English baseball hopes to take the next step

The Lynn English baseball team was one missed sign from potentially being a major headache for teams in the Division 1 North tournament last season.
The Bulldogs lost to eventual Division 3 North champion North Reading in the finals of the Clancy Tournament to fall one game short of qualifying for the postseason. But coach Joe Caponigro’s team returns the nucleus of that squad, and he hopes his team?s hot finish serves as a catalyst into this year, which is scheduled to start on April 8 at Salem.
?We started out strong and then kind of went into a funk in the middle of the season,” Caponigro said. “But that’s how baseball goes. And then we end up going right down to the late innings against North Reading. Hopefully, we carry that good play over to this year.”
Leading the way for English, which finished 9-11 last season, will be its three captains: Anthony DelaCruz, Lucas Harris, and Kyle O’Connor. All three are able to play multiple positions in the lineup.
Harris swung one of the hottest sticks in the Northeastern Conference for most of last season, posting a batting average over .400. This season, he is expected to be the ace of Caponigro’s pitching staff but also has the ability to man the middle infield positions or play in the outfield.
O’Connor is back to patrol center field while DelaCruz teams with Harris to give English a deadly double-play combination from second base.
?All three of them had good seasons last year and they’re good solid kids and leaders,” Caponigro said.
Another returning senior is first baseman/pitcher Jeam Castillo. Castillo gives the Bulldogs a rare weapon at the high school level as a left-handed starting pitcher.
?As long as he can throw strikes, he will be OK,” Caponigro said. “But lefties are a good commodity to have because you don’t see many of them.”
Also back in the starting lineup is sophomore Brett Molea and senior pitcher Jack Milhelm.
?A lot of our kids played fall ball and were able to get some reps indoor this winter,” Caponigro said. “A lot of them have been working out on their own, so there’s a lot of excitement and anticipation.”
Caponigro is excited to have one of the biggest freshman classes he’s had in his time at English, as over 30 were at tryouts. He expects several of them to make contributions at the JV and varsity levels.
Like almost every other team in the state, the Bulldogs face the problem of not having a field to practice on thanks to the record-setting snowfall this winter.
English has a scrimmage scheduled with perennial power St. John’s Prep next week on the Eagles? turf field, but other than that, Caponigro doesn’t know when his team is going to be able to get on a real diamond.
?The weather situation is awful,” Caponigro said. “Other than the scrimmage against St. John’s, we don’t have any other opportunities at this point. But most of the programs are going to be in the same boat as us, so no one will have an advantage.”Matthew Roy may be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @MRoy_1006.