SPRING INTO ACTION
Area high school teams ready to return to fields
ASHBURNHAM — There was a buzz going around Oakmont Regional High School Monday afternoon.
Lacrosse sticks thwacking the turf field. Shoes squeaking in the old gymnasium. Baseballs popping in catcher’s mitts.
On the first day of spring high school sports across the state, the catchphrase being tossed around 9 Oakmont Dr. was enthusiasm.
“We’re just happy to be back,” said Oakmont baseball coach Tim Caouette, whose team won a Division 3 state championship last spring. “We’re not wearing snow suits, it’s kind of nice outside, and the fact that we got on any field ... is pretty much a first for our program.”
Last June, the Oakmont Regional baseball team went on a magical run through the MIAA playoffs that ended with a thrilling 5-3 win over Medfield — in 12 innings — in the D3 state final at Polar Park.
Nine months later, the Spartans were itching to get back together.
“We’re happy to be out here and we’ve been looking forward to it for a while,” said Oakmont senior captain Caleb Allen, a T&G Super Teamer for baseball last year. “I’ve been counting down the days from the state championship. We’ve all been ready to go. Ever since we won the last game, we’ve been ready.”
In a season known for fresh starts, Oakmont has a new catcher. The added wrinkle: he hasn’t played the position since middle school.
For junior Johnny Losordo — the idea of trying something new this spring is, well, exciting.
“I caught a couple bullpens last year,” Losordo said, “and I sort of knew that I was the only guy that was next in line, so I just prepared all offseason and I’m ready to go.”
That’s a sentiment shared by many Spartans this time of year. Spring has sprung — and baseball is back.
“It’s great to be back,” senior captain Sam Curtis said. “We just want to repeat what we did last year.”
“It’s awesome, especially since we were outside,” senior captain Ben
Forbes said. “Everyone is ready to go.”
Pioneers usher in a new era on the diamond
Roughly 30 miles away from Ashburnham, another Worcester-area baseball team held its first session of the spring.
Over on Main St. in Shrewsbury, St. John’s ushered in a new era with Casey Cummins running his first practice as the head coach of the Pioneers.
“Definitely excited to be back out here on the field,” said Cummins, a 2008 St. John’s grad. “(It’s) my dream job to be able to lead this program, and I can’t wait to see what this season brings.”
Last season, the Pioneers found themselves near the pinnacle of the MIAA playoffs.
A No. 6 seed in Division 1, St. John’s beat Waltham, Milford and Westford Academy before falling to the eventual D1 state champs from Taunton in the Final Four.
Even though the Pioneers now have a new person at the helm, they’re hopeful to find themselves in a similar playoff position this spring.
“(It’s) a new era of St. John’s baseball,” St. John’s junior Jack Forgues said. “(We’re) trying to build off of last year, we know what it takes to win, and we’re trying to get back there.”
“We have a different team and we’re looking for a different result at the end of the season,” St. John’s senior Brady Shea said. “(But) we’re definitely going to build off of last year’s success.”
As St. John’s wrapped up its practice and prepared to groom the infield dirt Monday, the Pioneers realized something: they were short a few rakes. Chalk it up to Day 1 discoveries. “There’s obviously always small stuff, you try to come having all your T’s crossed and I’s dotted and all that and first day stuff pops up, especially being a new coach,” Cummins said. “It’s all that learning stuff early on and then you get the team picked by the end of this week and get rolling into scrimmages and then start the season.
“So, it’s an exciting time, obviously we have a lot of work to do to figure out who we’re going to go with this year and we’re just looking forward to it.”
A look back at some of the top teams from last spring
Baseball wasn’t the only outdoor sport being played across the 508 Monday.
Over in Westborough, tennis balls were smacked around 90 W Main St. by a pair of racket teams. For Westborough High girls’ tennis coach Scott Henderson, getting outside for Day 1 was a pleasant bonus this time of year — even with the temperature in the 40s.
“A little chilly, and a little breezy, but tolerable,” Henderson said. “It was so much fun to have all the returning players back together, and to add some new players into the mix. The girls were into it (and) they seemed really excited to get the season started.”
Last season, the Westborough boys’ and girls’ tennis teams both lost in a Div. 2 state final.
It marked the second straight year that both teams made their respective state championship games. “The camaraderie with the boys’ team is a bonus element,” Henderson said. “For a few seasons, we’ve had similar experiences in parallel. (We’re) hoping to continue the midseason, mixeddoubles tournament (we) started last year, and hoping we can again cheer each other on deep into the playoffs.”
Other local high school sports teams that made deep tournament runs last year include Ayer-Shirley baseball (D5 Final Four), Clinton softball (D5 Final Four), Northbridge baseball (D4 Final Four), St. John’s boys’ volleyball (D1 Final Four) and Tahanto softball (D5 Final Four).
Now, each team is in the same boat — brimming with enthusiasm as Day 1 of the spring sports season is officially in the books.
“It’s nice getting everybody outside together,” Shea said. “We had a long winter, so everybody is coming together here. All the sights and sounds, the sunshine, so it’s a good day.”