What you need to know for the 2024 baseball season
The 2024 CIAC baseball season begins on Saturday. Here’s what you should know about the upcoming season:
Fairfield Warde (LL), Brookfield (L), Nonnewaug (M), Haddam-Killingworth (S).
Saturday
April — Killingly at East Lyme, April 4, 4 p.m.; Fairfield Prep at Warde, April 6, 12 p.m.; Guilford at St. Joseph, April 6, 12 p.m.; Amity at Staples, April 6, 1 p.m.; Brookfield at Holy Cross, April 11, 6 p.m.; Newington at Southington, April 17, 6 p.m.; Barlow at Newtown, April 19, 4:15 p.m.; Cromwell at Old Saybrook, April 24, 4 p.m.; Rockville at Ellington, April 26, 3:45 p.m.
May — Staples at Warde, May 3, 4:15 p.m.; Guilford at Xavier, May 3, 7 p.m.; Coventry at Rockville, May 6, 3:45 p.m.; Valley Regional at HaddamKillingworth, May 6, 3:45 p.m.; Northwestern at Nonnewaug, May 8, 3:45 p.m.; Guilford at Fairfield Prep, May 13, 4 p.m.; Litchfield at Wamogo, May 18, 4 p.m.
Future is now: A new rule this season allows for one-way electronic communication devices to be used between the dugout and the catcher. Coaches must be inside the dugout/ bench area when using the devices.
The new rules prohibit coaches from communicating with any other player besides the catcher on
Alex Benevento, New Canaan, Sr., CF: The Brown University football commit was All-FCIAC, CHSCA All-State and GameTimeCT second team All-State baseball selection last season with a .455 batting average. New Haven Register first team All-State football selection on defense.
Cole Gibson, Ludlowe, Sr., P/1B: The University of New Haven commit was a first-team AllFCIAC pick. The 6-foot-3, 205-pound righty is sitting in the upper 80s with his fastball this spring. Xavier Gonzalez, Norwalk, Sr., C: The excellent defensive catcher defense and with any player while batting. The rule allows for various technologies, including earpieces, electronic bands or a smart watches to be used, giving teams options at different price points.
In July, the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) Baseball Rules Committee approved the use of a one-way communication device between a coach in the dugout and a team’s catcher for the purposes of calling pitches, starting in the 2024 season.
Major League Baseball introduced PitchCom technology in the 2022 season as a way to limit sign stealing and speed up the game. Unlike MLB, where coaches can communicate with catchers and catchers and pitchers with each other, the NFHS rule only allows for a one-way communication from coaches in the dugout to send pitch calls to catchers.
A tale of two conferences: In what’s been an early barometer of the also has some pop in his bat and was named first team All-FCIAC. Committed to play at St. Anselm College (N.H.) Austin Howard, Warde, Jr., P: Steps into the role of the Mustangs’ ace for his junior season. Got the win pitching in relief in the Class LL state championship game against Staples. The 6-foot-2 AllFCIAC East pick is verbally committed to play at Louisville.
Hunter Hoxie, Law, Sr., P: The Rutgers commit was CHSCA All-State and an All-SCC selection on the mound.
Ryan Johnston, Trumbull, Jr., 3B: As a
NCAA men’s hockey first
What: round
When: Friday, 5:30 p.m.
Where: Amica Mutual Providence, R.I.
Records: Quinnipiac 26-9-2, Wisconsin 26-11-2
TV: ESPNews
Pavilion,
Running it back: Quinnipiac lost in the ECAC semifinals, a disappointing end to the regular season, then came into a regional in the northeast looking to put it back together.
That was the Bobcats in 2023, and they went through Bridgeport to reach the Frozen Four in Tampa, Fla. They beat Michigan. Then they beat Minnesota in overtime to win their first national championship.
Quinnipiac lost to St. Lawrence last week in the ECAC semifinals. Now they’re in Providence, from which they reached the 2013 Frozen Four, looking to repeat. So, yeah, Quinnipiac as a program has been here before.
New guys: Has Quinnipiac individually been here before? Sort of. Last year’s team was packed with veterans. Four of them, thanks to the pandemic fifth year, finished with more games played than anyone before strength between the state’s two strongest conferences, April 6 will feature another round of games pitting the FCIAC vs. the SCC.
The Saturday slate includes: Amity at Staples, Stamford at Sheehan, Norwalk at Hamden, Law at New Canaan, McMahon at Hillhouse/Career, Cheshire at Ridgefield, Wilbur Cross at Bridgeport Central, Danbury at Xavier, Trumbull at Notre Dame-West Haven, Fairfield Warde at Fairfield Prep, Guilford at St. Joseph.
A team from the FCIAC or SCC has won every Class LL title since 2012, but the FCIAC has ruled the last four seasons.
Last year, Warde’s backto-back Class LL championship made it four straight titles for the FCIAC in the state’s largest division. Since 2013, Southington (CCC) is the only team from outside the FCIAC or SCC to even reach the Class LL championship game, which it did four times during that sophomore, batted .366 with two home runs and six double with 18 stolen bases.
Aiden Jovia, Hamden, Jr., P/OF/IF: The first-team SCC pick as a sophomore, batted .344 with 21 runs scored, 21 stolen bases and pitched to a 1.25 ERA with 37 strikeouts.
Connor Martinello, Notre Dame-West Haven, Sr., IF: NDWH took some graduation losses, but returns the All-SCC first team pick who hit .353 with eight doubles and 21 RBIs.
Kai Nee, Staples, Jr., P: The Duke commit played a key role, mainly in relief, last season, but should them in program history. This year’s roster has six freshmen and a bunch of other transfers, including starting goalie Vinny Duplessis. Of the 20 Bobcats who played for the national title, only 10 remain.
You may remember: Those 10, as you’d guess, include some key players, including leading scorer Collin Graf, a candidate for the Hobey Baker Award as college hockey’s top player. He leads the team with 48 points. Jacob Quillan, who scored that landmark overtime goal against Minnesota, has 44. Captain Jayden Lee has 25 on defense.
CT Connection: The Bobcats have five Connecticut residents on the roster, more than they’ve had in a couple of decades. Andon Cerbone is their fifth-leading scorer. Wisconsin has Mathieu De St. Phalle of Greenwich. Badger Badger Badger: Wisconsin had a similarly disappointing conference exit, falling to Ohio State in the Big Ten quarterfinals. The Badgers have 12 players who’ve been drafted by NHL teams, including leading scorer and all-name team candidate Cruz Lucius, whose rights went from Carolina to Pittsburgh as part of the Jake Guentzel deal earlier this month at the trade deadline.
What Seed?: Though Wisconsin ranked higher in the Pairwise Rankings that set the NCAA tournament, span. A SCC team has not reached the LL final since Cheshire won it in 2018.
The two conferences again possess some of the best talent and deepest rosters in the state, with multiple schools featuring more than one NCAA Division I commit and more underclassmen on the same path.
In addition, there are some good crossover matchups again this season including St. Joseph against Guilford, Staples vs. Amity, Warde vs. both Amity and Fairfield Prep and Trumbull taking on Amity, Fairfield Prep and Notre Dame-West Haven.
Southington’s time?: The most formidable threat in Class LL from outside the FCIAC and SCC is 2022 Class LL runner-up Southington, which lost in that final, 7-5, to Warde. The Knights then lost a controversial, 2-1 quarterfinal against the Mustangs last season.
Southington has lost five championship games since 2011. The Blue Knights return significant talent to make another run at the school’s first title since 1999. They are senior-heavy with collegebound players SS Colin Crowley (Winthrop), C Jack Kushman (St. JosephHartford), P/1B Frank Boutot (undecided), P Braden Barron (Western Connecticut), 2B Caden Angelo (UMass-Lowell) and 3B Carson Lentini (Western New England).
Qualifying Rounds (if necessary): May 24 at higher seeds.
First Round: May 28 at higher seeds.
2024 Finals: June 7 and 8 at Palmer Field in Middletown. step into a starting role in 2024. The lefty’s fastball is hovering around 90 mph and he mixes in a nasty curveball along with the heat.
Christian Nilsen, Barlow, Sr., P/1B: Named AllSWC with a 1.10 ERA on the mound and a .364 batting average with 25 RBIs at the plate. Committed to play at Quinnipiac.
Ian Nilsen, Barlow, Sr., P/IF: The 6-foot-2 Quinnipiac commit was CHSCA All-State and AllSWC with a 1.70 ERA. He threw a complete game, five-hitter in the SWC championship game win over Brookfield.
Quinnipiac is eighth in both polls, one spot ahead of the Badgers. Next: No. 1 overall seed Boston College (31-5-1) meets Michigan Tech (1914-6) meet Friday at 2 p.m. (ESPNU). Friday’s winners play Sunday at 4 p.m. (ESPNU) for a spot in the Frozen Four, April 11-13, in St. Paul, Minn.
Player
Collin Graf Jacob Quillan Mason Marcellus Sam Lipkin
Player
Vinny Duplessis
Player
Pos
W-L-T GAA
Cruz Lucius David Silye Simon Tassy Mathieu De St. Phalle Ben Dexheimer
Player
Kyle McClellan
F F F F
G-A-Pts 22-26-48 15-29-44 14-22-36 15-20-35 20-6-2
Pos G-A-Pts
F 13-21-34 F 9-23-32 F 12-16-28 F 11-16-27 D 5-22-27
W-L-T GAA 24-11-1 1.93 1.92
TEAM
1. WARDE (8)
Def. Staples 2-1 (10 innings) to win Class LL championship vs. Staples, Saturday, 1 p.m.
The back-to-back Class LL champion will look to become the first team to three-peat since Amity won four in-a-row from 2013-16. The Mustangs took big graduation losses but still bring back D-I committed pitchers in junior Austin Howard (Louisville) and senior Carson Swaim (Fordham) as well as 6-foot-3 C/1B Kieran Shea and sophomore C/DH Jimmy Dobbs, who could have a breakout season.
2. STAPLES (4) final.
Lost to Warde 2-1 (10 innings) in the Class LL
at Warde, Saturday, 1 p.m.
The Wreckers last won the FCIAC and Class LL titles in 2019, which constitutes a drought down in Westport. A deep pitching staff led by juniors Kai Nee (Duke) and Andrew Oppenheimer.
3. GUILFORD (3)
Lost Brookfield 2-0 in Class L championship. vs Hand, Monday, 4 p.m.
The Grizzlies are loaded with talent coming back after a run to the Class L championship game. SCC Player of the Year and GameTimeCT First-Team All-State junior SS/P Luke Deshefy and senior P/OF Bryce Meder lead a talented group including junior OF Lucas Ametrano. Guilford won the SCC last season but has not won a state title since 2007.
4. TRUMBULL round
LL
Lost to Southington 2-1, in Class LL second
vs Masuk, Saturday, 12 p.m.
The Eagles also lost some their top players to graduation but like Warde and Staples, seem to be able to reload quickly. Juniors SS Ryan Paine .(375 BA) and 3B Ryan Johnston (.366, two home runs, 18 stolen bases) and senior CF Jake Hull (.354) will try to lead will try to lead the team to its first state title since 1998 and first FCIAC crown since 2012.
5. ST. JOSEPH semifinals.
228 9M
Lost to Nonnewaug 7-5 in Class M
at Glastonbury, Saturday, 10 a.m.
The Cadets bring back three of their four top pitchers from last season, including D-I commits Nicholas Coppola (Marist) and Brandon Rovinelli (Columbia). If St. Joseph can get the lineup in gear, it could be a big season up in Trumbull. There have been state titles in 2013 and 2019 but their only FCIAC championship came back in 1998.
6. SOUTHINGTON
Lost to Warde 2-1 in the Class LL quarterfinal at Northwest Catholic, Monday 3:45 p.m. Southington has lost five Class LL championship games since 2011. The Blue Knights have a lot of talent back for another run at the school’s first title since 1999 with 11 players committed to play in college. They are senior-heavy with Colin Crowley (Winthrop) at SS, Jack Kushman (University of St. Joseph) at C and Frank Boutot (undecided) at 1B.
7. XAVIER first round
at Hamden, Monday, 3:45 p.m. GameTimeCT First-Team All-State OF Nick Fox is back and there is plenty of talent around him to help lead the Falcons to their first state championship since 1980. Keene State commit Luc Frezza is back at C and junior pitchers Maddox Leite and Price Savini return after strong sophomore seasons on the mound.
8. KILLINGLY quarterfinal.
Lost to Darien 7-5 (9 innings) in the Class LL
Lost to Nonnewaug 8-0 in Class M
at Putnam, Saturday, 11 a.m.
Killingly made back-to-back state tournament quarterfinal appearances for the first time in school history. The team is returning eight starters as they try to make a run at the school’s first state title. It will do so with a strong junior class led by 3B Ashton Goodwin, C Brady Zadora and 6-foot-5 P Landon Manzi.
9. FAIRFIELD PREP round p.m.
Lost to New Canaan 5-3 in Class LL first vs Notre Dame-West Haven, Monday, 4
Prep has never won a state title and has not reached a championship game since 1985. Once again, the Jesuits have talent across the field and should be a strong contender in the SCC and Class LL. Seniors IF/P Griffin Fisher, C/1B Stephen Polizzi (Winthrop), and 6-foot-3 P Tommy Farrell (Gettysburg) will lead a deep group in search of that elusive date at Palmer Field for a state championship.
10. NEWINGTON semifinals.
21-6
24-4
17-7
18-7
15-8
16-7
12-11
16-8
20-4
424
402
298
227
202
186
180
174
NR
NR
NR
NR
Lost to Warde, 3-1, in the Class LL
2
4
4
4
LL
LL
LL
M
LL
LL
at University/Classical, Monday, 3:45 p.m. The Nor’Easters are the last CCC team win the Class LL championship, taking home the title in 2011. Getting back this season will be tough after heavy graduation losses including GameTimeCT First Team All-State SS Alex Cappellucci and Second-Team pick OF Josiah Ross.
L