Local baseball teams ready to go
Baseball is here and the locals will be hitting the diamond this week!
Photos and text by
Steev Riccardo
Oxford High School and Shepherd Hill Regional both open their season Wednesday, April 4, while Bartlett High School starts its season on Friday afternoon.
The Oxford Pirates, who are coming off a very successful 16-6 season, play the Quaboag Cougars at Oxford High School. Despite losing some key players from last year, the team has the veteran leadership to have a big year.
Bartlett Sophomore Pitcher Evan Anderson
Oxford Shortstop Nick Bruzios
“I feel like we can be just as good as we were last year,” said starting shortstop senior captain Nick Bruzios. “We lost a couple of good players who are playing college ball now, but I feel like we have a good team coming back and we have good team chemistry.”
“Everybody enjoys going to practice every day and working hard. Some of us started playing baseball and have been getting ready for the season since December. I feel like everybody is going to overlook us this year but I feel like we can be just as good if not better than last year.”
Bruzios will also be called upon this year to do some pitching behind ace Nick Lemay after only throwing a couple innings last year in what he called “mop up duty.”
“We will look to Nick (LeMay) to be a leader. I think he can be one of the leading pitchers in SWCL. I will be getting a couple starts as well Cody Stone and Tyler Barrie. Unlike last year when it was all lefties, we have some righties this year. I think we have some pretty decent people.”
Oxford First Baseman Tyler Bostek
Senior Tyler Bostek, who will be the team’s first baseman and a key bat in the middle of the lineup, is also optimistic about the team. “We did lose six or seven players from last year so I guess some people would consider it a rebuilding year. I think having a freshmen catcher (James Sheehan) who didn’t really think he was going to catch
but is working out well helps. I think everyone is finding their role and coming together well. We have good team chemistry and we all know how to play the game, we all play well together.”
Last year Bostek hit “OK” in his own words but he adjusted his swing in the off-season and is “trying to get it right.” He will hit after LeMay and Bruzios and have Nick Cardoni behind him in the order.
In the off season, he is “definitely going to play in college.”
The Bartlett Indians are coming off a rough season in which they only had three wins but are looking to get off to a good start on Friday at Home against Grafton.
Bartlett's Centerfielder Connor McCarthy
They are led by rookie manager Jonathan Way and have plenty of leaders including Connor McCarthy, Nick Kobel, and Luis Caro. They also have guys like junior Billy Phillips and sophomore Evan Anderson who know how to play the game.
It was Anderson, looking solid on the mound in a scrimmage against Sutton last week, who will be one of the keys to the team’s pitching success.
Up on the hill, the Shepherd Hill Rams open against Marlborough at home and travel to Quaboag on Friday in their first week of the season.
Key match-ups you can put on your calendar and look forward to:
Oxford at Bartlett, Thursday, April 12, 3:30
Oxford at Shepherd Hill, Friday, April 13, 3:30
Shepherd Hill at Oxford, Friday, April 27, 3:30
Bartlett at Shepherd Hill, Wednesday, May 16, 3:30
MORE BASEBALL SCHEDULES POSTED UNDER REGION
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