One year after removing the Division 1A Super 8 tournament from its baseball schedule, the MIAA continues to shift the tournament landscape, scrapping the regionally based early rounds for a statewide tournament across all divisions, with a fifth division now in the mix.
With no more Super 8 tournament on the table, Division 1 resulted in a ferocious battle. An underappreciated Xaverian team claimed its first championship since 2012 in impressive fashion, knocking out all top contenders along the way.
This year the Hawks see themselves with some key departures on the pitching side, but are hopeful that there are young, talented arms ready to contribute. Ready to help ease them into the mix is Northeastern-bound catcher Matt Brinker, a strong defensive backstop who hit .381 with 25 RBIs in the championship season. Brinker will be relegated to DH duties this season after undergoing Tommy John surgery in the fall.
Expect the usual cast of programs to contend, including Catholic Conference stalwarts St. John’s Prep and B.C. High and public-school powers North Andover, Walpole and Franklin.
