Baseball season in review: Best teams showed out in 2022

Coming into the season, Brendan Morrissey displayed strong confidence in his team. It was well-placed.

Highlighted by a stalwart pitching staff that included the likes of Charlie Walker, Brian Foley, Owen McHugh, and Tommy Mitchell, Milton finished 22-3 and took home the Div. 2 state title. Along with its firepower on the mound, Shea Donovan and Jimmy Fallon were the centerpieces of an athletic lineup.

Two of Milton’s three losses came by one run with one of those being 1-0 to undefeated Division 3 champion Austin Prep to open the year. Speaking of the Cougars, their final year in the MIAA could not have gone much better. Austin Prep proved too much for the competition all year as ace Evan Blanco and fellow left-hander Jack Iannibelli formed one of the best 1-2 duos in the area. Sophomore star Jake Zawatsky led the team in hitting while Matt Chatelle was the premier catcher in the Bay State.

No. 10 Newburyport was the story of this year’s tournament across divisions as it knocked off second-ranked Medfield in a Cinderella run to reach the Div. 3 title game.

Taunton won the rubber match between itself and Hockomock Kelley-Rex foe Franklin to win the Div. 1 crown. League MVP Ryan MacDougall lived up to the award with the game-winning home run in the title game. Evan Cali — one of five Calis on the Tigers roster — threw a complete game to bring home the crown.

Vaughan O’Leary assured that his Manchester Essex career started and ended with a state championship as the left-hander threw a complete game shutout to lead the Hornets to a 2-0 win over Seekonk in the Div. 4 title game. O’Leary was the lone man left from Manchester-Essex’s 2019 championship team.

Mount Greylock proved to be the talk of the town in Div. 5 as it defeated the top two seeds in Georgetown and Hopedale to win the state championship.  Mount Greylock won the state final 3-1 despite being no-hit by Hopedale’s Will Parker.

A tip of the cap to the Hockomock League who proved itself as the top dog. Franklin, Taunton, Mansfield, King Philip, North Attleboro, and Foxboro all reached its respective division state semifinals.

Three Takeaways

1. A round of applause to the MIAA Baseball Tournament directors who across the board did a nice job running this year’s tournament. In addition to securing terrific venues for games including Fitton Field at Holy Cross, LeLacheur Parkj, and Campanelli Stadium, games were well staffed and organized. Players and coaches were able to spend time celebrating on the field post game before taking it upon themselves to file out while rosters were cleanly provided for fans, media, and college coaches.

2. The pitch count has done wonders. It has forced coaches to strategically prepare for likely moves in games while preventing teams from getting away with lack of depth. It has given kids a breather who otherwise would have well gone past the threshold in years past.. A kid will not remember if they won or lost a May game 20 years from now, but they will remember if they needed shoulder surgery.

3. It must be noted that many late postseason games took place due to the statewide tournament that went into effect this year. Four of the five state championships would have been sectional championship games at best in the old format. Taunton and Franklin — who showcased throughout the year they were the top teams in Div. 1 — were allowed to showcase that on the final day of the season. Austin Prep played three north teams — Pentucket, Gloucester, and Newburyport — in its title run.

10 Players to watch in 2023

Cole Bohane, INF, BC HIgh

Josh Florence, RHP/OF, Central Catholic

Gian Gamelli, RHP Hamilton-Wenham

Braydon Gray, RHP Chelmsford

Jake Harring, INF, Amesbury

Gabe Malaret, INF, Catholic Memorial

Alfred Mucciarone, RHP, Fran

Tommy Mitchell, LHP, Milton

David VanderZouwen, OF, Austin Prep (NEPSAC)

Jake Zawatsky, INF/RHP, Austin Prep (NEPSAC)

from Boston Herald https://ift.tt/kDO9EvX