Quarterly Report: Central Mass Baseball

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Joe Parello, GoLocalWorcester Contributor

Nashoba senior Charlie Butler captured everyone's attention when he opened the year with a no-hitter.

The high school baseball was expected to be highly competitive in Central Mass this season and it has certainly not disappointed. From a season-opening no-hitter, to the dominance of two regional powers, it has been an exciting first couple of weeks. In case you missed it, GoLocalWorcester has you covered with this report on the first quarter of the Central Mass high school baseball season.

St. John’s Enjoying Spectacular Pitching

Coming into the season, St. John’s knew it would have to rely on its pitching, and the Pioneers staff has not disappointed. Senior Mike Badjo has been nearly unhittable so far, and junior Ben White and senior Anthony Perry have been great starting as well. The staff gave up up only four runs through their first five games.

The offense has come and gone, as it does for most teams, and the Pioneers have gotten timely hitting from juniors Jacob Byrne and Owen Shea. Senior Nick Sieber has provided power, and the entire team has shown it has knack for pulling out close games.

Nashoba’s Butler Bringing the Heat

Senior pitcher Charlie Butler got everyone’s attention by throwing a no-hitter to open the year against Gardner. The powerful righty struck out nine, and was just one walk away from a perfect game. He was also able to hurl a complete game three hitter in Nashoba’s 7-2 win over North Middlesex on Monday.

But it hasn’t just been about Butler, because the Chieftains have shown they can put some runs on the board. Nashoba rode nine runs in the third inning last Friday to a 13-9 victory over Holy Name, and Sam Ashline has come on strong offensively the past few games.

Burncoat Meeting Lofty Expectations

Before the season began, Burncoat coach Brian Sargent acknowledged that expectations had been raised for his program this season due to its veteran roster. The Patriots have met those expectations, and then some, defeating their first six opponents by an average of seven runs a game.

It has been an offense powered by seniors Ryan O’Connor and Matt Lavin that has garnered attention, but the pitching of Regan Aghdam has been has been stellar as well. The Patriots came up just one run shy of a Central Mass title game berth last year, and this year’s team looks to be even better.

Doherty Bouncing Back After Slow Start

After starting the season 1-2 with losses to Wachusett and Holy Name, Doherty’s young bats picked things up in wins over Worcester North and South. The Highlanders exploded for 22 runs against North and South, and appear to be getting into a groove.

Milford senior Jarrod Casey has been one of the region's best pitchers and hitters this year.

A slow start may have been expected, since Doherty lost 11 seniors from last year’s playoff team, but junior Noah Robinson brings back experience and a ton of power in the middle of the order. He has also stepped it up on the mound, and senior catcher Adam Goldstein, in his fourth year starting, has helped manage a young pitching staff.

Milford Looks to Continue Early Roll

The Hawks were upset in the second round of last year’s Central Mass playoffs, and have played like a team looking for some redemption so far this year. Milford has jumped out to a 3-0 start, and have outscored opponents by a combined score of 30-4.

While other players have gotten a great deal of early attention, you will be hard pressed to find one having a better year than Miford’s Jarrod Casey. The talented senior has struck out 26 batters in just 12 innings of work on his way to a 2-0 start as a pitcher. His offense has also been noteworthy, as he already has a home run and a pair of triples this season.