LYNN — When your team accomplishes something special and returns the bulk of its core the following season, you’re in a good place. That’s where the North Shore Freedom 16-18-year-old all-star team finds itself this summer. North Shore starts its state tournament quest this weekend with the majority of last year’s group back in the fold. The team reached the Babe Ruth World Series last summer.
“We’re pretty excited,” coach Leon Elwell said. “Most of these kids have known each other since they were young kids. They’ve all played together at some point and have gotten to know each other over the years. It’s a tight-knit group. Coach Al Donovan and I work well together. We bounce ideas off each other. It’s a good blend. The kids work well together and I’ve learned a lot from Al the past few years. As a whole package we work really well together.”
This summer’s roster includes the following: Billy Allen, Dayshon Anderson, David Barnard, Brett Bucklin, Christian Burt, Devin Curley, Conor Donohue, Kevin Durant, Zach Elwell (Leon Elwell’s son), Kyle Finnigan, Ryan Graciale, Juan Hurtado, Sean Letarte, Josh Mateo, Jomar Moreta, Anthony Nikolakakis, Kyle Ouellette and Max Pegnato.
Moreta, an English graduate, was named the MVP of the Northeastern Conference South this past high school season. Anderson, Barnard, Bucklin and Finnigan helped Classical earn the No. 2 seed in the Division 1 North state tournament. Zach Elwell, Graciale and Pegnato helped Swampscott make a run in Division 3 North. Letarte reached the Division 1A “Super 8” final with St. John’s Prep. Ouellette and Donohue were key members of a St. Mary’s team that won the Division 2 state championship.
“We have a really talented group,” Elwell said. “These guys have had great high school careers. A lot of them are going to play college baseball and some of them played their first season of college baseball this past year. It’s a good group.”
Anderson, Barnard, Bucklin, Burt, Durant, Zach Elwell and Nikolakakis were also part of the 15-year-old Babe Ruth All-Star team that reached the World Series in North Dakota three summers ago.
Experience and talent, undoubtedly, are two of North Shore’s strengths.
“The core guys are back,” Elwell said. “Some of these guys have been to the World Series twice. They have that winning experience, not just from baseball but also from football, hockey and other sports they play.”
Elwell and his players know that a repeat trip to the World Series won’t be handed to them. They’ll travel to host Cape Cod for a best-of-three series Sunday (1). Game 2 will be played Monday (11) with the if-necessary third game immediately after.
“It’s really good competition,” Elwell said. “You have kids coming back, depending on their ages, that have played a year of college baseball. It’s a great level of competition. All these guys have played two, three years of varsity baseball, some of them even four. Some of these kids are a little mature, a little more seasoned.”
North Shore and Cape Cod grew to know each other well last summer.
“We played them five times last year,” Elwell said. “We beat them three times and they beat us twice. They were all close games. We’re pretty evenly-matched teams. I’m not sure what they picked up but I’m sure they did a good job replacing the players they lost to graduation or whatever other reasons.”
The winner of the best-of-three advances to the regional round, which will be played in Walpole, New Hampshire.
“Coach Donovan and I have a lot of familiarity with these guys,” Elwell said. “It’s a good group, it’s a really good group. It’s been tough with college orientations and graduation parties. We haven’t had our whole team together much. We’re excited because it’s such a great group.”
