At Waltham, seniors answer call to arms
For the Waltham High baseball team, it doesn’t matter whose turn it is in the pitching rotation.
The Hawks have produced some of the state’s best pitching numbers through nine games, with seniors Drew Anderson, Mike Cobb, and Ben Hamilton combining for six shutouts. They’re aiming for more.
“We have three great pitchers who are all very efficient,” Anderson said. “We’ve been playing together forever, so it’s really nice to see how successful we’ve been so far. Hopefully it continues on into the playoffs.”
Led by coach Mike Peterson, Waltham sits atop the Dual County League’s Foley Division with a 3-0 league record and a 7-2 mark overall. The Hawks have allowed 2.2 runs per game this spring, and eight earned runs out of 20 allowed overall. Anderson, Cobb, and Hamilton have combined to allow just one of those earned runs.
Anderson opened the year with four shutout innings in a 9-0 win against Lowell. The lefthander, who boasts a sharp fastball, a fierce curve, and a strike-heavy changeup, followed up three games later with a three-hit shutout in a 4-0 win against Lincoln-Sudbury. Most recently, Anderson stymied Concord-Carlisle with six scoreless frames in an 8-0 victory last Friday.
“The last couple of years, I’ve taken mental focus to another level,” Anderson said. “I think I’ve matured. I’m going out there just knowing that I’m dominant and I can beat anybody who gets up to face me — maybe tricking myself by telling myself that nobody can beat me — and trusting my stuff.”
Cobb, another lefty, took the ball for Waltham’s second game and fired five one-hit innings in a 7-6 win at Boston Latin. He shut down Cambridge, 9-0, to the tune of six shutout frames, then fired a complete game in a 4-0 shutout against Bedford April 26. With a good fastball and changeup, as well as a strong slider, Cobb has struck out 26 in 18 innings with a 0.78 WHIP.
“We take care of business,” Cobb said. “But we also have fun on the side. And with the amount of success we’ve had, it just makes it even more fun. I mean, we’re already having fun, but on top of that, we’re also winning. You can’t beat it.”
Hamilton, a righthander, began the season working out of the bullpen, but emerged as an effective No. 3 starter. In what Peterson called his “best outing of the season,” Hamilton fired a one-hit shutout against Cambridge Monday, facing just two over the minimum.
“He’s just steady,” Peterson said. “He doesn’t get rattled on the mound, he just goes out there and pitches and does his thing.”
Waltham also boasts a strong defense. Peterson said the emergence of freshman catcher Emmett Moynihan, who has been the Hawks’ starter since Opening Day, has been a nice surprise. The experience of senior captains Ian LaForest, a center fielder, third baseman Nick LaForest, and shortstop Will Curley has been crucial.
In its seven wins, Waltham has just one error.
“I can really trust them out there,” Hamilton said. “We just throw strikes, and they do the work.”
With 10 seniors, eight of whom have been with the varsity team since their sophomore season, it’s a close-knit group.
“The camaraderie is just outstanding,” Cobb said. “As long as we’ve been playing baseball, we’ve been playing baseball with each other.”
Extra bases
■ The MIAA unveiled its its first power rankings of the spring season Friday and updated them Tuesday. Undefeated Franklin sits atop Division 1 with a state-best 7.3612 rating, fueled by an 83-6 run differential through 10 games. The Panthers are followed by Hockomock rival Taunton, Central Catholic, Westford Academy, and St. John’s Shrewsbury. In Division 2, defending state champion Milton (6.3656) is percentage points ahead of Central Mass. power Leominster (6.2582) for the top spot with Whitman-Hanson, King Philip, and Hopkinton right behind. Taconic (5.3622) leads Division 3 over Oakmont (4.1666), while Foxborough (4.0772) sits at No. 3 as the only Eastern Mass. team in the top five. Bellingham (4.5831) and English High (4.1831) sit atop Division 4 and Oxford (2.1439) is the current top seed in Division 5. The rankings will be updated every Tuesday and Friday through the end of the regular season on May 29.
■ Needham and Framingham played Friday’s Bay State Conference matchup at Dunkin Donuts Park in Hartford, CT. The Rockets won, 4-3, on a go-ahead sacrifice fly by Adam Hess in the top of the seventh . . . Plymouth North lefthander DC Brown threw a nohitter with 12 strikeouts in Wednesday’s 1-0 over Marshfield. Brown now has three complete games in four starts this season, including a two-hitter against Xaverian on Opening Day . . . Aidan Sweeney (4„ innings) and Jansen Brown (2‚ innings) combined to throw a no-hitter for Lincoln-Sudbury in an 8-1 win over Newton South on Friday . . . Bishop Stang righthander Matt Burt earned his first varsity win Wednesday, a no-hitter with no walks and eight strikeouts in a 12-0 win over Matignon. Burt also collected two hits and four RBIs.