Worcester Academy Baseball Has the Talent to Repeat

Friday, March 30, 2012

Joe Parello, GoLocalWorcester Contributor

Senior Vinny Doyle is just one of Worcester Academy's many talented pitchers.

The baseball team at Worcester Academy won its league for the first time in 21 years last season, and has the pieces in place to make another title run.

“It was obviously great to win a Class A title last year,” coach Dana Forsberg said. “We lost 12 seniors from that team, but still have 13 seniors on this year’s squad. We think we have enough talent to contend again.”

Fitting the Pieces Together

While Worcester Academy undeniably has talent, it will take more than that to repeat as champions. The Hilltoppers will need younger players to step up throughout the lineup, and will rely on the veteran leadership of players like senior Trevor O’Sullivan.

“We have to continue to play up to the high-level teams we face,” O’Sullivan said. “But we also need to avoid playing down to teams that we should be beating up on a little bit. When we play to our potential, we know we can win another championship.”

Worcester Academy is coming off a loss to Choate Rosemary Hall, a prep school in Connecticut, in a game that saw the Hilltoppers commit three errors in the first inning. The team currently sits at 4-4 after the loss to Choate and a successful road trip to Florida where they played several other top baseball prep schools.

A Stacked Staff

The defense may still be in the process of coming together, but Worcester Academy will be able to lean on its loaded pitching staff to get by. The Hilltoppers return senior ace Robbie Rinn and hard throwing junior Nick Economos at the top of the staff.

O’Sullivan is currently working in as a relief pitcher while he’s not playing in the outfield, but may see some time as a starter as the year progresses. Senior pitcher Vinny Doyle also figures to be a contributor for the Hilltoppers.

College Talent

Worcester Academy as an academic institution is known for sending students to elite colleges, but the baseball program is also doing its part to push students to the next level. Rinn, who also plays first base, is heading to Bryant on a baseball scholarship next season, and senior Matt Brown will play at Merrimack.

The team’s other captain, senior Matt Mortimer will take his .436 batting average to Trinity College next year, and senior Jesse Pelletier will be attending the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland.

Team Tradition

Though Worcester Academy brings in new players every year, there is one tradition that has stuck, at least as long as O’Sullivan can remember. It is a game called “Flips,” and the entire Hilltopper team plays it before every practice and game. The game is a bit complicated, but it involves the team standing in a circle, and trying to eliminate each other by punching the ball at someone so that they cannot catch it with their glove.

“It’s a little too complicated to explain,” O’Sullivan said with a chuckle. “But I will say, it gets pretty intense. Things get pretty personal, and I’ve seen guys get upset. But, it is still a great way to get things going and get us ready for a practice or game.”