The valued relationship cast between Deerfield Academy head coach Pat Moriarty and three of his most skilled players -- seniors Conor Moriarty, Gavin Rigney, and junior Connor Niemiec -- is quite special. Moriarty has coached all three since they were pre-teens.
Over time, he has seen the trio morph into talented, high-impact players and people. All three have played definitive roles in helping lead the Big Green throughout the 2024 season, highlighted by a CNEPSBL postseason tournament championship earlier this month.
"At an early age, all three were very skilled, but what impressed me most about them was their maturity as young people, their passion for the game, their baseball IQs, and their overall improvement and development on a day-to-day and week-to-week basis,'' said Moriarty, who just wrapped up his seventh season at Deerfield.
The fond memories Moriarty has of each include championship runs during the youth baseball years in Springfield, playing tournaments in Cooperstown, N.Y., and, of course, being crowned CNEPSBL regular season and postseason champs.
