Leominster ace McCarthy bound for Assumption
Leominster pitcher heading to Assumption
LEOMINSTER » Leominster senior Evan McCarthy knew he wanted to continue his baseball career after his time at Leominster High School, it was just a matter of finding the right place for him.
McCarthy decided to explore Assumption University and the rest is history.
McCarthy will be taking his talents to Worcester next year as the current Blue Devil has committed to play baseball and plans to major in business. According to the McCarthy family, the decision to major in business was an influencing factor.
“Right off the bat, I knew that it would be a great choice. Their academics are very solid and pairing that with their competitive baseball program and proximity to home, I had a great feeling about the school as a whole,” McCarthy said on Saturday night. “(Assumption head baseball coach) Mike Rocco presented me with a great opportunity to play at the next level, and I’m very grateful for that.”
The Greyhounds are an NCAA Division 2 program and play in the Northeast 10 Conference.
“Not many athletes are able to compete in college, so it’s a good
feeling knowing that I will be able to play at such a high level,” said McCarthy. “Probably the biggest challenge will be the level of competition in college. There aren’t many ‘weak spots’ in college lineups and hitters will punish a lot of the mistakes that you make, so mixing pitches and locations will be even more important.”
As a sophomore, McCarthy was a key ingredient in the success of the 2018 Leominster baseball team. With McCarthy as the team’s number two starting pitcher, the Blue Devils advanced to the Central Mass. Division 1 Quarterfinals before falling to topseeded Wachusett Regional.
Unfortunately for McCarthy and his teammates, the Blue Devils didn’t have an opportunity to return to the postseason this past year as the spring season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“COVID has definitely presented a lot of challenges for athletes throughout this year. We all had to make quick adaptations to our routines as we weren’t sure when we’d be able to get out and play again,” he admitted. “It was difficult to stay ready but I had to modify everything, whether it be working out in my basement or throwing into a net. It was very relieving once we were able to play again since we had waited so long.”
Leominster head coach Rich Barnaby couldn’t be prouder.
“What it came down to was that he felt Assumption was the best
fit for him and they gave him the best package. It’s a good school with a good program and he has the ability to be able to help them out a lot,” Barnaby said. “Even knows that he is going to have to
continue to work hard. He’s a gamer and he’ll fit right in.”
McCarthy has excelled at each level he has played at beginning with his days in the Leominster National Little League program
before climbing the ladder next at Leominster Babe Ruth League level, Travel/AAU level with the Nor’easters and also played against American Legion level talent with Leominster Post 151.
“I’m happy for Evan. He’s worked hard over the past couple years to get to this point. Assumption is getting a competitor and a player who is only going to get better of his work ethic,” said Post 151 manager Jeff Dedeian. “For Post 151, he brought an energy at a time we needed it. He gave us some great innings and at bats.”
McCarthy will have a couple of familiar faces on the Greyhounds roster in 2021 as Leominster High alum Danny Garcia and Leominster native Connor Wironen (St. Bernard’s) are also on the Assumption roster.
“It is definitely nice to know some of the guys I will be playing with,” said McCarthy. “They are all hard workers and love what they do. That speaks volumes to the culture of the team.”
According to McCarthy, his love for the game developed at an early age and has only continued to grow as he’s gotten older.
“I’ve always had a great passion for baseball from Little League up until now, and it has pushed me to get better. I’ve had a lot of amazing coaches and teammates along the way from Nor’easters to Leominster High and even in Little League,” said McCarthy. “They’ve all been by my side throughout the years and have helped me get to where I am. I feel like my biggest strengths are my location and my competitiveness. I try to throw every pitch with a purpose and let my abilities do the rest.”