Finocchio get nod as Saugus softball coach

SAUGUS – The Saugus High softball team has a new coach.Bobbie Finocchio, a former Winthrop High and Regis College softball player, will replace Heather Smith, who resigned after the 2007 season. Finocchio was hired just before the holidays.Although she’s only 25, Finocchio spent the last three years as a junior varsity coach at Newton South High School. She applied for the Saugus job when Heather Smith was hired.Finocchio, an elementary school teacher in Winthrop, pitched and played in the infield when she was at Winthrop High under coach Dave Guffy. She ended up pitching at Regis and is currently a pitching coach.”She coached for the past few years in a good program,” Saugus High athletic director Jason Merrill said. :”That’s a pretty successful program. She has some good, quality, high school experience.”Finocchio said she hasn’t met with the players yet, but expects to soon now that the holidays are over.”I don’t know anything about the girls on the team, but I know they’ve been successful,” she said.Finocchio said she’s kind of glad she isn’t familiar with the players yet because she doesn’t want to go in with any preconceived ideas.”I want to go in with an open mind,” Finocchio said. “I’m excited to be playing.”Finocchio said she was excited to hear that the job had opened up again. She said loved coaching at Newton South, but has always wanted to be coach at the varsity level.