Rylie Murphy. KP got the tying runs on base in the seventh, but freshman starter Kelsey White escaped the jam and the Tigers went on to win their first state title in 11 years in blowout fashion (13-2 over Wachusett).
2016 King Philip Softball
Record: 24-4 Division 1 State Champions
There is nothing unusual about King Philip softball going on a playoff run, after all this was the program’s third state title in seven seasons, but the Warriors entered the season as the No. 7 seed in Div. 1 South, had lost the Kelley-Rex title to Taunton, ending a run of nine straight league championships, and lost four times during the regular season. Once the playoffs began, the Warriors flipped a switch. Thanks in large part to a dominant run of games from starting pitcher Kali Magane, KP allowed only two runs in six playoff games and outscored opponents 29-2.
The Warriors beat Taunton in the quarterfinal, winning the season series against the Tigers, and avenged an extra-inning loss from 2015 by beating defending South champion Silver Lake in the final. Magane saved the best for last, striking out 13 and tossing a one-hit shutout in the state title game against Doherty. Magane finished the season by striking out the side in the seventh and closing out an unlikely championship campaign.
Franklin’s Joe Lizotte (3-for-4) connects for a hit in the fifth inning against North Andover. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)
FRANKLIN, Mass. – After getting three straight outs to leave the bases loaded in the top of the ninth inning, Franklin came to bat in the bottom half with the momentum on its side.
Trailing 5-3 to eighth-seeded North Andover, the top-seeded Panthers found themselves with a chance to potentially tie or win the game in their last at-bats. Dan Markowski led off with a double and Joe Lizotte singled. After a strikeout and a fielder’s choice put runners at the corners, Franklin had senior captain Alex Haba, the Hockomock League’s batting champion and MVP, at the plate.
On a 1-1 count, Haba swung and missed for strike two and senior Scott Elliott, who reached on the fielder’s choice, sprinted and slid into second safely for a stolen base to put the tying run on second base. But before the Elliott could dust off the dirt, the home plate ump signaled for interference at the plate and called the third out, leaving the Panthers at a loss in an opening round matchup of the MIAA Super 8 tournament.
“There’s never one pitch, one swing, one call, one play that defines a game,” said Franklin coach Zach Brown. “The Super 8 is nine innings, 27 outs, and there’s a million opportunities in that game for us to execute better and change the outcome. Yes, I would have liked to have seen that sequence play out with runners at second and third and the league MVP at the plate. I definitely would have liked to have see that play out but that’s not the reality of the situation.
“We’re going to continue to just keep grinding and I certainly feel like we have the ability to dig back in, play good baseball, get back on winning track, and make a run at it.”
While the questionable final call got the majority of the attention, Franklin’s miscues defensively hurt equally as much. The Panthers made two errors in the fifth inning and the Scarlet Knights scored three runs to take a lead that it never relinquished. The visitors tacked on an earned run in the sixth inning and took advantage of walks, steals, and a wild pitch in the seventh to score again.
Both starters had to work around trouble in the first. Franklin junior Brennan Rivera (6IP, 5R 2ER, 5H 3BB, 6K) worked around a two-out walk after striking out the first two batters of the game. North Andover’s Sebastian Keane (7.1IP, 3ER, 8H, 2BB, 1HBP), who was drafted earlier in the day by the Boston Red Sox, allowed hits to Elliott and Haba but got back-to-back outs to prevent any harm.
“Brennan has done a great job for us all year and we’re really proud of his effort today,” Brown said. “He certainly set a great tone and gave us a chance. When he’s on the hill, we’re a confident baseball team. I thought he did a great job getting us to that point in the game. If we make a play here or there for him, maybe the score is a little bit different but we need to move forward and can’t look back. We can learn from it and move forward.”
While Rivera settled into a groove — retiring 11 straight between the first and fifth innings — the Panthers’ offense got to Keane again in the third inning. Joe Lizotte singled from the nine-hole, Jack Nally walked, and Elliott reached on a bunt single up the third base line. Haba drove in the opening run but grounded into a double play and Keane got a strikeout to strand a runner at third.
“We tried to do a lot of things, like shortening the distance with everything and using Major League equivalencies to try and simulate the type of velocity,” Brown said of preparing for Keane. The Panthers had eight hits against him. “Sebastian is a special talent and he’s a great competitor. I’m really proud of our guys, that fought hard and scraped and clawed, and certainly didn’t make it easy on him.”
North Andover got its first hit of the day with one out in the fifth off the bat of Brett Dunham, a single into left. Rivera got a strikeout for the second out but an infield throwing error allowed Justin Connolly to reach and extend the inning. A walk loaded the bases and John McElroy roped a single into left field. The ball eluded the Panther fielder, allowing all three runs to come in and McElroy took third. Rivera stranded the runner there with a fly ball to right.
“We extended a couple of innings where they scored some runs but we never get upset about physical mistakes because our guys are playing hard and aggressive,” Brown said. “I’ll never be upset about a physical mistake, that’s part of the game, those will happen. As long as the mentality is aggressive and guys are playing the game the right way, I have no problems with it. A couple of balls found us in some weird spots but we’ve been pretty sound all year. But there were some times we shot ourselves in the foot.”
Keane reached with a one-out single in the top of the sixth and moved to third on a single from Trevor Crosby. Franklin got the second out with a shallow fly ball caught by Nally in center but Erik Whitehead delivered a two-out grounder up the middle to bring another run to make it 4-1.
A leadoff walk in the top of the seventh forced Brown to go to the bullpen. Tom Finn earned a walk against the bullpen and both runners advanced with stolen bases. A wild pitch allowed John McElroy to scamper home to push the lead to 5-1.
Franklin junior Will Pacheco (2IP, 0R, 0H, 0BB) entered the game in relief with runners on the corners and kept the Panthers’ chances to come back alive with a strong outing. Pacheco induced a fly ball to third, senior catcher Jake Macchi gunned a runner down at second trying to steal, and a grounder to Haba at short ended the threat.
A perfect top half from Pacheco set Franklin up for success in the bottom half. Nally was hit by a pitch to lead off and Elliott followed with a single. Macchi smacked a one-out single to right to bring both runners in to make it 5-3 and give Franklin some life, knocking Keane from the game. A two-out single from JB Floris put runners at first and second but a fly ball to left was caught for the third out.
Liam Dailey (1IP, 0R, 2H, 1BB, 2K) took over the mound for the Panthers and a pair of singles sandwiched around a walk loaded the bases with no outs for the Scarlet Hawks. But Dailey buckled down, getting back-to-back strikeouts before a fly ball to right field ended the threat.
Franklin baseball (21-2) drops in the Losers (1-Loss) Bracket of the Super 8 tournament and will play the loser of the BC High/Lowell game (Friday) on Saturday at Campanelli Stadium in Brockton with a time to be announced.
