Players, coaches lament loss of Super 8 Div. 1A event put on hold
Sal Frelick is having a standout career at Boston College, well on his way to be a pick in the 2021 Major League Baseball Draft.
His time leading Lexington to the 2018 Super Eight is still a highlight among his baseball memories.
Following the MIAA Tournament Management Committee’s April 16 vote to shelve the Division 1A Super Eight until at least 2025, participants in the twoweek long fight for supremacy believe high school baseball is losing more than just an ordinary tournament.
“The best memory I have is being with all my teammates the night of the Super Eight selection my senior year,” said Frelick, the centerpiece of Lexington’s only Super Eight appearance. “We were going crazy when we saw our name pop up on Twitter that we were in.”
Student-athletes and coaches alike believe that multiple elements of the Super Eight made it unforgettable. There was the nine-inning format, incentives to better your regular season schedule and then on selection night teams would gather, NCAA March Madness-style, in anticipation of earning a berth.
Over the tournament’s six-year existence that spanned the 20142019 seasons, 20 teams earned an opportunity to battle with the state’s elite. Initially designed to quell private school domination in the state tournament, public school programs proved they were more than capable of playing at the highest level. Braintree was selected five of six years and knocked off perennial power St. John’s Prep for consecutive championships in 2015 and 2016.
“Beating the Prep was like beating the Soviet Union in 1980,” Braintree baseball coach Bill O’Connell quipped. “Players expected to be successful and the whole town rallied around us. It was incredible”
Franklin was the last team voted in but won four consecutive games to claim the 2018 crown. Jake Noviello and Bryan Woelfel pitched 35 1/3 of the 37 innings Franklin played.
“We were thinking about it every game we played down the
stretch because we knew how big it would be for the school just to make (the Super Eight),” said former Franklin catcher Jake Macchi. “We were able to compete and make a name for Franklin. Then once you make it, the biggest and best part was nine innings. It feels like a real baseball game and that’s where the magic happens.”
Teams came from across the commonwealth. Pope Francis represented Western Mass. in 2016. Plymouth North, Belmont and 2019 champion North Andover were from lower divisions. Regular season and postseason games took place that never would have otherwise.
St. John’s (Shrewsbury) knocked off a loaded Belmont team to open the 2017 tournament on its way to a title. The game consisted of a top pitching matchup between current Tampa Bay Rays prospect Ian Seymour and University of Dayton sophomore Nate Espelin. The two catchers Cal Christofori ( Yale) and Jack Gardner (Morehead State) hit over .400 their senior seasons.
“What made this tournament so special was we got games like the one we did against Belmont,”
St. John’s coach Charlie Eppinger said. “Here were two teams that were as good as any in the state that would not normally have the chance to play one another but they can because of this terrific format.”
The tournament never lacked jaw-dropping moments. St. John’s Prep’s Justin Foley threw the only no-hitter in Super Eight history in a 1- 0 win over Newton North in 2015. Scott Creedon compiled five complete games over two postseasons in the Wamps’ voyage to consecutive championships.
Walpole, after seeing Mansfield rally for five two-out runs in the bottom of the ninth, found a way to capture its program’s first Super Eight win in 2018. Rebels pitcher Matt Donato threw an eye-popping 134 pitches in the win.
“As someone who played in two Super Eights, it’s really special facing the best teams in the state,” said Donato. “Knowing that every game you played during the regular season was going to be on your resume made each game feel that much more important. It gave you an extra drive.”
There were issues. With almost all neutral-site games played at
Campanelli Stadium, multiple instances occurred of two teams traveling more than 40 miles to Brockton leading to sparse attendance. Crowds were never a problem in the opening round, however, when games took place at the higher seed and the play spoke for itself.
Over 70 Division 1 college players appeared in the tournament, including 12 who went on to play in the ACC, SEC or Big Ten. The 2018 tournament alone showcased three-year BC High ace Mike Vasil ( Virginia), Cam Schlittler (Northeastern), Noviello (Fairfield) and Frelick as well as Steve Hajjar (Michigan) and Dominic Keegan ( Vanderbilt). Games drew professional scouts, college recruiters and everyday baseball fans anxious to get a glimpse of a game filled with the best that Massachusetts high school baseball had to offer.
“The Super Eight created more opportunities for student-athletes than what any other high school player could experience,” O’Connell said. “Lifelong friendships with media personnel, exposure for the players, and relationships developed with opposing coaches and players was what made this special.”