2013 Central Mass Baseball Season Highlights

Friday, June 21, 2013

Matt Metcalf, GoLocalWorcester Sports Contributor

Leominster had a magical playoff run in the Division I Central Mass playoffs this year.

It was a solid 2013 season for Central Mass baseball, as all three of the Central Mass teams that won its sectional title lost in the title game of the state championship.

Division I

Central Mass top seed Nashoba only encountered four losses on the whole season. Unfortunately, one of those losses came in the Division I state final to Bridgewater-Raynham by a score of 4-0.

The Chieftains ran into a hot pitcher in Bridgewater-Raynham's Mike Bruemmel, who didn't allow a hit until the eighth inning in a complete-game shutout to lead his team to a Division I state championship.

Nashoba made it to the state tournament by beating seventh-seeded Leominster in the Central Mass championship. Leominster had one of the more magical runs that an underdog has had in quite some time in Central Mass baseball. The Blue Devils defeated second-seeded Shepherd Hill and third-seeded St. John's to earn a spot in the sectional title game. Leominster gave Nashoba all it could handle, with the Chieftains notching a 2-1 walk off win over the Blue Devils, ending a Cinderella run.

Division II

Auburn, who captured the Division II Central Mass crown, lost in a tight 7-6 game in 12 innings last weekend. Hingham outlasted Auburn in a game that required five extra innings to decide a winner. Overall, Auburn had a dominant season, compiling a record of 20-5 and a league record of 11-3.

Division III

After an impressive 21-4 season, Hopedale had its heart ripped out in the state final game. Going into the bottom of the seventh inning, the Blue Raiders had a 3-2 lead, only to be erased when Middleborough's Kevin Huscher roped a two-run single to walk off with a 4-3 win.

Standout seasons

Brady Ravenelle, Shepherd Hill- Ravenelle ripped the ball all season long for Central Mass second seed Shepherd Hill. The sophomore led Central Mass in average, home runs, and runs batted in, posting a .657 average, while smacking four home runs and driving in 36 runs.

Jack Sarnoski, Nashoba- Sarnoski led the Chieftains all the way to the Division I state title game. The left-handed pitcher compiled a perfect 5-0 record and a 1.07 earned run average, while striking out 40 hitters in an even 40 innings pitched during the regular season.

Drew Foster, Nashoba- Foster was the hero for the Chieftains in the Central Mass title game, allowing just one run in a complete-game effort on the mound, while also driving in the winning run in a 2-1 victory over seventh-seeded Leominster. The senior posted a 4-1 record on the year with an earned run average of 0.97.

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