Four teams dreaming of taking home a title
Sam Keene and his BC High baseball teammates were frustrated by how last season ended.
For a second straight year, the Eagles lost in the Division 1 quarterfinals. They were tied with eventual state champion Taunton entering the bottom of the fifth inning, but a costly error delivered the Tigers a 3-2 victory, leaving BC High wondering what could have been all offseason.
“We were so close to accomplishing that goal of winning a state title,” said Keene. “To come up just short, it’s fueled us. Everyone’s been working hard so we can make that big jump this season.”
After knocking on the door the past few seasons, BC High is eager to break through. Keene, a 6-foot4-inch lefthander headed to Cornell, is at the forefront of a talented rotation alongside Princetonbound righthander Liam Kineen and swingman Charlie Bushley. Reigning Catholic Conference
MVP Cole Bohane, who will play in his 50th varsity game next week, anchors the lineup.
Hockomock League powers Taunton and Franklin have ruled D1 since the MIAA statewide tournament debuted in 2022, with Taunton capturing both titles over the Panthers. In Division 2, Milton has defeated King Philip in the last two state finals.
That continuity has left prominent programs like BC High on the outside looking in, motivated to join the upper echelon.
“All roads lead through Taunton and Franklin,” said third-year BC High coach Steve Healy. “We dropped a close one to Taunton last year. But we played them tough. I think it showed our kids we can play with anybody in the state.”
Ranked No. 3 in the Globe’s
Top 20 preseason poll, BC High know pitching is key. Keene posted a 0.45 ERA with 49 strikeouts in 36 innings as a junior. Through a weight training program, the Cohasset resident added velocity over the offseason and focused on breaking ball command. With Kineen, another high-velocity arm, the Eagles have a pair of experienced starters who can overwhelm hitters with pure stuff and unique arm angles.
“I think for us it’s about two key things,” said Keene. “Limiting strikeouts at the plate and putting the ball in play. On the pitching side, it’s about limiting walks. That’s dangerous. So if we can avoid those two things we’ll be in good shape.”
Taunton and Franklin are not going away. Both teams retooled with Division 1 prospects and will be in the mix.
Here are three more teams knocking on the door:
Lincoln-Sudbury: This will be the final ride for the Warriors’ 12 seniors, who have been playing together since Little League. Dynamic shortstop Jake Haarde is the leader of the group.
A true “five-tool player” in the eyes of coach Matt Wentworth, Haarde is committed to Penn State, and starred as a receiver and defensive back in football. Haarde bats leadoff for the Warriors, using his elite bat-to-ball skills and speed to create havoc on the base paths. But Haarde also hits for power, kickstarting a deep and powerful lineup that includes Northeastern-bound catcher Cooper Tarantino.
Lincoln-Sudbury’s depth is its calling card. Tarantino is recovering from shoulder surgery, forcing him to play first base. Senior Logan Umbach moved from third base to catcher, and in Monday’s 7-1 season-opening win over Framingham, he picked a runner off first and gunned out a basestealer at second.
“A lot of teams don’t have that caliber of catchers,” said Wentworth. “We have a good group and we have high expectations. But it’s not a team that walks around and says that they’re good. They have humility and they work hard.”
St. John’s Prep: The Eagles, who dominated during the Super 8 era, are on the upswing after a few down seasons. Experience is evident in the infield where third baseman Cam LaGrassa and shortstop Will Shaheen return after earning Catholic Conference All-Star nods last spring.
With Maryland-bound catcher Aidan Driscoll and lefty Nic Lembo also in the lineup, Prep coach Dan Letarte believes his team will pile up runs this spring and use the lessons they learned in last year’s Sweet 16 defeat to BC High.
Plymouth North: Entering his 34th year, coach Dwayne Follette is giddy about his team’s prospects. How could he not be? The Eagles nearly took down Milton in the Division 2 quarterfinals last June, losing 1-0 despite a no-hitter from All-Scholastic lefthander D.C. Brown.
Brown returns to headline the rotation, joining seven starters bound for college baseball, including power hitter George Slauson. Plymouth North joins Milton, Leominster, King Philip, and Mansfield as the teams to beat in Division 2.
Extra Bases
R A few prominent programs enter the season with new head coaches. At Milton, Greg Lannon takes over the two-time defending D2 champions, replacing Brendan Morrissey, who left in November to become the head coach at Milton Academy. Lannon is a 2005 Milton alum and served as an assistant coach under Morrissey the last five years . . . Casey Cummins replaces MBCA Hall of Famer Charlie Eppinger at St. John’s Shrewsbury. Eppinger won 289 games across 18 seasons at his alma mater, including the 2017 Super 8 title. He stepped down in August after leading the Pioneers to the D1 semifinals last June. Cummins (’08) played for Eppinger and is a middle school teacher . . . Dave Worthley is calling it a career at Medfield. In his final season, the Warriors reached the Division 3 final, losing in extra innings to Oakmont. Joe Dunn ,a former football, basketball, and baseball star at Medfield (’94), takes over.