April 22, 2011
HS preview: Keeping rare company
Three NE teams among elite group of champions
by Ed Flaherty/
Junior catcher Billy Walker returns to power three-time defending state champion Bishop Hendricken. (photo: Bishop Hendricken)
Editor’s note: This article first appeared in the April 2011 issue of New England Baseball Journal.
State championships are hard to come by in high school baseball. The fickle nature of the game makes winning a title a moment to cherish and savor.
A repeat performance is even more difficult and a three-peat is obviously a notable and rare achievement.
So rare, in fact, that nationwide there are only 14 schools entering the 2011 high school season in the midst of a championship winning streak of at least three titles in a row.
Of those 14 schools, three call New England home: Bishop Hendricken in Rhode Island, Portsmouth High in New Hampshire and Leland & Gray in Vermont.
All three schools enter 2011 having won three consecutive championships and all should once again be title contenders in their respective divisions.
Each of the three New England schools faces its own unique challenges over the course of the season, but the teams’ coaches agree on one key factor when it comes to their success: Nothing beats hard work.
“Our guys are very motivated,” Bishop Hendricken coach Ed Holloway said. “They work very hard. They just really work hard to be the best they can be.”
Portsmouth coach Tim Hopley said it can be easy for high school athletes to want to rest on their laurels, but the ones who succeed find ways to avoid that pitfall.
“With high school kids in general, they tend to lean toward the ‘well, we’ll win because that’s what we do’ and then they show up unprepared and behind,” Hopley said. “One of the biggest reasons we’ve been successful in recent years is because we’ve had tremendous leadership. Guys that never took that attitude. Our best players have been our hardest and most-dedicated workers, and they got everyone involved so there was no letdown.”
A byproduct of winning is experience and all three of these New England teams have gained plenty of that over the course of their title runs from 2008 to 2010.
Not only has Bishop Hendricken won three titles in a row, the alma mater of former major-leaguer Rocco Baldelli also has captured championships in six of the past eight years.
Portsmouth’s three-peat has coincided with an unbeaten streak that has put the Clippers on the national stage. PHS has won 63 consecutive games, dating back to a tournament loss in 2007. Portsmouth is just 13 wins away from breaking the national high school record of 75 consecutive victories.
Leland & Gray has displayed its own brand of dominance in Vermont over the past three years, losing just two games in each of its championship runs.
All of those pressure-packed playoff games create opportunities for players to build confidence and experience.
“It kind of rubs off year after year,” Holloway said. “Confidence is a perfect word for it. Winning breeds winning. Every time our guys step on the field, they expect to win. The success we’ve had here just carries on.”
“I think we’ve had a great opportunity to get a lot of experience playing in playoff situations,” Leland & Gray coach Tom Russell said.
With another spring season at hand, the coaches are looking ahead but realize how special their past success has been.
“Obviously, we’re proud of what we’ve been able to accomplish here, and to be one of just 14 teams to (enter 2011 with at least three straight titles) speaks volumes of the players we’ve been fortunate enough to have had — and still have, in some cases — in our program,” Hopley said.
“It was hard to win one, and we’ve been lucky to win three in a row,” Holloway said. “It is hard to win that many so three in a row is really good.”
Perhaps thinking about the challenges the 2011 season will bring, Russell added: “Every year it gets tougher and tougher to do.”
CONNECTICUT
Pomperaug High School earned the 2010 Class LL title, its first-ever baseball championship, by winning 22 straight games. The Panthers defeated Xavier for the crown, 2-1.
With just five seniors lost to graduation, the Panthers should be in prime position to contend for the 2011 title as well.
Xavier should be a threat once again, led by pitcher Troy Deleon, catcher Lou Iannotti and outfielder Matt Burns, while Amity is also expected to be a factor, with standouts Mark Esposito (third base), Eric Ashworth (pitcher) and Ted Ballou (outfielder) returning.
Sheehan High School won the 2010 Class L title with a 7-4 victory over Notre Dame-West Haven, giving the school its third state title since 2001.
Sheehan has been a fixture in the state title chase in recent years, with titles in 2001 and 2004 along with last year’s championship and a trip to the title game in 2005. Sheehan also reached the state semifinals in 2003, 2006 and 2009.
The Titans relied on senior leadership in 2010, but underclassmen also helped pave the way, particularly pitcher Jim Davitt, now a junior, who had a complete-game effort in the semifinals.
Notre Dame-West Haven made its run with a young team and is expected to be a contender for the 2011 Class L title, along with Sheehan and Jonathan Law.
The 2010 Class M crown was won by Montville High School, with a 6-4 win over Waterford. All-league performers Tyler Contillo and Max Hart will return for Montville in 2011.
Waterford’s enrollment moves the school into Class L for 2011.
In Class S, Northwest Catholic claimed its first state title in school history in 2010 with a 4-2 win over Cromwell. Top players returning for Northwest Catholic include Matt D’Orsi, Aaron Wilson and Dan Errico.
Cromwell was the No. 1 seed in 2010 and will be a prime contender in 2011 with a host of returning players, including Kevin Post and John McMahon.
MAINE
Oxford Hills claimed the 2010 Class A title with a 1-0 win over Biddeford and returns a talented roster in 2011 with its eyes on a repeat performance.
The Vikings will have to overcome the loss of Matt Verrier, Maine’s 2010 Player of the Year who is now playing at the University of Maine.
Brewer, Bangor and Cony should push Oxford Hills for Eastern Maine supremacy in 2011, with Westbrook and Deering expected to be among the top Western Maine Class A clubs.
In Class B, Waterville captured its first-ever state title in 2010 and will have one of the state’s top players back in 2011. Tim Locke blasted a pair of homers in Waterville’s title game victory and returns as the Purple Panthers are expected to be among a handful of title contenders in 2011. Also back for Waterville are pitcher Kyle Bishop, infielder Cam Sawyer and infielder/pitcher J.T. Whitten.
Cape Elizabeth was the Western Maine Class B champ before falling to Waterville and is expected to be one of the top teams in the state again.
In Class C, Dirigo captured its first state title in 2010 with a 4-2 win over Calais. Seven of Dirigo’s starting position players have been lost to graduation, with just Arik Fenstermacher and Spencer Ross returning as full-time starters.
Calais returns 12 of the 15 players from its 2010 roster and should be among the top teams in Class C.
Richmond captured the Class D title with a 7-4 win over Central Aroostook, its first state championship since 1996. Both teams should be among Maine top Class D clubs in 2011.
MASSACHUSETTS
Amherst-Pelham Regional rode a magical wave to the Division 1 championship in 2010, the school’s first-ever baseball title.
After losing seven senior starters — including 2010 Massachusetts Gatorade Player of the Year Kevin Ziomek — Amherst-Pelham will be hard-pressed to duplicate last year’s success, which culminated with a 3-2 win over Xaverian for the state title.
Back for Amherst-Pelham are senior catcher Steffen Herter and senior first baseman Bobby Carkhuff.
Among the teams expected to lead the way in Div. 1 this year are 2010 final four participants St. John’s Prep, Wachusett and Xaverian.
St. John’s Prep will lean on senior pitcher Patrick Connaughton, who has committed to Notre Dame.
Northbridge claimed the 2010 Div. 2 title with a 3-1 win over Duxbury. Northbridge likely will be able to make another run at the crown with the return of left-hander Evan Mackintosh, who threw a complete game and struck out 10 in the state title game. Also back for Northbridge are Tom Murphy, Matt Abrain and Ben O’Donnell.
Duxbury, Masconomet and South Hadley are among several other contenders for the 2011 Div. 2 crown.
In Div. 3, Norton defeated Ware, 7-4, for the state title, with A.J. Bashaw throwing 129 pitches on the mound and Mike Twitchell belting a grand slam.
Both Bashaw and Twitchell are back for more in 2011 as Norton looks for a repeat performance. With several returning starters in the field and on the pitching staff, Norton looks to be a solid pick to advance deep into the Div. 3 playoffs.
Ware, Whittier and St. Bernard’s should be in the Div. 3 chase as well.
The run to the Div. 4 title for Cohasset was a rags-to-riches tale, as the Skippers went from 6-13 in 2009 to 19-6 in 2010 capped by a 15-3 win over Matignon in the championship game.
Cohasset, which battled its way out of the tough South Shore League, should be a contender in 2011 as it lost just three seniors and returns all-league performers Jeff Cavanaro and Anders Goetz.
NEW HAMPSHIRE
Portsmouth’s quest for a fourth straight title will undoubtedly steal headlines throughout the 2011 season.
The Clippers made it three straight Class I championships thanks to a 5-1 win over Bedford in the 2010 title contest.
Portsmouth had a perfect 20-0 record in 2010 and has now won 63 straight games, bringing the national high school record of 75 straight victories within reach.
Portsmouth lost the services of graduates Mike Montville and Nate Jones, who both moved on to Atlantic Coast Conference college programs, but will look to returning veterans Aidan O’Leary, Keegan Taylor, Quinn McCann and Connor Trefethen to carry the load.
The Clippers likely will receive solid competition from both St. Thomas Aquinas of Dover and 2010 runner-up Bedford. Bedford will be led by Joey Maher, a 6-foot-5 pitcher who has committed to Northeastern.
In Class L, Londonderry won the 2010 championship as the No. 3 seed, knocking off No. 4 Salem for the title, 5-2. The Lancers lost four All-State performers to graduation, but runner-up Salem returns several All-State selections, including Nick Poore, Josh Treff and Joe Morin.
The 2010 Class M championship was a highlight reel for Winnisquam High School pitcher Jordan Cote, who tossed a no-hitter to knock off top-seeded Somersworth, 2-0.
Now a senior, Cote will be back for more in 2011, looking to build on his already impressive pitching resume. Cote is 25-1 in his high school career with three no-hitters.
Also back for Winnisquam are fellow All-State performers Kyle Pratt and Matt Roy.
Winnisquam and Somersworth could be heading toward a rematch for the Class M crown as Somersworth returns five All-State selections from 2010.
In Class S, Sean McKenna pitched a complete game and scored the go-ahead run in the seventh inning to lead No. 6 Portsmouth Christian to an upset win over No. 1 Pittsburg in the 2010 championship game. McKenna returns to Portsmouth Christian in 2011, along with fellow All-Staters Connor Andrews, Mitch Colizzi and Kris Saba.
RHODE ISLAND
The path to Bishop Hendricken’s third straight title in 2010 was littered with obstacles, but the Hawks shook off a loss in the opening round of the double-elimination Division 1 Final Four to post four straight wins. Hendricken knocked off North Providence twice to claim the title, its sixth in the past eight years.
The Hawks will be the favorites in 2011, with a host of returning veterans, including first team All-State pitcher/outfielder Bobby Indeglia and second-team selections Billy Walker (catcher) and Ethan Ferreira (third base).
Also back is junior Tom Pannone, who had three hits and five RBI in the title-clinching win over North Providence last year.
North Providence and North Kingstown are expected to challenge Bishop Hendricken for Div. 1 superiority in 2011.
“I think the competition is really strong this year,” Bishop Hendricken’s Holloway said.
North Providence will be led by junior Michael Corin, who was a first team All-State selection in 2010.
Mount St. Charles captured the 2010 Div. 2 crown, with 10-9 and 10-6 wins over Prout. For the Mounties, it was their second consecutive Div. 2 title.
Mount St. Charles will be led by Garrett Hayward, a Louisville Slugger Preseason All-America selection. The Mounties are expected to be in the mix for another state title after losing just four seniors from 2010’s championship team.
Also returning are Div. 2 North first-team All-Stars Tyler Geffert and Brian Campbell.
Prout should be a viable challenger for Mount St. Charles’ throne, with four Div. 2 South first-team All-Stars returning in Marshall Vigneault, Holden Bussey, Shane Sandoval and David Horsfield, along with Chris Siravo, who was named Div. 2 South’s 2010 MVP.
VERMONT
Essex High School claimed Vermont’s Division 1 title in 2010 with a 6-2 win over BFA-St. Albans, sending longtime coach Steve Ferreira out on top.
Ferreira, who posted a 527-244 record in his coaching career, won five state championships in 10 title appearances with Essex. His 527 wins are the most ever by a Vermont high school baseball coach. Ferreira will be replaced at Essex by Chris Richard.
Catcher/third baseman Thomas Andrews will return to lead Essex, which has won two of the past three Div. 1 titles.
In Div. 2, Mount Abraham played to its top-seeded capabilities to defeat No. 3 Burr and Burton for the title. The championship was the third in the past five years for Mount Abraham, which has made four consecutive title game appearances.
Leland & Gray made it three straight titles with a 4-0 victory over sixth-seeded Oxbow to claim the Div. 3 title. In each of its championship seasons, Leland & Gray suffered just two losses.
Leland & Gray will be led in 2011 by Drew Barnum, Brandon Riley and Colin Nystrom.
Second-seeded Blue Mountain won its second straight Div. 4 championship with a 4-0 win over top-seeded South Royalton.
Brandon Flood was the winning pitcher as Blue Mountain won the title. Flood, now a senior, was also the winning pitcher in Blue Mountain’s 2009 championship game.
Other top Blue Mountain players returning in 2011 include Kyle Farquharson and Christopher Sevigney.
South Royalton returns several all-league performers from 2010, including Brian Falzo, Jack Howe and Michael Murphy.
NEBJ Top 10 Teams
1. Bishop Hendricken (Warwick, R.I.)
2. Amity (Woodbridge, Conn.)
3. Malden Catholic (Malden, Mass.)
4. Portsmouth (Portsmouth, N.H.)
5. Shelton (Shelton, Conn.)
6. Catholic Memorial (West Roxbury, Mass.)
7. North Providence (North Providence, R.I.)
8. Springfield Cathedral (Springfield, Mass.)
9. Essex (Essex, Vt.)
10. Waterville (Waterville, Maine)
NEBJ Top 10 New England Players to Watch
1. Patrick Connaughton, St. John’s Prep (Mass.), sr., RHP
2. Adam Ravanelle, Lincoln-Sudbury (Mass.), sr., RHP
3. Mark Esposito, Amity Regional (Conn.), sr., 3B
4. Garrett Hayward, Mount St. Charles (R.I.), sr., LHP
5. Jordan Cote, Winnisquam (N.H.), sr., RHP
6. Jeffrey Diehl, Cranston West (R.I.), sr., C
7. Billy Walker, Bishop Hendricken (R.I.), jr., C
8. John Gorman, Catholic Memorial (Mass.), sr., 3B
9. Robert DeCosmo, Cathedral (Mass.), sr., RHP
10. Carson Helms, Farmington (Conn.), sr., OF
Ed Flaherty can be reached at feedback@baseballjournal.com
