High School: BC High
Report: BC High coach Walsh suspended
May, 25, 2012
May 25
3:04
PM ET
By
Brendan Hall | ESPNBoston.com
The Boston Herald is reporting this afternoon that Boston College High baseball coach Norm Walsh has been suspended for the remainder of the season, including playoffs, following a verbal exchange with a player.
Assistant coach John Lynch is expected to take over interim duties in place of Walsh, who won his 500th game as Eagles skipper two weeks ago. The Eagles, ESPNBoston.com's No. 1 team in the land in its preseason poll, are expected to contend for the Division 1 South title and beyond when brackets are unveiled next week.
"All we can say is that Norm has been suspended for the remainder of the baseball season for inappropriate language," BC High Athletic Director Jon Bartlett told the paper. "Anything else will be handled internally."
Assistant coach John Lynch is expected to take over interim duties in place of Walsh, who won his 500th game as Eagles skipper two weeks ago. The Eagles, ESPNBoston.com's No. 1 team in the land in its preseason poll, are expected to contend for the Division 1 South title and beyond when brackets are unveiled next week.
"All we can say is that Norm has been suspended for the remainder of the baseball season for inappropriate language," BC High Athletic Director Jon Bartlett told the paper. "Anything else will be handled internally."
Tulley shows his 'gritty' side to BC High
May, 19, 2012
May 19
12:07
AM ET
By
Brendan Hall | ESPNBoston.com
LOWELL, Mass. -– The fire remained within.
Matt Tulley leaned against the fence at the top of Lowell High’s dugout, arms outstretched, and gazed out at the BC High players warming up in the outfield at Alumni Field. He was his usual self -– that is, quiet, calm, relaxed, but locked in.
“Do you have the time, sir?” he politely called out to a nearby reporter in the dugout.
“Quarter past,” the reporter responded, and the senior righthander flashed a small grin. Forty-five minutes before first pitch meant time to warm up, time to go to work, time to buckle down and brace himself for one of the state’s best hitting lineups.
Tulley earned a scholarship to Virginia Tech this past offseason in part for the low-90’s velocity and late life on his fastball, but also for his competitive streak. In the big games, Tulley always wants the ball, and he never gives off signs of panic.
Unlike his earlier starts this season, there weren't scouts visibly out front, radar gun in tow, clocking his every pitch warming up in the bullpen. Tonight was a change of pace –- a capacity crowd for “Senior Night”, charting each of his strikeouts with “K” signs posted just below the press box windows –- and as usual, he rose to the occasion.
To end the first inning he delivered the looping 12-to-6 curveball that has become his vicious outpitch, and punched the air as he stormed back to the dugout. The next time up, Tulley ran into some trouble when an Eagles baserunner took two bases off a throwing error by Tulley on the pickoff to first. Head coach Danny Graham walked out to the mound to calm him down; Tulley exhaled, and retired the next batter to end the inning.
More trouble came in the fifth, when Rich Roach raced home on a wild pitch and easily beat Tulley’s would-be tag at home plate, tying it up at 1. Roach appeared to mutter something as he got up, and Tulley jawed right back. Tulley then got No. 2 hitter Ryan Tufts looking on another breaking ball to end the inning.
“Kid slides into home, beats the throw, Matt tags him, no big deal,” Graham said. “Kid says something to him, Matt says something right back. It probably lit a little fire under his a--. He is kind of mellow, a little bit laid-back sometimes, but the fire is within.”
More trouble in the sixth. UConn-bound cleanup hitter Bobby Melley crushed one off the wall in left-center, for a stand-up triple, then came home on another passed ball.
You get the idea by now -– Tulley grabbed the ball, and finished what he started. That was the final hit Tulley allowed, as he struck out 11 batters with just four hits scattered to pick up his fourth win of the season. That accompanies a pretty decent job at the plate, which included a sacrifice bunt and an RBI double.
“I knew I had to not just be on my A-game, but my A-plus game,” Tulley said. “They were coming for me, and everyone else.”
“His pitch count’s getting up there, I don’t know whether I’m going to have to make a move or not, how tired he’s getting,” Graham said. “When he came in in the sixth, he grabbed the pitching chart, and he’s studying it. And I know he’s not studying it for our relief pitchers that are coming in.
“So maybe that did ring true in the back of his head. This is a meaningful spot for him, with a two-run lead, and if there’s anybody out there finishing this game out, I want it to be me.”
Tulley went into the last offseason with some kinks to be worked out with his curve. And so he went to a local legend, Mark Deschenes, a Lowell native and UMass-Lowell star who at one point was one of the Cleveland Indians’ top pitching prospects. Among other things, Deschenes stressed the importance of not tipping his pitches, and keeping a consistent release point.
To say it’s worked would be fair. Whereas a year ago at this time, Tulley went mostly fastball-cutter, he was now pounding four pitches for strikes. Half of his strikeouts tonight came by way of the backwards-K.
“Coming into this season, I didn’t think my curveball was going to be my plus pitch,” Tulley said. “But it has been all year. I could always throw it for a strike.”
Noted BC High head coach Norm Walsh, “It’s not so much the fastball, it’s the ability to change speeds on the breaking balls. He goes from the hard slider to the softer curve with a bigger break to it. And he competes – that’s the biggest thing.”
And to that last point, Tulley recalled a recent conversation with Graham, where the coach reminisced about legendary former Peabody hurler Jeff Allison, a former first-round draft pick seemingly destined for a promising big league career before highly-publicized off-field issues derailed the path.
In Allison, Graham always appreciated the gritty side. Asked about recalling the conversation with Tulley, Graham lit up.
“Grittiness, that’s it,” he said. “I think people want to see grittiness. They want to see you be the guy that wants the ball in the most meaningful spots in the game. That’s it. If you’ve got something in the tank to give, they want to see it.
“He doesn’t necessarily have to show emotion out there, it’s just the grittiness. It’s in your body language, it’s your presence out there on the mound. Just showing it.”
Across the basepath, Tulley’s toughness drew praise from Walsh as well.
“He gets right back up on the mound, and he wants to go right after you,” Walsh said. “That’s exactly what you want to see in a pitcher. Be aggressive, go after hitters. Melley took him deep and he’s right back up there, and that’s exactly what you want from a pitcher.
“Nothing phases him. The passed ball, wild pitch, whatever you want to call it, he didn’t care. He went right back out and threw it again.”
Matt Tulley leaned against the fence at the top of Lowell High’s dugout, arms outstretched, and gazed out at the BC High players warming up in the outfield at Alumni Field. He was his usual self -– that is, quiet, calm, relaxed, but locked in.
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Brendan Hall Lowell's prized righthander Matt Tulley (11 K's, 4 hits, 2 runs) displayed what coach Dan Graham called "grittiness" in the team's win Friday over BC High.
Brendan Hall Lowell's prized righthander Matt Tulley (11 K's, 4 hits, 2 runs) displayed what coach Dan Graham called "grittiness" in the team's win Friday over BC High.“Quarter past,” the reporter responded, and the senior righthander flashed a small grin. Forty-five minutes before first pitch meant time to warm up, time to go to work, time to buckle down and brace himself for one of the state’s best hitting lineups.
Tulley earned a scholarship to Virginia Tech this past offseason in part for the low-90’s velocity and late life on his fastball, but also for his competitive streak. In the big games, Tulley always wants the ball, and he never gives off signs of panic.
Unlike his earlier starts this season, there weren't scouts visibly out front, radar gun in tow, clocking his every pitch warming up in the bullpen. Tonight was a change of pace –- a capacity crowd for “Senior Night”, charting each of his strikeouts with “K” signs posted just below the press box windows –- and as usual, he rose to the occasion.
To end the first inning he delivered the looping 12-to-6 curveball that has become his vicious outpitch, and punched the air as he stormed back to the dugout. The next time up, Tulley ran into some trouble when an Eagles baserunner took two bases off a throwing error by Tulley on the pickoff to first. Head coach Danny Graham walked out to the mound to calm him down; Tulley exhaled, and retired the next batter to end the inning.
More trouble came in the fifth, when Rich Roach raced home on a wild pitch and easily beat Tulley’s would-be tag at home plate, tying it up at 1. Roach appeared to mutter something as he got up, and Tulley jawed right back. Tulley then got No. 2 hitter Ryan Tufts looking on another breaking ball to end the inning.
“Kid slides into home, beats the throw, Matt tags him, no big deal,” Graham said. “Kid says something to him, Matt says something right back. It probably lit a little fire under his a--. He is kind of mellow, a little bit laid-back sometimes, but the fire is within.”
More trouble in the sixth. UConn-bound cleanup hitter Bobby Melley crushed one off the wall in left-center, for a stand-up triple, then came home on another passed ball.
You get the idea by now -– Tulley grabbed the ball, and finished what he started. That was the final hit Tulley allowed, as he struck out 11 batters with just four hits scattered to pick up his fourth win of the season. That accompanies a pretty decent job at the plate, which included a sacrifice bunt and an RBI double.
“I knew I had to not just be on my A-game, but my A-plus game,” Tulley said. “They were coming for me, and everyone else.”
“His pitch count’s getting up there, I don’t know whether I’m going to have to make a move or not, how tired he’s getting,” Graham said. “When he came in in the sixth, he grabbed the pitching chart, and he’s studying it. And I know he’s not studying it for our relief pitchers that are coming in.
“So maybe that did ring true in the back of his head. This is a meaningful spot for him, with a two-run lead, and if there’s anybody out there finishing this game out, I want it to be me.”
Tulley went into the last offseason with some kinks to be worked out with his curve. And so he went to a local legend, Mark Deschenes, a Lowell native and UMass-Lowell star who at one point was one of the Cleveland Indians’ top pitching prospects. Among other things, Deschenes stressed the importance of not tipping his pitches, and keeping a consistent release point.
To say it’s worked would be fair. Whereas a year ago at this time, Tulley went mostly fastball-cutter, he was now pounding four pitches for strikes. Half of his strikeouts tonight came by way of the backwards-K.
“Coming into this season, I didn’t think my curveball was going to be my plus pitch,” Tulley said. “But it has been all year. I could always throw it for a strike.”
Noted BC High head coach Norm Walsh, “It’s not so much the fastball, it’s the ability to change speeds on the breaking balls. He goes from the hard slider to the softer curve with a bigger break to it. And he competes – that’s the biggest thing.”
And to that last point, Tulley recalled a recent conversation with Graham, where the coach reminisced about legendary former Peabody hurler Jeff Allison, a former first-round draft pick seemingly destined for a promising big league career before highly-publicized off-field issues derailed the path.
In Allison, Graham always appreciated the gritty side. Asked about recalling the conversation with Tulley, Graham lit up.
“Grittiness, that’s it,” he said. “I think people want to see grittiness. They want to see you be the guy that wants the ball in the most meaningful spots in the game. That’s it. If you’ve got something in the tank to give, they want to see it.
“He doesn’t necessarily have to show emotion out there, it’s just the grittiness. It’s in your body language, it’s your presence out there on the mound. Just showing it.”
Across the basepath, Tulley’s toughness drew praise from Walsh as well.
“He gets right back up on the mound, and he wants to go right after you,” Walsh said. “That’s exactly what you want to see in a pitcher. Be aggressive, go after hitters. Melley took him deep and he’s right back up there, and that’s exactly what you want from a pitcher.
“Nothing phases him. The passed ball, wild pitch, whatever you want to call it, he didn’t care. He went right back out and threw it again.”
Recap: No. 13 Lowell 4, No. 7 BC High 2
May, 18, 2012
May 18
11:35
PM ET
By John McGuirk | ESPNBoston.com
LOWELL, Mass. -- It is a known fact that big-time pitchers are usually at their best in big-game situations.
Lowell High’s Matt Tulley certainly falls into that classification of big-time pitcher. Tonight the senior righty showed why, as he surrendered just four hits while striking out 11 in a complete game 4-2 non-league victory effort over BC High at Alumni Field.
“I knew this was the most-anticipated game of the year for us,” said Tulley, who will play for Virginia Tech next season. “I was just very excited to play. Coach (Danny) Graham told me about a pitcher from this area named Jeff Allison (who played at Peabody High and was a first-round pick of the Florida Marlins) and how gritty a player he was and I just tried to follow that.
"Warming up in the bullpen I didn't feel that good. I don't know what it was but I wasn't to worried about it. I just knew I had to zone in more and get focused. Once I got out there I felt great.”
Tulley mixed his fastball and cutter with a knee-buckling curve, which proved to be his most effective pitch of the evening as it kept Eagles (13-5) off-balanced throughout.
“We had chances but let to many opportunities go by,” BC High coach Norm Walsh said. “(Tulley) is obviously one of the top 4-5 guys we’ve seen all year. Him changing speeds on his breaking ball was the biggest thing. It wasn't so much the fastball but the ability for him to change speeds on the breaking ball. He competes. That’s what you want to see out of your pitchers -- to be aggressive and go after hitters like he did tonight.”
With the contest tied 2-2 through 5 1/2 innings, the Red Raiders (13-3) put this one to rest in their half of the sixth. With John Arens in relief of starter Trent Berg (5 IP, 2 runs, 7 hits, 4 Ks) on the mound, Lowell’s Roger Roman opened the frame with a single. After advancing to second on Matt Cassella’s well-executed sacrifice bunt, the senior eventually came around to score the go-ahead run on a Chad Gens fielder’s choice. The Red Raiders added another run moments later on a Tulley (2 hits, 2 RBI) single to left that scored Mike Hart, who walked.
“We knew it was going to be a good game,” Graham said. “It was a great performance by Matt, and he was very gutsy right to the end. Credit our kids. This one was fun to watch. (BC High) is a helluva team and they compete hard. You could see at the end of the game how meaningful it was to beat a program like BC High. Anytime you win it’s great but when you beat a quality team it’s even better. Our kids were definitely up for the challenge.”
The Red Raiders looked to put this contest away in their half of the first after loading the bases with no out. But Berg, who also used his 12-to-6 curveball with authority, pitched his way out of trouble by striking out Tulley and R.J. Noel before inducing Derek Reed to fly out. Walking the proverbial tightrope much of the evening, Berg, a junior, failed to escape trouble in the third.
Back-to-back singles by R.J. Gray and Gens started things. A Tulley sacrifice bunt moved both runners into scoring position. After Berg set Noel with a strike out, Reed next singled to plate Gray with Lowell’s first run.
The Eagles tied it up in the fifth. Rich Roach opened with a double to left, took third on a deep fly out by Chuckie Connors and sprinted home on a wild pitch. Lowell got that run back its half of the fifth. Gens singled, stole second and came around to score on Tulley’s double down the left field line which short-hopped over the glove of third baseman Justin Silvestro making it 2-1.
Showing great resiliency, the Eagles answered back to begin the sixth. Bobby Melley blasted a triple to right and scored moments later on a passed ball to deadlock this tilt yet again, 2-2.
But on this night, the Red Raiders simply had too much firepower offensively and it showed in the bottom of the frame after taking a two-run advantage. With Tulley in full command on the hill, that would prove to be more than enough run support for him to secure the win.
“We put some pressure on them,” said Walsh. “When we kept it on them we scored but we just didn’t get it done as often as we needed to do it.”
New BC High coach Gaff: 'I am just humbled'
May, 17, 2012
May 17
12:12
AM ET
By
Brendan Hall | ESPNBoston.com
We caught up tonight with new BC High head football coach Joe Gaff, who was officially elevated from Defensive Coordinator and named successor to Jon Bartlett this afternoon. Over our half-hour conversation, Gaff discussed his new responsibilities, as well as the gameplan going forward and the talent coming up through the program's ranks.
Gaff, a member of the Everett Police Department by day, has served the last four years as Bartlett's defensive coordinator. The two teamed up for Division 1 Super Bowl titles in 2008 and 2011. Prior to that, he had a two-year stint as the head coach at Catholic Conference rival Malden Catholic.
His reaction to being named the new head coach: "I am just humbled. There are so many great people over there, so many great guys already there on the staff that have really pulled a lot of hard work. And to take over one of the elite programs in the state not just on the field, but off the field -- these are such quality kids outside of football -- it's a remarkable feeling."
On the element of continuity with this hire: "It's huge, and I think that's what they saw throughout this whole process. Jon has done such a wonderful job putting together such a great staff together, and we've had hardly any turnover in my four years here. I want to keep that going. It's not just about wins and losses, it's about getting kids into the right schools and playing the right way, that's really what BC High is all about. The whole message we try to preach over there is it's more than just wins and losses at BC High. It's about life."
What working under Bartlett has meant to him, and how those roles will change going forward: "I just think that it's just a friendship that we've bonded these last four short years. We're best friends, and we talk all of the time. Even in the offseason, we spend time together in the offseason. The friendship we've developed is amazing. It's a nice thing that he'll still be in the corner office. It's nice to know I have a friend there, and that the door's always going to be open."
Lessons learned from his last head coaching stint in the Catholic Conference, at Malden Catholic: "I think it's just that kids, no matter where you are, are great kids, and while some situations are different, all kids everywhere I've been at just want you to give them the best chance to win. I think that's going to be the philosophy at BC High. I'll still be coaching varsity swimming at Malden Catholic. I've got great swimmers -- we're not the best program in the world, but we started off with 15 kids and now we've got 43. And it's worked out, I'm going to be able stay in that position over there as well, so I'm ecstatic about that. It's hard going between two schools, but we're all in this business to teach kids right and wrong, and try to give them the right direction in life. I don't care what sport, what school, that will always be my mission."
His coaching style, and the philosophy going forward: "When Jon and I talked four years ago, that's what the whole idea was, our coaching styles were the same, and that's why it's worked so well. His idea of a pro-style offense with multiple formations is what I like. You have to adapt to different players, and we have to go with what best suits us every year, and for that I like the system Jon has put in. You don't want to be one-dimensional. Some years you'll have a great stable of running backs, other years its the wide receivers and quarterback, and I think it helps us to be a multiple-formation team.
"Defensively, we're going to stay very physical and very aggressive. The other thing is you really have to make sure the kids are very disciplined on the field, and these kids do such a good job with being disciplined off the field. They know why they're there -- academics, spiritual life and sports. We did mostly a four-man front, and I think we're going to stay with that. With the manpower we have, we're going to play with some things in the secondary and with the linebackers. We've got a great linebacker in Luke Catarius coming back, he is a heck of a player. We'll be mostly a four-man front though, but with the way teams can be pass-happy now, we'll have a little bit of three-man front. But we'll stay mostly in a four-man front, and adapt to what we need to."
On the coordinators situation: "I'll stay at defensive coordinator. Offense, I'm just getting the job today, we've got some quality guys on the staff, but it's something that I really haven't had a chance to talk about yet. We just have some great guys and friendships on the staff, and that's leads over to the kids' comfort zone. Offensive coordinator is going to be a big thing. Jon was head coach and offensive coordinator, and they averaged quite a few points in his career. It's going to be tough to match that."
On replacing the Class of 2012 talent, and the talent coming up: "We've got a good core of players coming back between Lincoln Collins, [Jack McDonald], Lucas [Catarius], Billy Breen. [Brendan] Craven hopefully will fill in for Bartley Regan at quarterback. It's going to be tough to replace Preston Cooper and Deontae [Ramey-Doe] at running back. Deontae did a tremendous job for Preston after he went down. We're going to have to find a tailback, but I think we've got a few guys that can fill the spot nicely.
"McDonald, he's got a bunch of offers. We haven't gotten into that yet though, we're meeting next week to set up a lot of that stuff. We've got Mark McGuire [senior tight end/defensive end] coming back, he's going to be great. Tim Johnson [senior defensive back], he had a great interception in the Super Bowl [last December], he's back. We do have some good kids coming up. Brandon Owens is another one coming back, we'll use him at outside linebacker some with his speed, and he'll play a little tailback for us too."
The most important thing to take care of between now and August: "Getting everyone comfortable with everything, try to get everyone on the same page. The offensive and defensive terminology might change a little, but as long as we continue to put in hard work in the weight room we'll be OK."
How he will handle college recruiting inquiries: "That's something me and Jon haven't yet worked out. Unfortunately I'm out of the building because I'm a police officer, but it's something we're working on. Jon will help me out with that. They already have a system over there, but we'll try to continue that. We've sent a player to Harvard four years in a row -- that's not too bad. Jon will be a big part, guidance will be a big part, and I think we'll all work together to get these kids into college."
Gaff, a member of the Everett Police Department by day, has served the last four years as Bartlett's defensive coordinator. The two teamed up for Division 1 Super Bowl titles in 2008 and 2011. Prior to that, he had a two-year stint as the head coach at Catholic Conference rival Malden Catholic.
His reaction to being named the new head coach: "I am just humbled. There are so many great people over there, so many great guys already there on the staff that have really pulled a lot of hard work. And to take over one of the elite programs in the state not just on the field, but off the field -- these are such quality kids outside of football -- it's a remarkable feeling."
On the element of continuity with this hire: "It's huge, and I think that's what they saw throughout this whole process. Jon has done such a wonderful job putting together such a great staff together, and we've had hardly any turnover in my four years here. I want to keep that going. It's not just about wins and losses, it's about getting kids into the right schools and playing the right way, that's really what BC High is all about. The whole message we try to preach over there is it's more than just wins and losses at BC High. It's about life."
What working under Bartlett has meant to him, and how those roles will change going forward: "I just think that it's just a friendship that we've bonded these last four short years. We're best friends, and we talk all of the time. Even in the offseason, we spend time together in the offseason. The friendship we've developed is amazing. It's a nice thing that he'll still be in the corner office. It's nice to know I have a friend there, and that the door's always going to be open."
Lessons learned from his last head coaching stint in the Catholic Conference, at Malden Catholic: "I think it's just that kids, no matter where you are, are great kids, and while some situations are different, all kids everywhere I've been at just want you to give them the best chance to win. I think that's going to be the philosophy at BC High. I'll still be coaching varsity swimming at Malden Catholic. I've got great swimmers -- we're not the best program in the world, but we started off with 15 kids and now we've got 43. And it's worked out, I'm going to be able stay in that position over there as well, so I'm ecstatic about that. It's hard going between two schools, but we're all in this business to teach kids right and wrong, and try to give them the right direction in life. I don't care what sport, what school, that will always be my mission."
His coaching style, and the philosophy going forward: "When Jon and I talked four years ago, that's what the whole idea was, our coaching styles were the same, and that's why it's worked so well. His idea of a pro-style offense with multiple formations is what I like. You have to adapt to different players, and we have to go with what best suits us every year, and for that I like the system Jon has put in. You don't want to be one-dimensional. Some years you'll have a great stable of running backs, other years its the wide receivers and quarterback, and I think it helps us to be a multiple-formation team.
"Defensively, we're going to stay very physical and very aggressive. The other thing is you really have to make sure the kids are very disciplined on the field, and these kids do such a good job with being disciplined off the field. They know why they're there -- academics, spiritual life and sports. We did mostly a four-man front, and I think we're going to stay with that. With the manpower we have, we're going to play with some things in the secondary and with the linebackers. We've got a great linebacker in Luke Catarius coming back, he is a heck of a player. We'll be mostly a four-man front though, but with the way teams can be pass-happy now, we'll have a little bit of three-man front. But we'll stay mostly in a four-man front, and adapt to what we need to."
On the coordinators situation: "I'll stay at defensive coordinator. Offense, I'm just getting the job today, we've got some quality guys on the staff, but it's something that I really haven't had a chance to talk about yet. We just have some great guys and friendships on the staff, and that's leads over to the kids' comfort zone. Offensive coordinator is going to be a big thing. Jon was head coach and offensive coordinator, and they averaged quite a few points in his career. It's going to be tough to match that."
On replacing the Class of 2012 talent, and the talent coming up: "We've got a good core of players coming back between Lincoln Collins, [Jack McDonald], Lucas [Catarius], Billy Breen. [Brendan] Craven hopefully will fill in for Bartley Regan at quarterback. It's going to be tough to replace Preston Cooper and Deontae [Ramey-Doe] at running back. Deontae did a tremendous job for Preston after he went down. We're going to have to find a tailback, but I think we've got a few guys that can fill the spot nicely.
"McDonald, he's got a bunch of offers. We haven't gotten into that yet though, we're meeting next week to set up a lot of that stuff. We've got Mark McGuire [senior tight end/defensive end] coming back, he's going to be great. Tim Johnson [senior defensive back], he had a great interception in the Super Bowl [last December], he's back. We do have some good kids coming up. Brandon Owens is another one coming back, we'll use him at outside linebacker some with his speed, and he'll play a little tailback for us too."
The most important thing to take care of between now and August: "Getting everyone comfortable with everything, try to get everyone on the same page. The offensive and defensive terminology might change a little, but as long as we continue to put in hard work in the weight room we'll be OK."
How he will handle college recruiting inquiries: "That's something me and Jon haven't yet worked out. Unfortunately I'm out of the building because I'm a police officer, but it's something we're working on. Jon will help me out with that. They already have a system over there, but we'll try to continue that. We've sent a player to Harvard four years in a row -- that's not too bad. Jon will be a big part, guidance will be a big part, and I think we'll all work together to get these kids into college."
BC High elevates Gaff to head football coach
May, 16, 2012
May 16
3:47
PM ET
By
Brendan Hall | ESPNBoston.com
Boston College High has gone in-house in naming a new head coach for its football program, elevating defensive coordinator/associate head coach Joe Gaff this afternoon, Athletic Director Jon Bartlett has confirmed.
Gaff joined the Eagles' coaching staff in 2008 after a two-year stint as the head coach at Malden Catholic. He previously found success over nine years as head coach at Chelsea and Matignon. He also has served as an assistant coach at Tufts for 3 years. He previously played for Xavier University and for juniors football in Nova Scotia.
He will be taking over for Bartlett, who stepped down late last month after going 33-12 in four seasons, with two Division 1 Super Bowl titles.
“We are thrilled to have Joe lead our program”, Bartlett said in a press release. “Joe has been with us for the past 4 years as Defensive Coordinator, so he understands the vision of our program and the core values of our school.”
Gaff, a 26 year veteran of the Everett Police Department, lives in Everett with his wife, Nancy. He has two sons.
“I’m extremely humbled and very excited to be taking on this position,” Gaff said in the release. “BC High is a warm and welcoming community that has provided me with great opportunity for personal growth. Jon Bartlett is certainly a tough act to follow, but squad coming up is a very fine group of young men.”
Gaff joined the Eagles' coaching staff in 2008 after a two-year stint as the head coach at Malden Catholic. He previously found success over nine years as head coach at Chelsea and Matignon. He also has served as an assistant coach at Tufts for 3 years. He previously played for Xavier University and for juniors football in Nova Scotia.
He will be taking over for Bartlett, who stepped down late last month after going 33-12 in four seasons, with two Division 1 Super Bowl titles.
“We are thrilled to have Joe lead our program”, Bartlett said in a press release. “Joe has been with us for the past 4 years as Defensive Coordinator, so he understands the vision of our program and the core values of our school.”
Gaff, a 26 year veteran of the Everett Police Department, lives in Everett with his wife, Nancy. He has two sons.
“I’m extremely humbled and very excited to be taking on this position,” Gaff said in the release. “BC High is a warm and welcoming community that has provided me with great opportunity for personal growth. Jon Bartlett is certainly a tough act to follow, but squad coming up is a very fine group of young men.”
Recap: No. 4 St. John's (S) 5, No. 1 BC High 2
May, 11, 2012
May 11
11:23
PM ET
By John McGuirk | ESPNBoston.com
SHREWSBURY, Mass. -- Although they never displayed it openly, you knew to a player that St. John’s had Friday’s return match against BC High circled several times on its calendar.
The Pioneers were beaten handedly by the Eagles in Dorchester last month and were chomping at for a redemption shot. Jumping out to a 3-0 lead after one inning, St. John’s did precisely what it set out the do having turned the tables en route to a 5-2 non-league victory at Pioneer Field.
“We have taken every team we've played just as serious as this game today,” said Pioneer third baseman Owen Shea, who contributed a pair of RBIs in the victory. “Yesterday after our game against Burncoat, we talked and made sure that all of us were ready for this one today. We came out hard early and managed to get the win. It's great.”
With Advanced Placement testing taking place this week, BC High coach Norm Walsh did not have a full unit to begin the game. Those players who were testing arrived just before first pitch. That being the case, Walsh had to maneuver his lineup some and had to use a junior varsity pitcher (Sam Telman) on the hill.
St. John’s (14-2) wasted little time getting to Telman, a righty. Tom Petry led off the Pioneer first with a double. Two outs later, Shea followed with a wind-blown double to right scoring Petry. Shea took third on the play after Eagle third baseman Justin Silvestro, taking the cutoff throw, fired home trying to nail Petry but the ball sailed on catcher Bobby Melley hitting the backstop. Moments later Scott Manea belted a double to center plating Shea with the Pioneers’ second run.
Telman woes would continue. Following Manea's hit, Jake Byrne next smacked a single to left scoring Manea with St. John’s third run.
“They took advantage of my JV guy,” said Walsh, his club falling to 12-3. “We could have bailed him out I think with some better play in the outfield. It was tough, wind conditions today and the balls were hit pretty hard. Them scoring three in the first was certainly the difference today.”
Pioneer starter Ben White, despite playing with a stomach virus, was holding the Eagles in check over the first three frames, issuing no hits. But in the fourth, BC High (which defeated the Pioneers 11-5 three weeks ago for St. John's last loss) started to make some noise against the junior righthander.
With one out, Chuckie Connors reached on a Petry error at shortstop. White then struck out Silvestro but couldn’t escape the power of Brian Hocking. The senior roped an 0-1 pitch over the left field fence to bring the Eagles back to within a run. Following the blast, BC High proceeded to load the bases but White (4-0) avoided further damage by striking out Rich Roach.
Following the gutty fourth, White’s day was done. Senior Anthony Perry took over and it was up to him to maintain the lead. The lefty pitched was flawless in his three innings of work, surrendering just one hit.
In between, St. John’s was able to tack on a couple of more runs on Perry's behalf. In the fifth, consecutive singles by Jimmy Smith, Nick Sieber and Shea produced the Pioneers’ fourth run. In the sixth they added one more on a Micah Cummins home run off of reliever Bartley Regan.
“Scoring early really helped us,” St. John’s coach Charlie Eppinger said. “We know BC High has an amazing lineup and I give Ben White and Anthony Perry a tremendous amount of credit. Our catcher Scott Manea called a great game and kept their hitter off-balanced throughout. Our kids really wanted this one today. It’s a great win against a great, well-coached program.”
The Pioneers were beaten handedly by the Eagles in Dorchester last month and were chomping at for a redemption shot. Jumping out to a 3-0 lead after one inning, St. John’s did precisely what it set out the do having turned the tables en route to a 5-2 non-league victory at Pioneer Field.
“We have taken every team we've played just as serious as this game today,” said Pioneer third baseman Owen Shea, who contributed a pair of RBIs in the victory. “Yesterday after our game against Burncoat, we talked and made sure that all of us were ready for this one today. We came out hard early and managed to get the win. It's great.”
With Advanced Placement testing taking place this week, BC High coach Norm Walsh did not have a full unit to begin the game. Those players who were testing arrived just before first pitch. That being the case, Walsh had to maneuver his lineup some and had to use a junior varsity pitcher (Sam Telman) on the hill.
St. John’s (14-2) wasted little time getting to Telman, a righty. Tom Petry led off the Pioneer first with a double. Two outs later, Shea followed with a wind-blown double to right scoring Petry. Shea took third on the play after Eagle third baseman Justin Silvestro, taking the cutoff throw, fired home trying to nail Petry but the ball sailed on catcher Bobby Melley hitting the backstop. Moments later Scott Manea belted a double to center plating Shea with the Pioneers’ second run.
Telman woes would continue. Following Manea's hit, Jake Byrne next smacked a single to left scoring Manea with St. John’s third run.
“They took advantage of my JV guy,” said Walsh, his club falling to 12-3. “We could have bailed him out I think with some better play in the outfield. It was tough, wind conditions today and the balls were hit pretty hard. Them scoring three in the first was certainly the difference today.”
Pioneer starter Ben White, despite playing with a stomach virus, was holding the Eagles in check over the first three frames, issuing no hits. But in the fourth, BC High (which defeated the Pioneers 11-5 three weeks ago for St. John's last loss) started to make some noise against the junior righthander.
With one out, Chuckie Connors reached on a Petry error at shortstop. White then struck out Silvestro but couldn’t escape the power of Brian Hocking. The senior roped an 0-1 pitch over the left field fence to bring the Eagles back to within a run. Following the blast, BC High proceeded to load the bases but White (4-0) avoided further damage by striking out Rich Roach.
Following the gutty fourth, White’s day was done. Senior Anthony Perry took over and it was up to him to maintain the lead. The lefty pitched was flawless in his three innings of work, surrendering just one hit.
In between, St. John’s was able to tack on a couple of more runs on Perry's behalf. In the fifth, consecutive singles by Jimmy Smith, Nick Sieber and Shea produced the Pioneers’ fourth run. In the sixth they added one more on a Micah Cummins home run off of reliever Bartley Regan.
“Scoring early really helped us,” St. John’s coach Charlie Eppinger said. “We know BC High has an amazing lineup and I give Ben White and Anthony Perry a tremendous amount of credit. Our catcher Scott Manea called a great game and kept their hitter off-balanced throughout. Our kids really wanted this one today. It’s a great win against a great, well-coached program.”
Recap: No. 4 St. John's (S) 2, No. 11 Burncoat 0
May, 10, 2012
May 10
7:59
PM ET
By John McGuirk | ESPNBoston.com
SHREWSBURY, Mass. -- Jimmy Smith has done a lot of good things during his time as a St. John’s baseball player. But the one thing the senior had never done was homer in a game. You can now add that to his resume.
In a scoreless deadlock against mighty Burncoat yesterday, it was Smith who struck the decisive blow. With two out and a runner on, Smith turned on a letter-high fastball and sent it deep over the right field fence giving the Pioneers a 2-0 victory at Pioneer Field in a highly-anticipated matchup between two of the elite programs in Central Mass.
“That is the first one I’ve hit in the two years I’ve played here,” said Smith, more noted for his speed on the base paths and defensive prowess. "I grew up around the Burncoat area and I know everyone on that team so it feels good to get a big hit like that. Everyone on this team has a huge heart and we look to come out an win every single game. That comes back to our practices. We practice as hard as we can all the time. Everyone is pushing each other to make everyone better and I think that has helped us to win a lot of these close games like today.”
As expected, both St. John’s ace Mike Badjo and Patriot counterpart Sean McGrail matched zeros on the scoreboard. The two seniors played things out as if it were a do-or-die chess match with neither hurler refusing to give an inch.
Prior to the fifth inning dramatics, the Pioneers had managed only a pair of singles against McGrail, a righty who started his career at St. John’s before transferring a few miles down the road to Burncoat. Likewise, the Patriots were struggling to get anything going against Badjo (CG, 2 hits, 6 Ks). In the third they did load the bases with two out but the right hander got a ground out to end the threat. Burncoat did nothing with the bats thereafter.
“It was an outstanding baseball game,” said Pioneers head coach Charlie Eppinger, his team improving to 13-2 and await a huge showdown Friday when they host BC High. “McGrail and Badjo both pitched great. We know McGrail really well after he spent his first two years here at St. John’s and is a great pitcher. I thought Badjo was just a horse for us out there today.'
McGrail, like Badjo, went the distance, allowing 3 hits and striking out 8. Burncoat (12-2) came into this tilt averaging just under six runs-per-game. In spite of the many victories the Patriots have attained this season, they knew St. John’s would be a measuring stick game for them.
“It was a matchup between two of the better teams around and two of the better pitchers around,” Burncoat head coach Brian Sargent said. “One hit by them was it today. Playing a team like that you have a small window to score runs and in the third we had our shot but couldn’t get the big hit. We have nothing to hang our heads over. We knew St. John's is the best team around. Today we played a quality team and now we know that we can hang with anyone. Today was the highest level of competition yet for us and I think we rose to the challenge.”
In the fifth, No. 9 hitter Micah Cummins drew a one-out walk (one of five issued by McGrail on the afternoon). After retiring leadoff batter Tom Petry on a comebacker, McGrail had a 2-1 count on Smith. Sticking with his bread-and-butter fastball that was moving well all over the strike zone, McGrail delievered his next pitch. Only this time the ball never moved and stayed up which allowed Smith to take full advantage as it was gone the moment it struck the bat.
"It was good to see Jimmy come up with that big hit," Eppinger added. "I don’t know where that came from because he’s more of a speed and singles guy. Two out hits like that one win ball games and it showed today."
In a scoreless deadlock against mighty Burncoat yesterday, it was Smith who struck the decisive blow. With two out and a runner on, Smith turned on a letter-high fastball and sent it deep over the right field fence giving the Pioneers a 2-0 victory at Pioneer Field in a highly-anticipated matchup between two of the elite programs in Central Mass.
“That is the first one I’ve hit in the two years I’ve played here,” said Smith, more noted for his speed on the base paths and defensive prowess. "I grew up around the Burncoat area and I know everyone on that team so it feels good to get a big hit like that. Everyone on this team has a huge heart and we look to come out an win every single game. That comes back to our practices. We practice as hard as we can all the time. Everyone is pushing each other to make everyone better and I think that has helped us to win a lot of these close games like today.”
As expected, both St. John’s ace Mike Badjo and Patriot counterpart Sean McGrail matched zeros on the scoreboard. The two seniors played things out as if it were a do-or-die chess match with neither hurler refusing to give an inch.
Prior to the fifth inning dramatics, the Pioneers had managed only a pair of singles against McGrail, a righty who started his career at St. John’s before transferring a few miles down the road to Burncoat. Likewise, the Patriots were struggling to get anything going against Badjo (CG, 2 hits, 6 Ks). In the third they did load the bases with two out but the right hander got a ground out to end the threat. Burncoat did nothing with the bats thereafter.
“It was an outstanding baseball game,” said Pioneers head coach Charlie Eppinger, his team improving to 13-2 and await a huge showdown Friday when they host BC High. “McGrail and Badjo both pitched great. We know McGrail really well after he spent his first two years here at St. John’s and is a great pitcher. I thought Badjo was just a horse for us out there today.'
McGrail, like Badjo, went the distance, allowing 3 hits and striking out 8. Burncoat (12-2) came into this tilt averaging just under six runs-per-game. In spite of the many victories the Patriots have attained this season, they knew St. John’s would be a measuring stick game for them.
“It was a matchup between two of the better teams around and two of the better pitchers around,” Burncoat head coach Brian Sargent said. “One hit by them was it today. Playing a team like that you have a small window to score runs and in the third we had our shot but couldn’t get the big hit. We have nothing to hang our heads over. We knew St. John's is the best team around. Today we played a quality team and now we know that we can hang with anyone. Today was the highest level of competition yet for us and I think we rose to the challenge.”
In the fifth, No. 9 hitter Micah Cummins drew a one-out walk (one of five issued by McGrail on the afternoon). After retiring leadoff batter Tom Petry on a comebacker, McGrail had a 2-1 count on Smith. Sticking with his bread-and-butter fastball that was moving well all over the strike zone, McGrail delievered his next pitch. Only this time the ball never moved and stayed up which allowed Smith to take full advantage as it was gone the moment it struck the bat.
"It was good to see Jimmy come up with that big hit," Eppinger added. "I don’t know where that came from because he’s more of a speed and singles guy. Two out hits like that one win ball games and it showed today."
BC High returns to top spot in baseball poll
May, 8, 2012
May 8
1:09
AM ET
By
Brendan Hall | ESPNBoston.com
We updated our statewide MIAA Top 25 Baseball poll this afternoon, before Monday's slate of action, and a familiar face returns to the top slot.
BC High came in at No. 1 in the preseason polls, and stayed there until a loss to Lincoln-Sudbury unseated them a few weeks ago. But with Lowell going down to Chelmsford for the second time this season, last Friday, that has paved the way for the Eagles to return to the top spot once again. Lincoln-Sudbury moves to No. 2, while Springfield Cathedral reaches its highest position ever on the countdown, coming in at No. 3 this week on the heels of a 12-1 start. St. John's of Shrewsbury (4) and Walpole (5) round out the top five.
With its win over Lowell, Chelmsford vaults back into the poll at No. 13. Plymouth North (14), Reading (15), Amherst (21), Danvers (23), and Acton-Boxborough (24) also return to the poll following strong weeks.
The lone school making its season debut this week is Coyle-Cassidy, coming in at No. 25 after taking a commanding lead in the Eastern Athletic Conference. Six-foot-five junior righthander Mac Curran has been a gem so far for the Warriors, as correspondent Mike Scandura wrote about last week.
To see the complete poll, CLICK HERE.
And here's how the poll breaks down this week by league affiliation:
Valley Wheel - 3
Atlantic Coast - 2
Catholic Conference - 2
Dual County - 2
Merrimack Valley - 2
Bay State - 1
Big Three - 1
Central Mass. Conference - 1
Eastern Athletic - 1
Hockomock - 1
Inter-High - 1
Mid-Wach A - 1
Middlesex - 1
Northeastern - 1
South Coast - 1
South Shore - 1
Southern Worcester County - 1
Valley League - 1
NOTE: Monday's results were not reflected in the poll.
As always, let us know how we're doing in the comments section below, or by emailing Brendan Hall at bhall@espnboston.com
BC High came in at No. 1 in the preseason polls, and stayed there until a loss to Lincoln-Sudbury unseated them a few weeks ago. But with Lowell going down to Chelmsford for the second time this season, last Friday, that has paved the way for the Eagles to return to the top spot once again. Lincoln-Sudbury moves to No. 2, while Springfield Cathedral reaches its highest position ever on the countdown, coming in at No. 3 this week on the heels of a 12-1 start. St. John's of Shrewsbury (4) and Walpole (5) round out the top five.
With its win over Lowell, Chelmsford vaults back into the poll at No. 13. Plymouth North (14), Reading (15), Amherst (21), Danvers (23), and Acton-Boxborough (24) also return to the poll following strong weeks.
The lone school making its season debut this week is Coyle-Cassidy, coming in at No. 25 after taking a commanding lead in the Eastern Athletic Conference. Six-foot-five junior righthander Mac Curran has been a gem so far for the Warriors, as correspondent Mike Scandura wrote about last week.
To see the complete poll, CLICK HERE.
And here's how the poll breaks down this week by league affiliation:
Valley Wheel - 3
Atlantic Coast - 2
Catholic Conference - 2
Dual County - 2
Merrimack Valley - 2
Bay State - 1
Big Three - 1
Central Mass. Conference - 1
Eastern Athletic - 1
Hockomock - 1
Inter-High - 1
Mid-Wach A - 1
Middlesex - 1
Northeastern - 1
South Coast - 1
South Shore - 1
Southern Worcester County - 1
Valley League - 1
NOTE: Monday's results were not reflected in the poll.
As always, let us know how we're doing in the comments section below, or by emailing Brendan Hall at bhall@espnboston.com
L-S, E. Longmeadow moving up in baseball poll
April, 30, 2012
Apr 30
11:29
AM ET
By
Brendan Hall | ESPNBoston.com
We updated our statewide MIAA Top 25 Baseball Poll this morning, which you can view here.
Lowell remains the top spot for the second week in a row, but BC High (2) and St. John's Prep (3) have both climbed back after successful weeks. Rounding out the top five -- and moving into the top five for the first time since last May -- are East Longmeadow (4) and Lincoln-Sudbury (5). East Longmeadow was ranked No. 5 in the state last season, before falling in the Western Mass. Final; L-S finished 2011 as the No. 1 team in the land after winning the Div. 1 state championship over Minnechuag.
Elsewhere, Auburn (21) and Boston Latin (23) make returns to the poll, while New Bedford debuts at No. 20 after knocking off St. John's of Shrewsbury last week. East Bridgewater also makes its season debut at No. 24.
The most interesting debut on the poll, however, might be little-known Monument Mountain, out of Great Barrington. The Spartans are 9-0 despite losing their best player, Columbia commit John Kinne, to Tommy John surgery.
It's an especially diverse poll this week. Here is how it breaks down by conference affiliation.
Catholic Conference - 4
Dual County - 3
Valley League - 2
Valley Wheel - 2
Atlantic Coast - 1
Bay State - 1
Berkshire County - 1
Big Three - 1
Central Mass. Conference - 1
Hockomock - 1
Inter-High - 1
Merrimack Valley - 1
Mid-Wach A - 1
Northeastern - 1
Old Colony - 1
South Coast - 1
South Shore - 1
Southern Worcester County - 1
As always, let us know how we're doing in the comments section, or by emailing Brendan Hall at bhall@espnboston.com
Lowell remains the top spot for the second week in a row, but BC High (2) and St. John's Prep (3) have both climbed back after successful weeks. Rounding out the top five -- and moving into the top five for the first time since last May -- are East Longmeadow (4) and Lincoln-Sudbury (5). East Longmeadow was ranked No. 5 in the state last season, before falling in the Western Mass. Final; L-S finished 2011 as the No. 1 team in the land after winning the Div. 1 state championship over Minnechuag.
Elsewhere, Auburn (21) and Boston Latin (23) make returns to the poll, while New Bedford debuts at No. 20 after knocking off St. John's of Shrewsbury last week. East Bridgewater also makes its season debut at No. 24.
The most interesting debut on the poll, however, might be little-known Monument Mountain, out of Great Barrington. The Spartans are 9-0 despite losing their best player, Columbia commit John Kinne, to Tommy John surgery.
It's an especially diverse poll this week. Here is how it breaks down by conference affiliation.
Catholic Conference - 4
Dual County - 3
Valley League - 2
Valley Wheel - 2
Atlantic Coast - 1
Bay State - 1
Berkshire County - 1
Big Three - 1
Central Mass. Conference - 1
Hockomock - 1
Inter-High - 1
Merrimack Valley - 1
Mid-Wach A - 1
Northeastern - 1
Old Colony - 1
South Coast - 1
South Shore - 1
Southern Worcester County - 1
As always, let us know how we're doing in the comments section, or by emailing Brendan Hall at bhall@espnboston.com
Recap: No. 4 BC High 6, No. 6 Xaverian 5
April, 25, 2012
Apr 25
11:14
PM ET
By Tom Layman | ESPNBoston.com
BOSTON — Justin Silvestro admittedly hasn’t been swinging the bat the way he would like in the early part of this season for BC High.
This just might snap him out of his funk.
The senior first basemen collected four hits and came through with a walkoff single in the bottom of the ninth inning to soar the Eagles (8-1) over Xaverian with a 6-5 victory in a big Catholic Conference tilt.
Silvestro flew out to center in his first at-bat to end the first, but in his final four at-bats he went: single, double, single, single, with two RBI.
“I’ve been pulling out on the ball and trying to over swing a little bit,” said Silvestro. “This is a game that can really test staying down on the ball and not dipping your back shoulder and trying to hit everything out of the park. It’s about hitting line drives and I think this will help me.”
Silvestro showed off his new swing thought to perfection in his final at-bat with the sun slowly fading and Game 7 inching ever closer. With Chuck Connors on second with one out in the ninth, Silvestro lined a 1-1 pitch into right-center on a rope to easily score his teammate for the victory.
“He started me off with a fastball high and I over swung because I was trying to end the game,” said Silvestro. “He came back with a curveball (on the next pitch) and after that I knew a fastball was coming. I just tried to get a base hit and hit it hard.”
The Eagles have a 3-4-5 combination as dangerous as anyone in the area — with Bobby Melly, Connors and Silvestro — and Norm Walsh is happy to see that trio starting to get into a nice flow offensively.
“Silvestro is starting to come around, because he was struggling at the beginning of the year,” said Walsh. “It was really good to see. He’s been working hard the last week or so to make some changes in his swing, and it’s starting to pay off.
Connors Gets Redemption: The Eagles were a couple of inches from coming into this game with an undefeated mark, but Connors was robbed on a hard-hit ball up the middle by Lincoln-Sudbury’s Dylan DeFlorio last time out.
Connors, the Eagles' four-hole hitter came through this time with an RBI single in the seventh inning to make sure this game would go to extras. Connors was 4-for-5 with three singles and a double. He scored three runs, including the game-winner.
“He’s been really swinging the bat,” said Walsh. “His average doesn’t reflect it, but he’s been hitting the ball hard consistently.”
Play For The One-Run Game: Gerry Lambert has been in so many tightly contested Catholic Conference games that he knew every run could be crucial.
In the bottom of the third with a 3-1 lead the Hawks (5-4) took a chance with a man on third.
Mike LaVita was caught in no-mans land on an attempted suicide squeeze after Tyler Campo couldn’t get wood on the ball, and LaVita was tagged out in a pickle to erase the threat.
“I’m a broken record and it’s true, these (Catholic Conference) games are nip-and-tuck games,” said Lambert. “That’s what they are. They always are. Every single run is going to matter, whether it’s a close play at first or a close pitch, or a play we almost execute. It comes down to a lot of those close plays.
This just might snap him out of his funk.
The senior first basemen collected four hits and came through with a walkoff single in the bottom of the ninth inning to soar the Eagles (8-1) over Xaverian with a 6-5 victory in a big Catholic Conference tilt.
Silvestro flew out to center in his first at-bat to end the first, but in his final four at-bats he went: single, double, single, single, with two RBI.
“I’ve been pulling out on the ball and trying to over swing a little bit,” said Silvestro. “This is a game that can really test staying down on the ball and not dipping your back shoulder and trying to hit everything out of the park. It’s about hitting line drives and I think this will help me.”
Silvestro showed off his new swing thought to perfection in his final at-bat with the sun slowly fading and Game 7 inching ever closer. With Chuck Connors on second with one out in the ninth, Silvestro lined a 1-1 pitch into right-center on a rope to easily score his teammate for the victory.
“He started me off with a fastball high and I over swung because I was trying to end the game,” said Silvestro. “He came back with a curveball (on the next pitch) and after that I knew a fastball was coming. I just tried to get a base hit and hit it hard.”
The Eagles have a 3-4-5 combination as dangerous as anyone in the area — with Bobby Melly, Connors and Silvestro — and Norm Walsh is happy to see that trio starting to get into a nice flow offensively.
“Silvestro is starting to come around, because he was struggling at the beginning of the year,” said Walsh. “It was really good to see. He’s been working hard the last week or so to make some changes in his swing, and it’s starting to pay off.
Connors Gets Redemption: The Eagles were a couple of inches from coming into this game with an undefeated mark, but Connors was robbed on a hard-hit ball up the middle by Lincoln-Sudbury’s Dylan DeFlorio last time out.
Connors, the Eagles' four-hole hitter came through this time with an RBI single in the seventh inning to make sure this game would go to extras. Connors was 4-for-5 with three singles and a double. He scored three runs, including the game-winner.
“He’s been really swinging the bat,” said Walsh. “His average doesn’t reflect it, but he’s been hitting the ball hard consistently.”
Play For The One-Run Game: Gerry Lambert has been in so many tightly contested Catholic Conference games that he knew every run could be crucial.
In the bottom of the third with a 3-1 lead the Hawks (5-4) took a chance with a man on third.
Mike LaVita was caught in no-mans land on an attempted suicide squeeze after Tyler Campo couldn’t get wood on the ball, and LaVita was tagged out in a pickle to erase the threat.
“I’m a broken record and it’s true, these (Catholic Conference) games are nip-and-tuck games,” said Lambert. “That’s what they are. They always are. Every single run is going to matter, whether it’s a close play at first or a close pitch, or a play we almost execute. It comes down to a lot of those close plays.
Bartlett steps down as BC High football coach
April, 25, 2012
Apr 25
8:19
PM ET
By
Brendan Hall | ESPNBoston.com
Boston College High Athletic Director Jon Bartlett confirmed tonight to ESPNBoston.com that he has stepped down from his secondary duty as the school's head football coach. He will remain in his position as the school's athletic director.
"Basically, as an Athletic Director, head football coach, and with my family, that’s being pulled in a lot of different directions," Bartlett said. "That's a lot on the plate. It was a tough decision, but the right decision right now as far as my priorities."
The announcement was made this afternoon, following the end of the school day on the Dorchester campus, in a meeting between Bartlett and the football team.
Bartlett stepped into the head coaching position before the 2008 season, and promptly led the Eagles to their first Division 1 Super Bowl title since 2000. This past fall, the Eagles captured their second Super Bowl title in four seasons, downing Needham for the Division 1 title at Gillette Stadium.
In four seasons under Bartlett, the Eagles went 33-12, with two Catholic Conference titles.
Bartlett said he couldn't put a timetable on how quickly they will name a successor, but would like to move, "as quickly as possible", while at the same time doing the appropriate diligence.
"We want to make sure we get the right head coach," Bartlett said. "We want to move as quickly as we can, but we want the right head coach. We want continuity with staff members and the present staff members. We want to make sure we do a good job finding the next head coach."
The story was first reported by Dan Ventura of the Boston Herald.
"Basically, as an Athletic Director, head football coach, and with my family, that’s being pulled in a lot of different directions," Bartlett said. "That's a lot on the plate. It was a tough decision, but the right decision right now as far as my priorities."
The announcement was made this afternoon, following the end of the school day on the Dorchester campus, in a meeting between Bartlett and the football team.
Bartlett stepped into the head coaching position before the 2008 season, and promptly led the Eagles to their first Division 1 Super Bowl title since 2000. This past fall, the Eagles captured their second Super Bowl title in four seasons, downing Needham for the Division 1 title at Gillette Stadium.
In four seasons under Bartlett, the Eagles went 33-12, with two Catholic Conference titles.
Bartlett said he couldn't put a timetable on how quickly they will name a successor, but would like to move, "as quickly as possible", while at the same time doing the appropriate diligence.
"We want to make sure we get the right head coach," Bartlett said. "We want to move as quickly as we can, but we want the right head coach. We want continuity with staff members and the present staff members. We want to make sure we do a good job finding the next head coach."
The story was first reported by Dan Ventura of the Boston Herald.
Lowell is new No. 1 in latest baseball poll
April, 23, 2012
Apr 23
3:44
PM ET
By
Brendan Hall | ESPNBoston.com
With many games being postponed today, we've updated our statewide MIAA Top 25 baseball poll this afternoon. With BC High's loss to Lincoln-Sudbury last weekend, capped with a thrilling finish, that has cleared the way for Lowell to ascend to the top spot for the first time in poll history. The Raiders' lone blemish on the season is to Chelmsford -- a Top-10 squad in terms of talent, but one which has subsequently fallen out of the poll after a 4-4 start.
St. John's of Shrewsbury has elevated to the No. 2 spot, its highest spot in the poll since reaching No. 1 last May, while BC High falls to No. 4. Walpole (3) and St. John's Prep (5) round out the top five.
Returning to the polls this week are Peabody (18), Westfield (19) and Danvers (23), while Catholic Memorial (15) and Newton South (24) make their season debuts. Chelmsford (previously No. 11), Acton-Boxborough (12), Boston Latin (15), Lexington (19) and Oliver Ames (25) dropped out.
Also of note, a record five teams from the Western Mass. district are represented in the poll this week, with East Longmeadow holding down the No. 8 spot, followed by Minnechaug (10), Springfield Cathedral (12), Amherst (14) and the aforementioned Westfield.
You can view the entire poll by clicking here. Below is how the poll breaks down by league affiliation:
Catholic Conference - 4
Valley League - 3
Atlantic Coast - 2
Dual County - 2
Northeastern - 2
Valley Wheel - 2
Bay State - 1
Cape Ann - 1
Central Mass. Conference - 1
Hockomock - 1
Inter-High - 1
Merrimack Valley - 1
Middlesex - 1
Mid-Wach A - 1
Old Colony - 1
South Coast - 1
As always, let us know how we're doing in the comments section, or by emailing Brendan Hall at bhall@espnboston.com
St. John's of Shrewsbury has elevated to the No. 2 spot, its highest spot in the poll since reaching No. 1 last May, while BC High falls to No. 4. Walpole (3) and St. John's Prep (5) round out the top five.
Returning to the polls this week are Peabody (18), Westfield (19) and Danvers (23), while Catholic Memorial (15) and Newton South (24) make their season debuts. Chelmsford (previously No. 11), Acton-Boxborough (12), Boston Latin (15), Lexington (19) and Oliver Ames (25) dropped out.
Also of note, a record five teams from the Western Mass. district are represented in the poll this week, with East Longmeadow holding down the No. 8 spot, followed by Minnechaug (10), Springfield Cathedral (12), Amherst (14) and the aforementioned Westfield.
You can view the entire poll by clicking here. Below is how the poll breaks down by league affiliation:
Catholic Conference - 4
Valley League - 3
Atlantic Coast - 2
Dual County - 2
Northeastern - 2
Valley Wheel - 2
Bay State - 1
Cape Ann - 1
Central Mass. Conference - 1
Hockomock - 1
Inter-High - 1
Merrimack Valley - 1
Middlesex - 1
Mid-Wach A - 1
Old Colony - 1
South Coast - 1
As always, let us know how we're doing in the comments section, or by emailing Brendan Hall at bhall@espnboston.com
Recap: No. 13 L-S 8, No. 1 BC High 7
April, 21, 2012
Apr 21
4:49
PM ET
By Tom Layman | ESPNBoston.com
BOSTON -- Dylan DeFlorio reacted physically like he knew exactly what was coming.
Mentally might have been a different story.
The Lincoln-Sudbury second baseman made a game-saving diving catch on a hard-hit ball up the middle to record the final out of the Warriors 8-7 victory over host No. 1 BC High on Saturday. The Eagles (7-1) had the bases loaded with two outs chasing a run in the bottom of the seventh. The line drive struck by Chuckie Connors most likely would have brought in a walkoff win for the hosts, but DeFlorio stretched out and snared the hot shot to hand the hosts their first loss of the season.
“I don’t remember anything,” DeFlorio said with a laugh. “I just remember looking at my glove and I had the ball in it.”
Alex Weiland got the first two outs of the inning in the bottom of the seventh, but the veteran Eagles lineup started to get to the sophomore on their last leg. Jake Marotta reached on a single and Rich Roach got on for the fifth time when he was plunked with a Weiland pitch.
Ryan Tufts hit a deep grounder to short and Marotta came around to score when the shortstop made an off-balanced throw to third in an effort to get the Eagles’ baserunner at home plate. Bobby Melley was walked on four pitches to set up a force at any base, and on a 2-0 pitch, DeFlorio bailed out his team with the defensive play of the young season for the Warriors.
“He made a play that we were able to celebrate,” said Warriors head coach Kirk Fredericks. “So that was good.”
PRESSURE, PRESSURE, PRESSURE
It’s not secret that Fredericks is still searching for the combination of young pitchers who can come in a throw strikes against teams that the Warriors (4-1) will most likely see later in the season.
Weiland is starting to show that he belongs in the mix.
The sophomore came in relief in the fifth inning and was able to strand a runner at second with the Warriors up a run at the time. In the bottom of the sixth, Connors found his way on third base with an out, but again Weiland buckled down to get two fly balls to right field to sneak his way out of trouble.
“That’s the second time he’s been in a pressure situation [this season],” Fredericks said. “For him to be able to throw strikes that’s giving us some guys that we can compete with.”
QUICK START NOT SUSTAINED
The Eagles looked like they would run away with this game in the first inning after battering the Warriors for five runs on five hits.
But the offense sputtered in some key situations later in the game. After posting a run in the third inning, the Eagles left the bases loaded with a chance to bury the Warriors already up 6-2, and missed out on another bases loaded chance before DeFlorio flashed some leather.
“A couple of games we sustained it, but we haven’t been able to maintain our focus at the plate,” Eagles head coach Norm Walsh said. “We still got a ways to go, but we can be a really good team.”
Mentally might have been a different story.
The Lincoln-Sudbury second baseman made a game-saving diving catch on a hard-hit ball up the middle to record the final out of the Warriors 8-7 victory over host No. 1 BC High on Saturday. The Eagles (7-1) had the bases loaded with two outs chasing a run in the bottom of the seventh. The line drive struck by Chuckie Connors most likely would have brought in a walkoff win for the hosts, but DeFlorio stretched out and snared the hot shot to hand the hosts their first loss of the season.
“I don’t remember anything,” DeFlorio said with a laugh. “I just remember looking at my glove and I had the ball in it.”
Alex Weiland got the first two outs of the inning in the bottom of the seventh, but the veteran Eagles lineup started to get to the sophomore on their last leg. Jake Marotta reached on a single and Rich Roach got on for the fifth time when he was plunked with a Weiland pitch.
Ryan Tufts hit a deep grounder to short and Marotta came around to score when the shortstop made an off-balanced throw to third in an effort to get the Eagles’ baserunner at home plate. Bobby Melley was walked on four pitches to set up a force at any base, and on a 2-0 pitch, DeFlorio bailed out his team with the defensive play of the young season for the Warriors.
“He made a play that we were able to celebrate,” said Warriors head coach Kirk Fredericks. “So that was good.”
PRESSURE, PRESSURE, PRESSURE
It’s not secret that Fredericks is still searching for the combination of young pitchers who can come in a throw strikes against teams that the Warriors (4-1) will most likely see later in the season.
Weiland is starting to show that he belongs in the mix.
The sophomore came in relief in the fifth inning and was able to strand a runner at second with the Warriors up a run at the time. In the bottom of the sixth, Connors found his way on third base with an out, but again Weiland buckled down to get two fly balls to right field to sneak his way out of trouble.
“That’s the second time he’s been in a pressure situation [this season],” Fredericks said. “For him to be able to throw strikes that’s giving us some guys that we can compete with.”
QUICK START NOT SUSTAINED
The Eagles looked like they would run away with this game in the first inning after battering the Warriors for five runs on five hits.
But the offense sputtered in some key situations later in the game. After posting a run in the third inning, the Eagles left the bases loaded with a chance to bury the Warriors already up 6-2, and missed out on another bases loaded chance before DeFlorio flashed some leather.
“A couple of games we sustained it, but we haven’t been able to maintain our focus at the plate,” Eagles head coach Norm Walsh said. “We still got a ways to go, but we can be a really good team.”
Roundtable: Is Milford the new D1 softball favorite?
April, 20, 2012
Apr 20
11:34
AM ET
By ESPNBoston.com
In this week's edition of "Roundtable", ESPN Boston High Schools Editors Scott Barboza and Brendan Hall are joined by correspondent Bruce Lerch and Brockton Enterprise staff writer John Botelho as we discuss the best hitting lineups, the best faceoff specialist in lacrosse, and whether Milford is now the team to beat in softball.
1. AFTER BEATING KING PHILIP, IS MILFORD THE FAVORITE IN DIVISION 1 FOR SOFTBALL?
ESPN Boston High Schools Editor Scott Barboza: In a word, yes. Shannon Smith is simply pitching out of her mind right now, but it's not as though we haven't seen this before from the University of Kentucky commit. Two years ago, Smith was named Massachusetts Gatorade Player of the Year after recording a 0.36 ERA. This year, she's been dominant, including a 20-strikeout performance against Shrewsbury and 17 K's against KP. Not to mention, the Scarlet Hawks haven't even been playing with their opening day lineup, after All-State catcher Taylor Archer suffered a leg injury in the first week of the season. Freshman Taylor LeBrun has done a terrific job behind the plate in the interim, but MIlford will only be that much more potent with their top battery in place. I'm certainly not ruling out KP, as anything short of a rematch between the two teams in the state final would be unexpected.
Bruce Lerch, correspondent: While there are several teams with good enough pitching to shut down the Scarlet Hawks bats, how many are strong enough offensively to hit against Milford ace Shannon Smith? The only team that really comes to mind is...King Philip. The Kentucky-bound Smith two-hit the Warriors and struck out 17 Monday afternoon, so you have to think they are the lead horse in the race right now. KP has hit Smith before, however, as a 10-1 result in the state championship game two years ago proves. Of course, Smith was but a freshman then, and having faced King Philip several times since then her knowledge of that dangerous lineup has grown considerably.
Oh yeah...KP also has Meghan Rico. I've heard she's a pretty good pitcher too...something about a reigning player of the year? If both aces are on their game, then the state championship softball game may have to be scheduled for more than one day
John Botelho, Brockton Enterprise: Even with Milford knocking off K-P, it's still hard to call anyone but the Warriors - the two-time defending state champ - the favorite to win it all. This means Milford might have closed the gap, but until someone proves Meghan Rico is possible to beat in the playoffs, the Warriors remain the class of softball in this state. Keep in mind how difficult it is to beat a good team twice, and chances are Milford will have to do just that if they're to bring home the state crown.
2. SEVEN OF THE EIGHT TEAMS PARTICIPATING IN THE COACHES CHALLENGE CUP THIS WEEK ARE RANKED IN OUR TOP 25. WHICH OF THOSE TEAMS HAS THE BEST CHANCE OF WINNING A STATE TITLE IN THEIR RESPECTIVE DIVISION?
Scott Barboza: We might have seen a Division 2 Eastern Mass final matchup preview on Thursday when Concord-Carlisle and Hingham squared off in a Coaches Challenge Cup semifinal. The Patriots beat the Harbormen, 9-4, with Jackson Finigan, Tim Badgley and Kevin Delehey scoring two goals each. If both teams take care of business hereon out, we should expect to see both of them at Harvard Stadium. Of course, none of this makes mention of Dover-Sherborn. The Raiders fell just short of an upset over Lincoln-Sudbury before falling, 12-11, but they've proven their among the elite in Division 3.
Bruce Lerch: That team would Dover-Sherborn. Lincoln-Sudbury will enter the Division 1 tournament as one of the teams best suited to make a run at Duxbury, but betting against the Dragons has been mostly a losing proposition for the past decade. The six Div. 2 teams that participated in the tournament are perennially among the last teams standing in June, so while a state champion could come from this group, picking who it will be requires a crystal ball.
Dover-Sherborn has the talent to compete with the best teams in the state, something the Raiders proved three years running now at the Coaches Challenge Cup, and is likely going to snag one of the top four seeds in the Div. 3 tourney and will be included in the group of favorites that should also include Weston and Norwell.
3. IN BASEBALL, WHAT'S THE BEST HITTING YOU'VE SEEN SO FAR?
ESPN Boston High Schools Editor Brendan Hall: I have seen both BC High and Lowell multiple times, and I don't think you can go wrong either way.
BC High can mash 1 through 9, but at the top is where they're especially dangerous. UConn signee Bob Melley is the Eagles' most powerful bat out of the No. 3 spot, but he's surrounded by plenty of college-ready talent in seniors Chuckie Connors, Justin Silvestro, Brian Hocking, and juniors Ryan Tufts and Dan Dougherty. I will put the Eagles' top six hitters against any team's top six in the state...
...Unless that top six is Lowell. The Red Raiders are only going to get stronger as the season goes on, but they're showing some real nice stuff through the first three weeks of the season. Rory O'Connor, Derek Reed and Andrew Marasa form what is regarded as the state's best outfield, but they can manufacture runs from the plate, too. Matt Tulley is headed to Virginia Tech for his low-90's fastball, but he's got a heavy swing from the cleanup spot too. My favorite hitter to watch in this lineup is senior Chad Gens, who can square up and plant it deep as good as anyone. After Lexington's Chris Shaw, he might be one of the better power hitters in Eastern Mass. I expect him to be near the top in extra base hits this year.
Also of note, take a look at Dighton-Rehoboth, which comes in this week at No. 18 this week. With a top of the order led by Bryan Rocha, Adam Benvie, Evan Mondor and Mike St. John, the Falcons are averaging 11 runs per game, including shellackings over Somerset (22-0) and Case (17-6). When it comes to manufacturing runs, you can't forget Walpole, between leadoff shortstop Johnny Adams, catcher Dan King, and brothers Cam and Craig Hanley.
John Botelho: Despite getting shutout by Marshfield for their first loss of the season on Thursday, the East Bridgewater Vikings offense is certainly among the best in southeastern Mass, and could be the class of the D3 South Sectional later this season. Even with the setback against the Rams, E-B is still averaging just over 10 runs per game.
In the Hockomock League both Oliver Ames has emerged as a team with an electric pitching staff, but the offense is plenty capable of flexing muscle too. With sweet swinging David MacKinnon - whose emerging as one of the best hitters in the Hock - hitting third and powerful Matt Harding hitting fourth, the Tigers have one of the best 3-4 combos going. Matt Mancini, Ryan O'Shea, Mike McMillan and Jim Sullivan help bolster a lineup that features plenty of hitting ability.
4. AN UNDERRATED ASPECT OF LACROSSE IS THE "FOGO" (FACE OFF, GET OFF) POSITION. WHO IS THE BEST FACEOFF SPECIALIST IN THE MIAA?
Scott Barboza: I think there's no doubt that Clay Richard of Medfield is the best true FOGO in the state, but as we saw during Wednesday's matchup against No. 1 Duxbury, Dragons midfielder Henry Narlee might be the best faceoff man in the state. Sqauring off against Richard and the Warriors, Narlee won an amazing 21 of 28 draws.
Bruce Lerch: The two best were on display Wednesday night in Duxbury as Medfield's Clay Richard went to work against the Dragons Henry Narlee. Richard more than held his own against Narlee in their individual battle, but in addition to the Duxbury junior's elite skill, he also has the advantage of having James Burke and Reilly Naton flying off the wings to grab every loose ball in sight. Not only is Narlee at winning the draws to himself, but is deadly accurate when shooting the ball into space for his two LSM's to chase it down.
5. LOOK AT THE NEXT TWO WEEKS OF SPRING. CALL AN UPSET. AND FEEL FREE TO GO BIG.
Scott Barboza: Don't really know if this would count as such, but I'm calling Duxbury's take down of Garden City (N.Y.) this weekend. Looks like the Dragons' regained their top form in the last week. In softball, I have a feeling about Hudson taking down Shrewsbury this weekend.
Brendan Hall: Boston Latin has a two-game swing at the beginning of next month that could have big implications in the Dual County League: May 4 at Lincoln-Sudbury, and May 7 at Acton-Boxborough. The Wolfpack seem to be everyone's favorite little underdog in the league (no pun intended), but I wouldn't be surprised to see them take one of two here. L-S has some talent, but has been searching for that staff ace; meanwhile A-B has had a knack for the dramatic so far, twice winning one-run games, the latest a 1-0 decision over Waltham on Wednesday. Can Latin pull 1 of 2 here? It might depend on who's pitching.
Elsewhere, I've got May 10's matchup between No. 14 Burncoat and No. 3 St. John's of Shrewsbury circled on the calendar. The Patriots just lost their first game to Danvers the other day, while St. John's sits at 7-0 with a nice win over St. John's Prep. This is building into one of the best regular-season matchups in Central Mass., but I'm going to go with Burncoat in the upset.
John Botelho: On April 26, when No. 16 Barnstable comes to town, Bridgewater-Raynham will take a big step toward winning the Old Colony League by knocking them off in a pitcher's duel. The Trojans have to deal with league foe Dartmouth just two days before, and if the rotation stays the path it's on lefty Pat Chalmers will be throwing that game. That means fellow southpaw Shane Holmes, who has been piling up strikeouts and shutting offenses down, will take the mound against the Red Raiders. The lefty is one of the toughest in the area and B-R could come away with this one without needing much in the way of run support.
1. AFTER BEATING KING PHILIP, IS MILFORD THE FAVORITE IN DIVISION 1 FOR SOFTBALL?
ESPN Boston High Schools Editor Scott Barboza: In a word, yes. Shannon Smith is simply pitching out of her mind right now, but it's not as though we haven't seen this before from the University of Kentucky commit. Two years ago, Smith was named Massachusetts Gatorade Player of the Year after recording a 0.36 ERA. This year, she's been dominant, including a 20-strikeout performance against Shrewsbury and 17 K's against KP. Not to mention, the Scarlet Hawks haven't even been playing with their opening day lineup, after All-State catcher Taylor Archer suffered a leg injury in the first week of the season. Freshman Taylor LeBrun has done a terrific job behind the plate in the interim, but MIlford will only be that much more potent with their top battery in place. I'm certainly not ruling out KP, as anything short of a rematch between the two teams in the state final would be unexpected.
Bruce Lerch, correspondent: While there are several teams with good enough pitching to shut down the Scarlet Hawks bats, how many are strong enough offensively to hit against Milford ace Shannon Smith? The only team that really comes to mind is...King Philip. The Kentucky-bound Smith two-hit the Warriors and struck out 17 Monday afternoon, so you have to think they are the lead horse in the race right now. KP has hit Smith before, however, as a 10-1 result in the state championship game two years ago proves. Of course, Smith was but a freshman then, and having faced King Philip several times since then her knowledge of that dangerous lineup has grown considerably.
Oh yeah...KP also has Meghan Rico. I've heard she's a pretty good pitcher too...something about a reigning player of the year? If both aces are on their game, then the state championship softball game may have to be scheduled for more than one day
John Botelho, Brockton Enterprise: Even with Milford knocking off K-P, it's still hard to call anyone but the Warriors - the two-time defending state champ - the favorite to win it all. This means Milford might have closed the gap, but until someone proves Meghan Rico is possible to beat in the playoffs, the Warriors remain the class of softball in this state. Keep in mind how difficult it is to beat a good team twice, and chances are Milford will have to do just that if they're to bring home the state crown.
2. SEVEN OF THE EIGHT TEAMS PARTICIPATING IN THE COACHES CHALLENGE CUP THIS WEEK ARE RANKED IN OUR TOP 25. WHICH OF THOSE TEAMS HAS THE BEST CHANCE OF WINNING A STATE TITLE IN THEIR RESPECTIVE DIVISION?
Scott Barboza: We might have seen a Division 2 Eastern Mass final matchup preview on Thursday when Concord-Carlisle and Hingham squared off in a Coaches Challenge Cup semifinal. The Patriots beat the Harbormen, 9-4, with Jackson Finigan, Tim Badgley and Kevin Delehey scoring two goals each. If both teams take care of business hereon out, we should expect to see both of them at Harvard Stadium. Of course, none of this makes mention of Dover-Sherborn. The Raiders fell just short of an upset over Lincoln-Sudbury before falling, 12-11, but they've proven their among the elite in Division 3.
Bruce Lerch: That team would Dover-Sherborn. Lincoln-Sudbury will enter the Division 1 tournament as one of the teams best suited to make a run at Duxbury, but betting against the Dragons has been mostly a losing proposition for the past decade. The six Div. 2 teams that participated in the tournament are perennially among the last teams standing in June, so while a state champion could come from this group, picking who it will be requires a crystal ball.
Dover-Sherborn has the talent to compete with the best teams in the state, something the Raiders proved three years running now at the Coaches Challenge Cup, and is likely going to snag one of the top four seeds in the Div. 3 tourney and will be included in the group of favorites that should also include Weston and Norwell.
3. IN BASEBALL, WHAT'S THE BEST HITTING YOU'VE SEEN SO FAR?
ESPN Boston High Schools Editor Brendan Hall: I have seen both BC High and Lowell multiple times, and I don't think you can go wrong either way.
BC High can mash 1 through 9, but at the top is where they're especially dangerous. UConn signee Bob Melley is the Eagles' most powerful bat out of the No. 3 spot, but he's surrounded by plenty of college-ready talent in seniors Chuckie Connors, Justin Silvestro, Brian Hocking, and juniors Ryan Tufts and Dan Dougherty. I will put the Eagles' top six hitters against any team's top six in the state...
...Unless that top six is Lowell. The Red Raiders are only going to get stronger as the season goes on, but they're showing some real nice stuff through the first three weeks of the season. Rory O'Connor, Derek Reed and Andrew Marasa form what is regarded as the state's best outfield, but they can manufacture runs from the plate, too. Matt Tulley is headed to Virginia Tech for his low-90's fastball, but he's got a heavy swing from the cleanup spot too. My favorite hitter to watch in this lineup is senior Chad Gens, who can square up and plant it deep as good as anyone. After Lexington's Chris Shaw, he might be one of the better power hitters in Eastern Mass. I expect him to be near the top in extra base hits this year.
Also of note, take a look at Dighton-Rehoboth, which comes in this week at No. 18 this week. With a top of the order led by Bryan Rocha, Adam Benvie, Evan Mondor and Mike St. John, the Falcons are averaging 11 runs per game, including shellackings over Somerset (22-0) and Case (17-6). When it comes to manufacturing runs, you can't forget Walpole, between leadoff shortstop Johnny Adams, catcher Dan King, and brothers Cam and Craig Hanley.
John Botelho: Despite getting shutout by Marshfield for their first loss of the season on Thursday, the East Bridgewater Vikings offense is certainly among the best in southeastern Mass, and could be the class of the D3 South Sectional later this season. Even with the setback against the Rams, E-B is still averaging just over 10 runs per game.
In the Hockomock League both Oliver Ames has emerged as a team with an electric pitching staff, but the offense is plenty capable of flexing muscle too. With sweet swinging David MacKinnon - whose emerging as one of the best hitters in the Hock - hitting third and powerful Matt Harding hitting fourth, the Tigers have one of the best 3-4 combos going. Matt Mancini, Ryan O'Shea, Mike McMillan and Jim Sullivan help bolster a lineup that features plenty of hitting ability.
4. AN UNDERRATED ASPECT OF LACROSSE IS THE "FOGO" (FACE OFF, GET OFF) POSITION. WHO IS THE BEST FACEOFF SPECIALIST IN THE MIAA?
Scott Barboza: I think there's no doubt that Clay Richard of Medfield is the best true FOGO in the state, but as we saw during Wednesday's matchup against No. 1 Duxbury, Dragons midfielder Henry Narlee might be the best faceoff man in the state. Sqauring off against Richard and the Warriors, Narlee won an amazing 21 of 28 draws.
Bruce Lerch: The two best were on display Wednesday night in Duxbury as Medfield's Clay Richard went to work against the Dragons Henry Narlee. Richard more than held his own against Narlee in their individual battle, but in addition to the Duxbury junior's elite skill, he also has the advantage of having James Burke and Reilly Naton flying off the wings to grab every loose ball in sight. Not only is Narlee at winning the draws to himself, but is deadly accurate when shooting the ball into space for his two LSM's to chase it down.
5. LOOK AT THE NEXT TWO WEEKS OF SPRING. CALL AN UPSET. AND FEEL FREE TO GO BIG.
Scott Barboza: Don't really know if this would count as such, but I'm calling Duxbury's take down of Garden City (N.Y.) this weekend. Looks like the Dragons' regained their top form in the last week. In softball, I have a feeling about Hudson taking down Shrewsbury this weekend.
Brendan Hall: Boston Latin has a two-game swing at the beginning of next month that could have big implications in the Dual County League: May 4 at Lincoln-Sudbury, and May 7 at Acton-Boxborough. The Wolfpack seem to be everyone's favorite little underdog in the league (no pun intended), but I wouldn't be surprised to see them take one of two here. L-S has some talent, but has been searching for that staff ace; meanwhile A-B has had a knack for the dramatic so far, twice winning one-run games, the latest a 1-0 decision over Waltham on Wednesday. Can Latin pull 1 of 2 here? It might depend on who's pitching.
Elsewhere, I've got May 10's matchup between No. 14 Burncoat and No. 3 St. John's of Shrewsbury circled on the calendar. The Patriots just lost their first game to Danvers the other day, while St. John's sits at 7-0 with a nice win over St. John's Prep. This is building into one of the best regular-season matchups in Central Mass., but I'm going to go with Burncoat in the upset.
John Botelho: On April 26, when No. 16 Barnstable comes to town, Bridgewater-Raynham will take a big step toward winning the Old Colony League by knocking them off in a pitcher's duel. The Trojans have to deal with league foe Dartmouth just two days before, and if the rotation stays the path it's on lefty Pat Chalmers will be throwing that game. That means fellow southpaw Shane Holmes, who has been piling up strikeouts and shutting offenses down, will take the mound against the Red Raiders. The lefty is one of the toughest in the area and B-R could come away with this one without needing much in the way of run support.
Walpole, SJS, move into Top 5 in baseball poll
April, 17, 2012
Apr 17
10:12
AM ET
By
Brendan Hall | ESPNBoston.com
We updated our statewide MIAA Top 25 baseball poll last night, following yesterday's slate of games. Most significant among the moves in the poll is that of St. John's (Shrewsbury) and Walpole, which both moved into the top five following strong weeks.
St. John's comes in at No. 3 this week after knocking off St. John's Prep on Friday, and following up with a win yesterday over rival St. Peter-Marian. Walpole, off to a 6-0 start, comes in at No. 4 and is in the top five for the first time in poll history. BC High retains the top spot for the third week in a row. Lowell (2) and Xaverian (5) round out the top five.
New to the poll this week are Amherst (21), Marshfield (22), North Andover (24) and Oliver Ames (25). Malden Catholic, Westfield, Wellesley and Nashoba all dropped out.
Here's a breakdown of this week's poll by league affiliation:
Catholic Conference - 3
Dual County - 3
Atlantic Coast - 2
Hockomock - 2
Merrimack Valley - 2
Middlesex - 2
Valley League - 2
Valley Wheel - 2
Bay State - 1
Cape Ann - 1
Central Mass. Conference - 1
Inter-High - 1
Mid-Wach A - 1
Old Colony - 1
South Coast - 1
St. John's comes in at No. 3 this week after knocking off St. John's Prep on Friday, and following up with a win yesterday over rival St. Peter-Marian. Walpole, off to a 6-0 start, comes in at No. 4 and is in the top five for the first time in poll history. BC High retains the top spot for the third week in a row. Lowell (2) and Xaverian (5) round out the top five.
New to the poll this week are Amherst (21), Marshfield (22), North Andover (24) and Oliver Ames (25). Malden Catholic, Westfield, Wellesley and Nashoba all dropped out.
Here's a breakdown of this week's poll by league affiliation:
Catholic Conference - 3
Dual County - 3
Atlantic Coast - 2
Hockomock - 2
Merrimack Valley - 2
Middlesex - 2
Valley League - 2
Valley Wheel - 2
Bay State - 1
Cape Ann - 1
Central Mass. Conference - 1
Inter-High - 1
Mid-Wach A - 1
Old Colony - 1
South Coast - 1
ABOUT THIS BLOG
Scott Barboza
Scott Barboza joined ESPNBoston.com as a high schools editor/reporter in May 2010. He spent the previous three seasons working in the New England Patriots media relations department after a stint at the Taunton Daily Gazette, where he covered everything from Little League baseball to the Boston Red Sox. The Fall River native is a graduate of Emerson College. He can be reached at sbarboza@espnboston.com.
Brendan Hall
Brendan Hall joined ESPNBoston.com as a high schools reporter/editor in May 2010, after four years covering high schools for The Boston Globe. The Westminster, Mass. native also served on the Globe's Bruins beat last season. Hall is a graduate of UMass Amherst. He can be reached at bhall@espnboston.com.
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