LYNNFIELD — There’s nothing like an opening day game against your archrival to get the competitive fires going.
The Lynnfield baseball team will do just that next Saturday when the Pioneers travel to North Reading in the season opener for both teams. First pitch is set for 11 a.m. at Carey Park.
The Pioneers have high hopes that this is the year they can finally get the monkey off their backs and win the Division 3 North title that has eluded them the last three seasons.
“We’ve got a terrific shortstop (Jonathan Luders) and number one pitcher back (Fernando Gonzalez) who are four-year players and we have a good solid group of kids who are capable of giving us some great pitching, so it’s all going to depend on hitting,” said Lynnfield coach John O’Brien. “We traditionally have had good hitting teams because we spend so much time on it, but can they do it (play for a North title)? Yes. Will they do it? It’s still too early, so who knows?”
The Pioneers will have to find a way to cope with the loss of 10 seniors from last year’s squad, a team that exceeded preseason expectations by playing its way to a third straight Division 3 North championship game.
The Pioneers finished the regular season at 16-4 to earn the No. 2 seed and a preliminary round bye in the tournament. They squeaked by Saugus 3-2 in the first round, then beat North Reading 2-0 in the quarterfinals and Dracut in a 5-4 semifinal nailbiter to advance to the final against top-seeded Austin Prep. The Cougars had cruised through their first three games, outscoring their opponents by a whopping 41-12.
Gonzalez, a hard-throwing lefty, gave as good as he got, tossing a three-hitter, but the Cougars made the most of their last one, a 2-run double in the fifth, to plate the only runs of the game. Austin Prep went on to win it all and finish the season with a 20-game win streak.
The good news is if anyone knows how to win, it’s the senior class, which has played for the sectional title in three straight seasons.
Senior captains Luders, Gonzalez, Matt Fiore and Jaret Simpson highlight a group of 10 returning players.
Luders, a two-year captain and Division I Seton Hall commit, will start at shortstop for a second straight year.
On days when he isn’t pitching, Gonzalez, a New Mexico Junior College commit, may see action at first base or designated hitter. Simpson steps in at catcher, while Fiore, will pitch and see action at third base.
Senior outfielder/pitcher Will Garofoli and junior center fielder/pitcher Clayton Marengi also return. Both are expected to play key roles in the starting rotation along with Gonzalez and Fiore.
Other returning varsity players include senior first baseman Sal Marotta, senior outfielder/middle infielder/pitcher Brian Cardarelli, and junior second baseman John Singer.
Newcomers include senior pitcher/outfielder Phillip Tammaro, senior outfielder Grant Lang, senior third baseman Cory Castinetti, junior catcher/first baseman Liam Farrell, junior middle infielder Matt Juliano, junior catcher Joseph Contardo, junior outfielder/pitcher Christian Maney, sophomore pitcher/outfielder Luke Martinho and sophomore third baseman/pitcher Trent Balian.
O’Brien said it wasn’t easy picking the final varsity roster.
“These were the toughest cuts we’ve had in quite a while,” O’Brien said. “There are some kids on the JV level that really could play up, but it came down to positions.”
O’Brien said he expects Masconomet, Newburyport, Triton and North Reading to be the top Cape Ann League teams again this year.
Former Lynnfield pitching standout Nick Aslanian is back to assist head coach Brent Ashley with the JV2 team (formerly the freshman team), while Mike O’Brien is back to lead the JV team, with assistance from his former Arlington High teammate, Mike Ruggieri.
Former Pioneer three-sport star and captain Ryan Sheehan returns as third base coach for the varsity.
“I’ve got a great staff again this year and the best thing about my coaches is they’re all former college players, so they know what it’s all about,” said O’Brien. “That’s a big plus for us.”
