Following a stellar season that saw him become a dominant pitching force in the Catholic Central League and help lead his team to a second straight Division 2 state title, St. Mary’s junior Aiven Cabral has been named the 2021 Item Player of the Year for baseball.
Cabral was nearly unhittable on the mound in 2021, allowing just five runs on 32 hits in 64 2/3 innings of work. He went 8-0 and also notched an impressive 106 strikeouts on the year, earning him CCL Pitcher of the Year honors in the process.
Cabral also did it with the bat, knocking in eight RBI over the course of the year and holding down the No. 3 spot in the order.
Six players have also been named to the 2021 All-Item team for baseball, with Angel Gonzalez (Lynn English), Pat D’Amico (St. John’s Prep), Charlie Titus (Marblehead), Scott Emerson (Bishop Fenwick), Bobby Jellison (Salem) and Ryan Knight (Peabody) all earning recognition.
Gonzalez was the go-to guy for the English offense this season, batting a stellar .435 with an on-base percentage of .629 and an eye-popping OPS of 1.455. His one home run, two doubles, two triples and eight RBI all helped give him a slugging percentage of .826 and earn him Greater Boston League MVP honors.
But he didn’t only contribute with his bat. Gonzalez also performed on the mound, pitching 10 2/3 innings over four appearances and going 3-0. He also notched one save, had 15 strikeouts for the year and posted an ERA of 1.31.
D’Amico, a Lynnfield native, wrapped up his Prep career on a high note after earning Catholic Conference all-star honors. The senior third baseman paced the Division 1 North champion Eagles from the leadoff spot, batting .391 with a 1.218 OPS. D’Amico hit four home runs to go along with seven doubles, scored 21 runs and stole 11 bases. He’s now moving on to the next level, where he’ll join fellow Lynnfield native Jonathan Luders on the roster at Seton Hall University.
Titus took home NEC all-conference honors after a strong season both behind the plate and at bat. Titus caught one of the deepest rotations in the league while also hitting .353 and knocking in 25 RBI — good for second-most in the NEC.
Emerson was one of the best hitters on the entire North Shore this season, hitting a stellar .465 and leading the Crusaders with 20 RBI, both of which ranked in the top five on the North Shore. A CCL all-star selection, Emerson’s 33 hits and 24 runs scored were also among the most in the area. He also appeared in eight games on the mound and posted a 0.75 ERA in 9 1/3 innings pitched.
Jellison was one of the most difficult outs in all of baseball this spring and summer, getting a hit in just about half of his at-bats on the entire season. An NEC all-star selection, Jellison hit a stellar .499 and had 27 hits. He drove in 13 runs, scored 20 runs and stole nine bases.
But he was also a reliable pitcher for the Witches, striking out 46 batters in 40 innings of work and taking home four wins.
Knight, the Tanners’ center fielder who will be playing Division I ball at the University of Hartford next year, hit .404 and put up an on-base percentage of .550 in 2021. He had 19 hits, scored 20 runs and stole 15 bases on the year.
Also earning 2021 Item All-Star Team honors for baseball are Colby Magliozzi, Terence Moynihan, Lucas Fritz (St. Mary’s); Yordi Contreras, Clodys Prandys (Lynn English); Ethaniel Almendarez, Nico Galeazzi (Lynn Classical); Tucker Destino, Alex Gonzalez (Bishop Fenwick); Trent Balian, Evan Balian (Lynnfield); Godot Gaskins, Jacob Sherf, Sami Loughlin (Marblehead); Juan Tolentino, Justin Powers, Brendan Smith (Peabody); Max Doucette, Mike Popp (Revere); Jack Doyle, Ethan Doyle (Salem); Nathan Ing, Jason Casaletto (Saugus); Sam Belliveau, DJ Pacheco, Payton Palladino (St. John’s Prep); Connor Correnti, Nate Stern (Swampscott); Bobby Hubert, David DiCicco (Winthrop).
