LCHS Baseball Archives

2010 VARSITY BASEBALL TEAM

2010 J.V. BASEBALL TEAM

2010 FRESHMEN BASEBALL TEAM

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Congratulations to Tyler Gauthier, Eddie Terrero, and Kyle Devin for being selected to the NEC All Star Team.

English baseball pulls off stirring rally to defeat Classical

By Matthew Roy / For The Item

LYNN -- Not even the best of screenwriters could have dreamed up the ending to Thursday's Classical-English baseball game at Fraser Field. If they had, it probably would have been rejected sight unseen.

Playing for their tournament lives, the Rams had a 3-1 lead with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning and Kyle Gauthier throwing a gem, but a dropped third strike on Gabe Smith gave the Bulldogs life...and English took it.

Dani Vicente played the hero as he blooped a single into short left to score two runs and complete a dramatic 4-3 comeback win for English.

"We got the break with Gabe on that third strike and sometimes you have to get that in this game," English coach Joe Caponigro said. "Classical played their hearts out and Kyle threw a great game for them. Baseball can just be crazy sometimes."

For the green-and-gold, it was a shocking end to a day that had seen them do everything to near perfection for 6.2 innings.

"I couldn't have asked for any more from Kyle," Classical coach Mike Zukowski said. "I knew when he came in to the park (Friday) that he had it. He just had that look in his eyes. The ball just didn't bounce our way in the seventh."

The bottom of the seventh started innocently enough as Gauthier (6.2 IP, 9K, 3 BB, 6H) got Eric Bransfield and Ben Bowden to quickly ground out. Pinch hitter Matt Burnham then drew a walk to keep the Bulldogs alive and bring the top of the order up.

Smith then waved at a sharp breaking ball that would have ended the game but it was too good of a pitch and got away from Eddie Terrero, allowing Smith to reach.

Junior Santos then increased the drama as he reached on an infield single to load the bases. Another passed ball with Vicente up brought Burnham in from third to make it 3-2 and put the tying and winning runs in scoring position.

Then with the count at 3-2, Vicente lifted a blooper to left that dropped in front of three converging Rams, scoring Smith and Santos easily to give English the win.

"Dani has been hot for us all season," Caponigro said. "And we told the kids at the start of the seventh to play to the last out. And to their credit, they did just that."

Classical (7-11) had an early threat against Bulldog (14-4) starter Sam Hill in the first but left a pair of runners on. English then grabbed a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the inning as Smith singled, was sacrificed to second and scored on Vicente's base hit.

It stayed 1-0 into the third when the Rams broke the ice. Gauthier walked with one out and raced home when Terrero doubled up the gap in left-center to tie the game at 1-1.

The Rams pushed into the lead in the fourth as Tyler Gauthier walked and later scored on a triple by No. 9 batter John Finnigan. A passed ball allowed Finnigan to cross for a 3-1 lead.

After that, Kyle Gauthier practically stole the show, holding English to one hit over the second through fifth innings and then surviving a sixth where the Bulldogs made three very loud outs.

"Kyle was mixing up his curveball and fastball very well," Caponigro said. "He really had us off balance and guessing."

The Rams also had a chance to add some insurance runs in the sixth as Kyle Devin doubled and went to third on Terry Finnigan's one-out single. But Hill dug deep and got the next two batters to set up the crazy finish.

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Classical's Kyle Devin swings with Beverly's Joe Wioncek behind the plate at Cooney Field in Beverly on Monday. (ITEM PHOTO / REBA M. SALDANHA)

Classical baseball keeps tourney hopes alive with late rally

By Matthew Roy / For The Item

BEVERLY -- The Lynn Classical baseball team came to Cooney Field on Monday knowing full well there was no wiggle room if it wanted to remain alive for a state tournament berth.

Needing to win their final four games, the Rams were down to their final three outs against Beverly, trailing 4-1 and facing a pitcher in Kyle Johnson that had shut them down most of the game. But a 2-run homer from John Finnigan got Classical going and the Rams later took advantage of two critical errors to plate five runs and steal away a 6-4 win from the Panthers.


"I've said it so many times, but this team works so hard and doesn't give up," Classical coach Mike Zukowski said. "We can't lose if we want to get in and they played like they want to be there."

Johnson had breezed relatively harmlessly through the first six innings, striking out nine and walking none while holding Classical to five hits.

The seventh, though, started on an ominous note as Buddy Ford was hit by a pitch. Johnson got the next batter before No. 9 hitter Finnigan made it a game when he blasted a 2-run homer over the left field fence to cut the lead to 4-3.

"Johnny came up from the JV's seven or eight games ago and has been swinging the bat very well," Zukowski said. "And that was a good at-bat. He waited for a pitch he could handle and drove it like we practice."

Wilfredo Feliz followed with a single to right, knocking Johnson from the game. Chris Mitchell took over on the mound.

Kyle Gauthier reached when a routine fly ball in center was dropped to open the door for the Rams a little more. Mitchell got Eddie Terrero on a popup for the second out before Ellido Reyes doubled down the line in left to tie the game at 4-4.

Kyle Devin then reached when his grounder to second was thrown away, scoring Reyes and Gauthier to make it 6-4, Classical.

Greg Rybak, who was brilliant in relief of Tyler Gauthier, took the mound and worked around an Ethan Trowt single by getting Austin Butler to ground into a game-ending double play to short.

"Greg came in and was huge for us," Zukowski said. "He stepped up and just threw strikes and we made the plays behind him we needed to."

Classical (7-10) grabbed a 1-0 lead in the first as Feliz led off the game with a double and scored on Terrero's one-out double. Beverly rallied in the bottom of the second, scoring a pair of unearned runs on two Classical errors.

An inning later, Rybak made his lone mistake of the game and Trowt planted it over the centerfield fence to increase the Panther lead to 3-1 as Johnson was settling into a groove.

Classical loaded the bases with no outs in the fifth before Johnson struck out Tyler Gauthier and Joe Scuzzarella. Terry Finnigan was then called out for interfering with Johnson when the two collided as the Beverly pitcher was chasing a popup in foul ground.

The Panthers added a run in the fifth when Trowt doubled and scored on a Joe Wioncek single.

Salem 6, Classical 3

At Fraser Field, the Witches (10-6, 9-5 Northeastern Conference) qualified for the state tournament. Sean Linehan went the distance, striking out six and not walking a batter. He was also 2-for-3 with three RBI. Raphy Medrando went 3-for-4 with 2 RBI.

The Rams (6-10) scored all three of their runs in the sixth inning with Eddie Terrero driving in Wilfredo Feliz on a sacrifice. Kyle Devin tripled in Kyle Gauthier (single) and then scored on a single by Tyler Gauthier. Ryan Powers took the loss with Greg Rybak going the final three innings.
 

Tyler Gauthier spins a gem as Classical baseball beats Peabody

By Gordon Vincent / For The Item

LYNN -- A few more wins like this one, and the Lynn Classical baseball team will be using the "t" word - tournament - for real.

In his first complete game since undergoing arm surgery, Tyler Gauthier allowed just three hits and one earned run as the Rams defeated Peabody, 3-2, Friday night, at Fraser Field.

Classical (5-8) has won four of its last five and needs to go 5-2 the rest of the way to earn what seemed two weeks ago an unlikely spot in the post-season.

"If we play the way we played tonight, we can absolutely make the tournament," Classical coach Mike Zukowski.

The Rams got all their offense in the first inning on a walk and three straight hits, including a single from Ellido Reyes that drove in two runs and another single from Kyle Devin that drove in the other.

After that, Peabody pitcher Ryan McCarthy was nearly untouchable, allowing just two hits the rest of the way and setting down 12 in a row at one point.

But the story of the game was Gauthier, whose fastball hit 86 mph and had to pitch around two errors that put runners in scoring position and a booming double by Peter Sucharewicz that made the score 3-2 in the fifth.

"This one stings a bit," Peabody coach Mark Bettencourt said. "We had opportunities, but you have to give their pitcher credit. He bowed his neck and made great pitches when he needed to."

The Tanners (10-4) broke on top in the first inning when Andrew Bucci reached on a 2-base error, went to third on a sacrifice by Jim Leavitt and scored on a one-out single up the middle by Bob Losanno.

The Rams roared right back with three in the bottom of the first. With one out, Kyle Gauthier drew a 4-pitch walk and went to third on a single by Eddie Terrero, with Terrero taking second on the throw to third.

Peabody drew in its infield for Reyes, who hit a sharp grounder that broke off Bucci's glove at shortstop and went into shallow left field to score both runners.

"That was a tough break," Bettencourt said. "That's a play we usually make, but the turf is a little bit faster and we're not used to it."

Reyes went to second when Peabody had trouble picking up the ball in left field, and Devin hit the first pitch he saw to center to drive in the third run of the inning.

The Tanners squandered a leadoff single in the second from Ramses Vittini when they couldn't execute a sacrifice bunt, and another attempt at small ball in the third backfired when they couldn't get down a suicide squeeze.

"I'll take the hit for the squeeze," Bettencourt said. "I was trying to make something happen; get their pitcher out of his rythm, and it didn't work."

While McCarthy was mowing down Classical in the middle innings, Peabody drew closer when Derrik Pereira drew a leadoff walk in the fifth and scored when Sucharewicz's double one-hopped the fence in center.

In the sixth, Joe Gruntkowski reached on a 2-base error with one out, but Gauthier induced a flyout to end the inning and then retired the side in order in the seventh, though both Sucharewicz and Wes Sanders put up good fights before going down.

"Tyler was just tremendous tonight," Zukowski said. "He did a nice job of mixing in his off-speed stuff with his fastball. That's a very good (Peabody) team over there and he battled all night long."

Gloucester 7, Classical 2

At Lynn, Tyler Gauthier knocked in a run and scored a run for the Rams (4-8). Wilfredo Feliz knocked him in, and Kyle Gauthier scored the other run.

Classical 15, Swampscott 9

At Swampscott, the Rams (4-7) won their third in a row as Kyle Devin and Tyler Gauthier each went 4-for-5 with a homer and three RBI. John Finnegan also had a homer as the Rams pounded out 18 hits.

"It's nice to see the hard work start to pay off," Classical coach Mike Zukowski said. "We're very happy."

Kyle Gauthier went the distance for Classical, allowing five earned runs in the win. Swampscott (2-10) got three hits and two RBI from Mike Walsh. Alex Patkin and Matt Barbuzzi each had two hits and two RBI in the loss.

Classical baseball ekes out a win in eight innings

By Gordon Vincent / For The Item

Classical 6, Saugus 2

At Lynn, the Rams (2-7) had a power surge, as freshman Kyle Devin hit two homeruns and Tyler Gauthier hit one shot. Wilfredo Feliz hit an RBI single. Ellido Reyes and Ryan Powers both scored a run.

Greg Rybak went the distance and allowed two runs on four hits, while striking out three and walking three. Rybak was the winning pitcher for both Classical wins.
 

Danvers 6, Classical 1

At Fraser Field in Lynn, the Rams (1-7) played perhaps their best game of the season but it wasn't enough to overcome the brilliant pitching of Danvers (6-3) ace Greg Ladd. The senior struck out nine, walked one and allowed only four hits to get his fifth win of the season.

Classical broke on top in the third when Steve Smith reached on an error and later scored on Joe Scuzzarella's base hit. Danvers came right back in the fourth with a quartet of runs to assume the lead for good.

Falcon shortstop Kyle Larson was 3-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI. Scott Hovey was 2-for-3 with two RBI; Mike Harris and D.J. Yost each went 2-for-3. Classical freshman Kyle Devin was 2-for-3; Tyler Gauthier had the other Ram hit.
 

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Marblehead 12, Classical 9

At Seaside Park in Marblehead , Classical ran out to a 7-1 lead after five innings before the Magicians (4-4) scored 10 times on eight hits in the fifth to grab the lead and win.

Colton Dana was 2-for-3 with two RBI and Flynn McCormack was 1-for-2 with two RBI for the Magicians. Dan Colbert got the win in relief with Evan Comeau picking up the save.

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Classical's Eddie Terrero, right, and English's Gabe Smith cross paths at home plate at Fraser Field on Thursday. (ITEM PHOTO / REBA M. SALDANHA) English baseball rolls to shutout win over Classical By Matthew Roy / For The Item LYNN -- With a wind gusting to over 35 mph blowing directly into Fraser Field on Thursday, it was most definitely a pitcher's day as Lynn Classical and Lynn English met for the first time this season. With the gusts playing havoc on any ball hit in the air, ground balls were at a premium and English starter Sam Hill took full advantage. Hill held Classical to four hits while the Bulldog offense saw seven different players get hits en route to a 12-0 win. "Sam did an outstanding job," English coach Joe Caponigro said. "We had him at only 99 pitches. He threw very well and definitely was the story." Across the diamond, it was a different story for the Rams as the middle innings proved to be their undoing on Thursday. It was in those three innings where the Bulldogs scored nine times to break the game open. "Joe does such a great job over there with those guys," Classical coach Mike Zukowski said. "But you can't win when you don't hit and we only got four hits." Neither team could score in the opening two innings before the Bulldogs (5-1) got the bats going in the third with a one-out double from Ben Bowden. A fielder's choice erased Bowden at third before Junior Santos reached on an infield single that scored Gabe Smith for a 1-0 lead. Classical starter Greg Rybak then got Dani Vincente to ground to second but the ball was booted to extend the inning. The error proved costly as Roberto Reyes followed with a walk that preceded a 2-run single from Brian Maynard that upped the gap to 3-0. "Hitting is kind of contagious and we started to hit the ball (against Revere)," Caponigro said. "It was good to see that continue in this game." Hill had to work around a nervous moment in the Classical half of the third when the wind played havoc with Eddie Terrero's fly to center, resulting in an error and a runner on second. That threat died, though, when Ellido Reyes popped back to the mound. English added to its lead in the fourth when Brendan Carritte led off with a triple and scored when Pat Cullen reached on an error. Hill also had settled down nicely, allowing two hits over the first four innings. The Bulldogs put any doubts about the outcome away in the fifth by sending 11 batters to the plate, knocking Rybak from the game and scoring five times. Santos walked to lead off and went to third on Vincente's double. Reyes then doubled to left, scoring both runners to make it 6-0. After a strikeout, Eric Bransfield walked and Carritte singled home pinch runner Matt Merritt for a 7-0 lead that knocked Rybak out in favor of Tyler Gauthier. Pat Cullen drew a walk and Bowden drilled a 2-run single to center for a commanding 9-0 lead. "They hit the ball hard and put it in play," Zukowski said. Tensions momentarily increased in the sixth when Terrero was hit by a pitch and took a long glance out to the mound while heading down to first base. Gauthier followed with a base hit before Hill struck out the next three batters to end that threat. English added three runs in the seventh on a Reyes sac fly and a 2-run triple from Maynard that closed the scoring.

 Beverly 16, Classical 6

At Fraser Field, the Rams (1-4) led 3-0 after one and were in a 6-6 tie after three innings before the Panthers (4-2) exploded for seven fourth-inning runs.

Kyle Devin had a pair of doubles and drove in three runs for Classical. Jason Fraher and Kyle Gauthier also drove in runs for the Rams.

Chris Mitchell and Ethan Trowt each drove home four runs for Beverly. Austin Butler had two hits, including a homer, along with Joe Wioncek

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Classical Baseball falls to Salem

By Matt Roy / For The Item

Bizarre ending foils a Classical comeback

By Steve Krause / The Daily Item

But Kyle Devin singled, and Justin Hart walked, with both moving up on a wild pitch. Joe Scuzzarella reached on an error, with Devin scoring and Hart moving to third.

With leadoff hitter Wilfredo Feliz up, Classical tried a double steal, designed to confuse Chiarelli and Revere and, with any luck, get Hart home with the tying run.

Instead, Hart was picked off third to end the game.

"We tried something, and it didn't work," Zukowski said. "That's all there really is to say. We hoped he'd balk, or throw wildly, or something."

Pitcher Greg Ryback deserved better as the Rams made two errors (and could have easily been charged with another one) in the first, allowing four Revere runners to score. The big hit was a two-run single by No. 8 hitter Russ Gordon (the bottom third of the order knocked in four runs and scored two).

Classical got a run back in the bottom of the first when Tyler Gauthier knocked in his brother, Kyle, with a base hit. But Revere was back with two more in the third on a single by Dale Paradise, and back-to-back doubles by Paul Norton and Gordon.

Classical was handcuffed throughout the middle innings by Chiarelli's assortment of off-speed pitches. However, the Rams finally got to Chiarelli in the fifth inning, scoring four runs. They got RBI from Eddie Terrero, Ryback, Reyes and Devin. It could have been more, too, but Revere second baseman Nick DiMare made a nice diving play on Devin's grounder. A run scored, but it could have been more.

But Chris Adreani's home run in the top of the seventh that made it 7-5 proved to be crucial, considering how the game ended.

"I thought Jonathan pitched real well," said Revere coach Joe Ranno, whose team moved to 2-1. "He has a nice little curve, and he kept their kids off balance with it.

"We hit the ball well today too," he said. "I think we're coming around."

 Classical falls to Peabody in pitcher's duel

By Mario DiNitto / For The Item

Returning Classical High School varsity baseball player Tyler Gauthier works with coach Mike Zukowski during tryouts. (ITEM PHOTO / REBA SALDANHA)

Zukowski hopeful for continued progress at Classical

By Rich Tenorio / The Daily Item

Spring forward, fall back, runs the Daylight Savings Time maxim, and Lynn Classical baseball coach Mike Zukowski hopes his Rams will continue to spring forward.

Two years ago, Classical finished 5-15 in Zukowski's rookie season as Classical head coach. The 2009 Rams won two more games to post a 7-13 record.

"I want to build on that," Zukowski said. "We have talent."

This year's Rams also have experience, starting with senior co-captains Ellido Reyes and Tyler Gauthier, who both headlined Zukowski's list of key returning players. Reyes will start at third base for the third year (a position he is "solid" at, his coach said), while Gauthier will pitch and play first base. Last season, Gauthier played first, but a shoulder injury prevented him from pitching.

Gauthier is one of five returning varsity pitchers. Rounding out the list are classmates Ryan Powers (who is also a shortstop), Justin Hart (a reliever), junior Greg Rybak (a "very valuable" utilityman when not on the mound, his coach said) and sophomore Kyle Gauthier (who plays second and short as well, and is Tyler's brother).

With so much depth at the position, Zukowski characterized it as a strength of his team. He characterized Tyler Gauthier as a power pitcher, whereas Rybak, Powers and Kyle Gauthier have a style that is more "ground ball, pop fly, let's-get-the-outs, keep-our-fielders-in-the-game," Zukowski said.

Of his pitchers' velocity, the coach said, "I can't tell you how fast, but they throw pretty hard." However, he reminded, "It's not about how hard you throw."

Catcher Eddie Terrero, who is also a returning senior, will set up behind the plate for the pitching staff, while fellow veteran classmate Terry Finnigan will vie for the position of second base.

Hitting-wise, Zukowski liked what he saw from Tech transfer Wilfredo Feliz at practice on Tuesday. (The coach is unsure what position Feliz will play.) Terrero and Tyler Gauthier will probably bat in the middle of the order, while "Reyes will have to play a big role at the plate for us," his coach said. Terrero and Rybak each have some power, with both players hitting several home runs for the Rams last season.

Zukowski does need to fill his outfield spots, as the previous season's edition -- Mike Gallo in left, Brian Kolodziej in center, and Wilson Mercado in right -- have all graduated.

"It's kind of up in the air right now," the coach said. "It's still really between a handful of guys."

He will have just under a month to make personnel decisions, as the Rams start their season on April 14 in a non-leaguer with Georgetown. The Rams and Royals have played the last two seasons. Two days later, Classical opens Northeastern Conference play against Peabody.

If the coach is looking for signs of progress, the weather can serve as a metaphor. Monday's rain kept the Rams indoors all day, but on Tuesday the clouds departed enough for the team to practice outside, albeit in a parking lot.

"The dirt's still a little muddy," Zukowski said. "The cement was fine." Referring to the conditions, he added, "You don't need too much to throw a ball."

About 65 players came out on Monday and Tuesday to do just that. The Rams have 22 freshmen on the team (one of them, Kyle Devin, drew praise from the coach) and just under 20 sophomores.

The coaching staff includes varsity assistant Jeff Waldron (who is also the manager of the North Shore Navigators), JV coach D.J. McNulty and freshman coach Wayne Marabito.

Zukowski's expectations, he said, are "to compete. To be in every single game. I told them, 'We've got to practice hard, every day.' We set short-term goals. Our number-one goal is to get 10 wins and a tournament (spot)."

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2009 Season

All-Star Wilson Mercado brought in two runs at The NEC Baseball All-Star Game.

Classical Baseball Rides Balanced Offense Past Georgetown

Richie Amias of English tags Brian Kolodziej of Classical out at second at Fraser Field on Wednesday. (ITEM PHOTO / OWEN O'ROURKE)

English Baseball Team Overpowers Classical - Will Meet Again in Tournament

By Steve Krause / The Daily Item

It was a game for three innings, but English erupted for seven runs in the top of the fourth, and it happened in lightning-like fashion.

After Classical starter Kyle Gauthier got the first out, the next eight Bulldogs reached base. It started harmlessly enough when Jonathan Surette reached on an infield single and Roberto Reyes walked. Brian Maynard singled to load the bases, Arias' infield hit made it 1-0, and Dani Vicente knocked home two more with a single, as did Brendan Carritte, and it was 5-0. Bransfield took care of the next two with a towering home run over the fence in right.

Arias, Vicente and Carritte knocked in runs in a three-run fifth to make it 10-0, and then the Bulldogs scored six more -- five of them unearned -- in the sixth. Bransfield knocked in three of them with his second homer -- a line drive over the right-field fence.

"That kid ..." said Zukowski. "The ball must have looked (extremely) big to him. We couldn't do anything with him."

The annual Nipper Clancy Tournament begins Sunday (4) with St. Mary's facing North Reading. The Bulldogs and Rams meet in the nightcap at 7.

Item Roundup

Peabody 9, Classical 2

At Peabody, the Tanners' (15-5, 13-2 NEC) Jared Shields, Marc Finocchio, Tommy Ciulla and Ryan English all went 2-for-3. Peter Sucharewicz hit a two-run home run. Mark Linehan bettered his personal record to 6-0 on the season. He allowed two runs on five hits over six innings, striking out seven, while walking two.
 

Rams Hang Tough in Win over Salem

Beverly 9, Classical 1

At Beverly, Peter Kallas bettered his personal record to 3-0 for the Panthers (14-2). He scattered five hits and struck out seven. He added two hits at the plate. Eddie Brown went 3-for-3 with two runs scored and an RBI. Joe Wioncek went 3-for-5 with a pair of RBI.

"They do everything right and that's why they win games," Rams coach Mike Zukowski said. "Dave (Wilbur) is an unbelievable coach."

Tyler Gauthier hit an RBI single, which scored Wilson Mercado for the Rams' (4-10) lone run.
 

Classical's Tyler Gauthier applies the tag to Revere's Chris Mastropietro Monday in Lynn. Mastropietro went 4-for-5, but Classical won 8-7. (ITEM PHOTO / REBA M. SALDANHA)

Classical Gets Walk-off Win over Revere

By Matthew Roy / For The Item, May 12, 2009

LYNN -- The Lynn Classical baseball team finally got a one-run game to go its way on Monday at Fraser Field.

After suffering a handful of heartbreaking losses this season, the Rams turned the tables and won a close game as Wilson Mercado's single in the bottom of the seventh scored Brian Kolodziej with the winning run in an 8-7 win over Revere.



"We finally got a one-run game to go our way," Classical coach Mike Zukowski said. "Wilson came up huge a couple of times for us (Monday)."

After being held without a hit for the first 3 2/3 innings, Classical exploded for 10 hits and its eight runs over the final 4 1/3 innings.

"I told the seniors before the game that we're in the stretch now and that if we want to do anything, there's no room for error," Zukowski said.

Despite the offensive explosion in the final innings, Classical still was in a 7-7 tie heading to the bottom of the seventh.

Kolodziej led things off with a sharp single to left. T.J. Bartlett then laid down a sacrifice bunt to put the winning run in scoring position for Mercado.

Down 1-2 in the count, Mercado lofted a ball just over the head of second baseman Jonathan Chiarelli and into right to plate Kolodziej with the winning run.

"There isn't anybody else I'd want up in that situation than Wilson," Zukowski said. "When the game is on the line, he steps up."

Revere (3-12) jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the third against Classical starter Wade Barber as Jay Sasso doubled and Chris Adreani singled. Leadoff batter Chris Mastropietro then reached on an infield single, part of a 4-for-5 afternoon, to score Sasso for a 1-0 lead.

Following a Nick DiMare single, the Rams committed a pair of errors, allowing two more runs to cross.

DiMare started for Revere on the mound and breezed through the first three innings, retiring all nine men he faced. He then got the first two batters in the fourth before hitting Mercado to extend the inning.

Tyler Gauthier followed with Classical's first hit, a single to left. Catcher Greg Rybak then tied the game with one swing as he launched a towering homer to left-center.

"Down 3-0, that was the hit that was a momentum-changer and got us going," Zukowski said. "We showed up in the fourth inning and started playing baseball."

The game didn't stay tied long as Revere went back in front against reliever Justin Hart in the fourth when designated hitter Brendan Carter belted a 2-run homer with two outs to make it 5-3, Patriots.

Classical then worked a little two-out magic of its own in the bottom of the fifth. With Christian Gonzalez on first following a single, DiMare got the next two batters before Kolodziej singled to cut the lead to 5-4.

Bartlett followed with a base hit before Mercado tripled up the gap in right-center, giving Classical its first lead at 6-5.

It was Revere's turn to respond and it did in the top of the sixth as Adreani walked and Mastropietro doubled. The duo were retired once combined in the game.

Brian Robichaud's sacrifice fly to right scored Adreani to tie the game before Dom Terenzi doubled to deep center for a 7-6 lead.

Classical fought back in the bottom of the sixth as Rybak doubled, went to third on Ryan Powers' infield single and scored when DiMare was called for a balk on a stolen base attempt from Powers.

Item Roundup

Marblehead 5, Classical 2

At Seaside Park in Marblehead, Dan Comeau's two-run double with two out in the bottom of the sixth broke a 2-2 tie and made a winner out of Eric Steen, who needed only 76 pitches to go the distance on the mound.

"We got a lot of two out hits and that was big," Marblehead (7-6, 7-3 NEC) coach Jason Tarasuik said. "And Eric stepped up and pitched great."

Comeau finished the game 3-for-4 with three RBI while Brandon Lee was 3-for-3 with a run scored. Evan Comeau also drove in a run for Marblehead.

Classical (3-9) got a double and an RBI from Wilson Mercado and an RBI double by Eddie Terrero in a 2-run sixth inning that tied the game.

Classical Wins Thriller over Danvers

By Matthew Roy / For The Item, 5/7/09

Gloucester 4, Classical 1

At Gloucester, sophomore Greg Rybak hit his second homer of the season for the Rams (2-8). Wade Barber pitched four strong innings.

Classical  Earns Win Over Winthrop

Swampscott Slips past Classical

Hunter Gordon led Swampscott past Classical 2-1 in a pitching duel.

"We'll take a 2-1 win any day," Big Blue coach T.J. Baril said.

Gordon went all seven innings, allowing six hits, while striking out nine to pick up the win. Freshman Kyle Gauthier was his counterpart and he pitched an equally good game.

"(Gauthier) pitched a heck of a game," said Baril. "He got ahead of all of our batters. He was very good."

Steve Moran hit a home run in the first inning to give Swampscott (4-4, 4-3 NEC) a 1-0 lead. Mike Gillis scored the second Swampscott run on an error in the fourth.

Lynn Classical's Ryan Powers takes a swing as Saugus' Tyler Calla holds out his glove on Monday at Fraser Field. (ITEM PHOTO / REBA M. SALDANHA)

Saugus  Outlasts  Classical in Exciting Game

By Steve Krause / The Daily Item, April 28, 2009

LYNN -- Saugus baseball coach Pat Petrone couldn't have done a better job putting Monday's lineup together if he'd used a set of blueprints and specs instead of a scorecard.

His top three hitters -- Craig Cole, Ryan Bateman and Dave Ferreira -- were on base nine times, scored four runs, and knocked in six.

Small wonder, then, that the Sachems inched their record closer to the .500 mark at Fraser Field with an 8-5 win over Classical that was probably a little too thrilling for Petrone.

Click here for a photo gallery.

"Wow," he said, after Classical scored four seventh-inning runs to turn a rout into a seat-squirmer.

"Had 'em all the way," he said with a smile.

Saugus has had injury issues with pitchers, so Petrone really wanted to get a complete game out of Mike Silva. And he did. It's just that Silva, who was practically unhittable in the middle innings, ran out of gas at the beginning of the seventh innings and limped home.

That isn't to take anything away from him. From the time Classical scored its first run (in the third inning) to the time there were two outs in the sixth, Silva didn't allow a base runner. And when he finally did, catcher Tyler Calla threw out T.J. Bartlett (who had walked) on an attempted steal.

Saugus, meanwhile, kept pounding away at Classical pitchers Greg Rybak and Justin Hart. And between the hitting, and a crucial Ram fielding lapse, Saugus got three extra runs in the top of the seventh to stretch a 5-1 lead to 8-1 -- which turned out to be a huge factor in the bottom of the inning as Classical tried to come back.

"I give them credit for not quitting," said coach Mike Zukowski, "but once again, same old story. We're in the game, and then it gets away from us. And it really hurt today, as you saw."

Saugus had a quick 2-0 lead after two innings thanks to the top third of the order -- all onetime members of the 2003 Saugus American Little League World Series team. Cole led off the game with a walk, stole second, and scored on Ferreira's single (Ferreira was thrown out trying for two when the throw home was cut off).

An inning later, Cole was at it again, this time dumping a single into short right field that scored third baseman Vincent Talutto (who had two hits and made two great plays in the field).

"People said coming in that the left side of our infield was an Achilles heel," said Petrone. "Not anymore. Not with Cole at short and this kid at third."

Classical got one back in the third when Brian Kolodziej doubled and scored on Eddie Terreiro's base hit. Silva then shut the Rams down totally until the seventh.

Meanwhile, Saugus kept adding to the lead. The Sachems got three in the fourth inning despite a bizarre instance where Ty Kennedy led off with a double and then actually went back to second on Talutto's booming single to right (the Sachems thinking the ball had been caught when it actually bounced off Wilson Mercado's glove; third base coach Frank Serino marveled that Mercado even caught up to the ball "since I thought it was way over his head").

So, instead of a run in and a runner at second, Saugus had first and second, none out. It looked as if Saugus would pay dearly for the confusion when Rybak retired the next two hitters (the runners moving up on Mark Sacco's groundout to the pitcher's mound). But, again, Cole and Bateman got back-to-back hits, each knocking in a run; and Ferreira scored Cole on a base hit of his own.

The Sachems got their final three runs in the seventh, in part, because the home plate umpire ruled that catcher Terreiro didn't touch home plate on an attempted force out, allowing Bateman to score. Ferreira and Tyler Calla came home on Talutto's single.

Silva ran into all kinds of trouble in the bottom of the seventh with two out and two on, hitting Kolodziej to load the bases, and then giving up run-scoring singles to Bartlett, Mercado and Terreiro before getting Tyler Gauthier out on a hard smash back to the mound.

Peabody's Late-inning Explosion Upends Baseball Team

By Matthew Roy / For The Item, April 23, 2009

LYNN -- For four innings, things were going perfectly for the Lynn Classical baseball team, as the Rams were leading Peabody 5-3 on Wednesday at Fraser Field. Unfortunately for the Rams, the Tanners had three innings remaining.

And in those three innings, Peabody's offense exploded for 12 runs and 14 hits to turn that 5-3 deficit into a comfortable 15-5 win.

"For four innings we hit the ball hard and they were making the plays," Peabody coach Mark Bettencourt said. "But we've got a lot of guys swinging hot sticks right now and they came through."

The problem for Classical came from the fact that the top three hitters in the Peabody lineup -- Brad Piza, Marc Finocchio and Tom Ciulla -- made life miserable for the Rams. The three combined to go 6-for-9 with four RBI and nine runs scored.

"Peabody is a good team and they hit the ball hard," Classical coach Mike Zukowski said. "I think we were just a little too relaxed in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings. We let up too much."

The scoring began early as Peabody (5-3) pushed a pair of unearned runs across against Rams starter Greg Rybak in the top of the first.

Piza walked to begin the game and promptly stole second. Finocchio then laid down a bunt that was thrown away, putting runners on the corners. An errant pickoff throw ensued and Piza scored to give Peabody the lead.

Rybak got the next two batters before Joey Gruntkosky hit an RBI single -- the first Tanner hit of the day - to score Finocchio to make it 2-0.

Classical's response was emphatic in the bottom of the first when T.J. Bartlett singled with one out and then Eddie Terrero blasted a 2-run homer over the left-field fence with two down to tie the game at 2-2.

The Rams pushed in front in the second when third baseman Ellido Reyes led off the inning with a mammoth homer to left-center to make it 3-2. Rybak followed with a triple to center, and he scored on Christian Gonzalez' sacrifice fly to center.

Peabody cut the gap to 4-3 in the third when Gruntkosky singled home Finocchio, who had walked and moved to third on a stolen base and an error. The Rams got that run back in the fifth to go back in front by two when Rybak singled and later scored on Brian Kolodziej's base hit.

The Tanners then found the mark in the fifth, sending 10 men to the plate in pounding out six runs on seven hits and two errors.

Andrew Bucci reached on an error to start the onslaught. Piza followed with a double and Finocchio's base hit plated Bucci to make it 5-4. Ciulla followed with a hit to tie the game at 5-5 before Gruntkoski drove in two more runs on a base hit that gave Peabody a 7-5 lead.

Mark Linehan and Ramses Vittini followed with base hits before Jared Shields' 2-run single scored both Linehan and Vittini to give Peabody a 9-5 lead.

"We finally got some balls to go through in the fifth," Bettencourt said. "We had been getting good swings before that, but they were making the plays."

Pat Dumas replaced Gruntkosky on the mound for Peabody and proceeded to shut the door on Classical. The Tanners' relief ace didn't allow a hit over the final three innings, striking out four.

Peabody put the game out of reach in the sixth, scoring four more times on five hits. Finocchio, Ciulla, Ryan English and Vittini all drove in runs in the sixth. Pinch hitter Tom Linnane closed the scoring when he ripped a 2-run homer in the seventh for Peabody.

Classical's Ellido Reyes ducks away from a pitch as Beverly's Joe Wioncek reaches up to catch it. Beverly won 7-1. (ITEM PHOTO / REBA M. SALDANHA)

Beverly's Timely Hitting Dooms Classical

By Matthew Roy / For The Item, April 16, 2009

BEVERLY -- The third inning was the Waterloo of the Classical baseball team on Wednesday as Rams starter Ryan Powers watched Beverly spray the ball all over Cooney Park.

The Panthers broke a scoreless tie with five runs in that third inning. That was more than enough for Matt Lanza, who shut down the Rams en route to a 7-1 win.

"Matt was very efficient and pounded the strike zone," Beverly coach Dave Wilbur said. "And we got some timely hits, too, which was a good combination."

Lanza scattered six hits, striking out nine and walking none to drop Classical to 1-2.

"(Lanza) kept us off balance, and that one inning was tough," Classical coach Mike Zukowski said.

Lanza and Powers put zeroes on the scoreboard through the first two and a half innings before the Panthers exploded in the third.

Frankie Messina singled and Steve Dubois walked to begin the inning. After Lanza struck out, Andy Brown laced a single to left that scored Messina for a 1-0 lead.

Mark Theriault followed with a single. Catcher Joe Wioncek then laced a double to right, plating Dubois and Brown to make it 3-0. Two more runs would score on a Peter Kallas single and a sacrifice fly from Austin Butler.

Classical got a run back in the top of the fourth as Wilson Mercado led off with a double and scored when Tyler Gauthier's single to right was booted. The Panthers, though, responded with two runs of their own thanks to a Brown RBI single and an error on a Wioncek grounder to short.

That would be all the offense Lanza needed as he shut down Classical the rest of the way, finishing his complete-game outing with a game-ending double play in the seventh.

Saugus 9, Classical 8
Item Roundup
At World Series Park, Saugus (1-3) picked up its first win thanks to the offense of Ty Kennedy (3-4, three RBI), Tyler Calla (2-4, home run) and David Ferreira (1-3, home run).

Mike Silva pitched a nine-strikeout complete game.

In a back-and-forth contest, Classical (1-1) went ahead 3-2 before trailing 5-3 at the end of the third. The Rams then scored four in the fourth to regain the lead, but the Sachems were undeterred and scored four runs of their own. With Classical eventually leading 8-7, Saugus tied the game at eight in the sixth and scored the winning run in the top half of the seventh on an error.

The Rams' Wilson Mercado went 1-for-2, hit his second home run of the season and scored two runs to go along with a pair of RBI and Eddie Terrero went 2-for-4 with two RBI.

Sophomore Greg Rybak struck out one in his first varsity start.

 

Classical Hits Three Homers in Opening Win over Revere

Item Roundup, Saturday, April 11, 2009

The Lynn Classical baseball team had to wait until Friday to get its season started and the Rams didn't take long to jump in to the waters of the Northeastern Conference.

The Rams belted three home runs and had five players who racked up three hits en route to a 14-9 road win at Revere.

"It was nice just to start playing," Classical coach Mike Zukowski said. "It's been a long preseason and a lot of hard work paid off. The kids were all pumped up."

Classical didn't wait long to get started, ripping off four runs in the top of the first. T.J. Bartlett hit the first of the Rams three homers and Tyler Gauthier added a 2-run triple later in the inning.

The Rams added another run in the third before Revere rallied for three runs to make it 5-3. Classical, though, responded with a three spot of its own in the fourth, led by back-to-back home runs from Wilson Mercado and Eddie Terrero.

Classical put the game out of reach in the fifth, striking for four more runs as Terrero added two more RBIs.

Mercado was 3-for-5 with five RBI, a homer and three runs scored. Bartlett was 3-for-4 and Terrero was 3-for-5 with three runs scored. Gauthier had three hits and three RBI with Ellido Reyes also having three hits.

Wade Barber went five innings to get the win on the mound with Justin Hart throwing two scoreless innings of relief to close it out.

Junior Tyler Gauthier warms up Friday at Classical High baseball practice. (Item Photo / Owen O'Rourke)

Baseball Coach Zukowski Hopeful in Second Year at Classical

By Rich Tenorio / The Daily Item, March 21, 2009

Now that Mike Zukowski has settled into his second year of coaching baseball at Classical, he anticipates a somewhat smoother season.

"We were putting a new system in place," Zukowski said of the 2008 Rams, who went 5-15. "We were building from the ground up. Now we're a little more acquainted with each other. The kids know what to expect. So far, so good."

The Rams begin the season on April 10 at Revere in a 4 p.m. game. In between now and then, Zukowski has scheduled several scrimmages, including two against Cambridge and one against St. Mary's.

During the regular season, Lynn baseball aficionados will have a chance to watch Classical coaches past and present match wits. Zukowski's predecessor on O'Callaghan Way, Jim Tgettis, has returned to coaching, only now he's at Salem High.

"It's a good opportunity for him to get back into coaching," Zukowski said.

When the regular season begins, it sounds like Classical will bring a bit more experienced squad to the ballpark. The coach is looking for leadership from his co-captains, seniors Brian Kolodziej and Wilson Mercado.

"They were learning the new system last year and adapted to it," Zukowski said. "Now they'll be able to pass it on to the younger kids."

Mercado, a Northeastern Conference/North all-star last year, and Kolodziej comprise two-thirds of a veteran outfield, with Kolodziej in center and Mercado in right. Both are returning starters. Completing the triumvirate is fellow senior Mike Gallo in left. Gallo also saw some time in left last season.

"That's one of my bigger strengths," Zukowski said of his all-senior outfield. "I know for a fact they'll be out in the outfield." As for the ground they will patrol at Fraser Field, he said, "Fraser's a big field. It gives them a lot of room to roam and track down fly balls. All three can run pretty well. They'll be able to get to most balls."

In other areas of the game, however, concerns remain. While Zukowski returns his number-two pitcher from 2008, junior Tyler Gauthier (who also plays first base), the coach seeks to fill out the rotation.

"We have to find some pitchers to step up," he said. "We have five guys that pitched on JV that are going to have to step up and throw strikes."

Who will be receiving those strikes, and who will be fielding ground balls up the middle, are apparently yet to be determined. The team lost its catcher from last year, Bobby Adams, who graduated. And while Zukowski said there are "a few guys working hard" in the middle infield, he also said, "I'm not quite sure who'll play where." (Numbers might help: Sixty-five players came out for tryouts on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. And the coach does have more experience at the hot corner, as junior Ellido Reyes returns to play third.)

There is reason to hope that a little more seasoning will result in more wins. Last year, the team closed its season with a victory over English in the consolation of the Clancy Tournament.

"We knew what we're capable of," Zukowski said. "Hard work was put in all season. We were in five other one-run games last year." However, he added, "I'm not making excuses."

So Zukowski, his players, and his assistants -- Jeff Waldron, D.J. McNulty, Wayne Marabito, and the coach's younger brother Scott Zukowski, all of whom prompted Mike Zukowski to say, "I can't praise them enough, how well they've been doing and all their hard work and dedication" -- get ready to embark upon another venture.

-------------------------------------------

2008 Season

Win over Classical puts English Baseball in State Tourney

By Steve Krause / The Daily Item, May 21, 2008 

LYNN -- English baseball coach Joe Caponigro freely admits he never expected that his team would be going to the state tournament this year. But after last night's 6-3 win over Classical at Fraser Field, that's where the Bulldogs are.

"I never would have expected us to be here," he said after the tourney-clinching win. "I'm so proud of the kids. We're been playing much better, we're hitting better, and we deserve it."

At 10-7 (9-6 Northeastern Conference/North), the Bulldogs can rest easy now (emotionally, anyway) heading into the postseason. They have Peabody today (4 p.m.) and the Clancy Tournament over the weekend.

On the other side of the field, Classical (4-13) played a much tighter, and more competitive game than it did a month ago when English won, 10-0.

"We've improved every game," said first-year coach Mike Zukowski. "After that first game, we played in some pretty tight ballgames. We've learned how to battle."

The biggest battler last night, though, was Kyle Moore, who went all the way (fighting through a visibly empty gas tank in the seventh inning). He's been a real find for Caponigro, as he's won four games and saved another.

"I don't know how he does it," Caponigro joked. "I guess he pounds the strike zone with that off-speed stuff he has. I'm really proud of him."

English didn't exactly tear the cover off the ball against Classical's Felipe Barahona, but the Dogs did nibble him.

"I like that kid," said Caponigro. "He gives it all he has."

"He's battled for me," agreed Zukowski.

English scored single runs in the first four innings before putting two up in the fifth. In the first, with two out, Jonathan Santalises tripled to left-center and scored on Roberto Reyes' single.

An inning later, Sam Hill doubled to left, went to third on Brendan Carritte's single, and came home on a balk (one of two charged to Classical, both resulting in runs).

The Rams tied it in the third. With one out, T.J. Bartlett doubled for Classical's first hit and scored on a triple by Randy Pichardo. Dan Richards followed with a single to left, scoring Pichardo.

Classical had absolutely no success against Moore after that until the last inning, by which time it was too little, too late. English, meanwhile, went ahead in the third on Reyes' walk, a single by Jonathan Surette, and an error. The Dogs got a run in the fourth when Hill doubled, stopped at third on Carritte's single, and scored on the second Classical balk of the night.

English finished the scoring in the fifth when Eric Bransfield hooked one to right field for a triple and scored on Gabe Smith's grounder to short. Smith, who reached on an error, came home on a second Classical error on a ground ball hit by Hill.

"I have to tip my hat to Classical," Caponigro said. "They've improved tremendously since the first time we played them. I think Mike has done an excellent job."

Tanners Win Mound Duel over Classical

By Matthew Roy / For The Item, May 20, 2008

LYNN -- Facing one of the most explosive offenses in the Northeastern Conference, Classical's Luis Castillo pitched brilliantly. The problem? Peabody's Kevin Skop was simply marvelous.

The Tanner lefty held Classical to two hits while striking out nine as he outdueled Castillo, 2-0, on Monday at a very windy and cold Fraser Field.

"Thank god we pitched and played defense because Castillo did a heck of a job," Peabody coach Mark Bettencourt said. "He kept us off balance and mixed it up well and we never really adjusted."

Across the diamond, Classical coach Mike Zukowski could only shake his head after his team played one of its better games of the season and got nothing to show for it.

"That's our season in a nutshell," Zukowski said. "Luis pitched a great game and he kept us in the whole game. It was a pitchers duel and they got their two and it was a battle from there on."

A day after facing Tewksbury and hard-throwing Jonathan Wallace, the Tanners (13-5, 11-4 NEC) offense couldn't be blamed for struggling. But it did enough in the first inning to give Skop some wiggle room.

Gary Girolamo singled to center on the second pitch of the game and then stole second. Castillo got Danny Mello on a flyball before walking Skop.

James Noftle followed with a grounder to short that should have ended the inning, but the Rams couldn't turn two. A heads up Girolamo came all the way around on the play to make it 1-0.

Patrick Yeo was then hit by a pitch and Jared Shields followed with a base hit that scored Noftle to make it 2-0.

Skop got into a groove early on the mound, retiring the first six Rams batters that he faced.

"Anytime that Kevin throws when there's wind, he's tough to hit," Bettencourt said. "He gets great movement without the wind and he was able to keep the hitters off balance (Monday)."

In the third, Classical finally got a runner on base as Shawn Cushman bunted past the mound for a hit. But that threat quickly went by the boards when T.J. Bartlett sacrificed him to second. In the confusion of base coverage, centerfielder Yeo snuck into second and tagged Cushman out off a Noftle throw.

"That play Pat made was huge. We always tell our outfielders to get involved on bunt plays," Bettencourt said.

After that, the pitchers took over.

Castillo retired 15-of-16 batters over the second through sixth innings while Skop got 12-of-13 in the same span.

Classical (4-12) had a chance to tie in the seventh when Skop issued his first walk of the game to Randy Pichardo to lead things off. But he got Wilson Mercado, Castillo and Felipe Barahona to end things.

"We've improved in every game and the bummer is that you'd like to see them get a win after playing like that," Zukowski said.

Lucky 13 Powers Salem over Classical

Wilson Mercado was 3-for-3 with an RBI and Luis Castillo went 2-for-3 with an RBI for Classical (4-11).

Leathersich's 16 Strikeouts Lead Beverly Past Rams By Matthew Roy / For The Item, May 14, 2008 No moment on Wednesday epitomized the way the season has gone for the Classical baseball team than what happened in the bottom of the seventh inning against Beverly. Trailing 4-3, Dan Richard stole second base but overslid the bag and was tagged out by Sam Cohen. Panther pitcher Jack Leathersich then struck out Brian Kolodziej for his 16th whiff of the game to seal the 4-3 Beverly win and the team's sixth tourney berth in seven years. "Danny just went too far on the slide," Classical coach Mike Zukowski said. "There was just no luck there." Leathersich, who improved to 5-1, was on his game most of the way as his 16 strikeouts increased his total to 88 for the season. But he had to survive Randy Pichardo's 2-run homer in the seventh to get the win. "Classical is a tough, gritty team," Beverly coach Dave Wilbur said. "Jack really stepped it up (Wednesday). He gets the big hit and was so tough with men on base. He really bears down at that point." Across the diamond, Tyler Gauthier was just as good as Leathersich on the mound. For the second time this season, he kept the Panthers in check but got nothing to show for it, finishing with seven strikeouts and two earned runs. "Tyler threw very well. He got ahead in counts and his curveball was on," Zukowski said. "Both pitchers threw well." Beverly (10-7, 7-6 Northeastern Conference) opened the scoring in the third. One-out walks to Frank Messina and Andy Brown preceded a Conor Walsh fielder's choice, which retired Messina at third. A double steal moved the runners up for Leathersich, who tattooed a single up the middle to give Beverly a 2-0 lead. The Rams (4-10) got one back in the bottom of the inning when Richard walked and stole second with one out. Wilson Mercado's two-out single cut the gap to 2-1. Beverly struck for an unearned run in the fourth. Joe Wioncek reached on catcher's interference and looked to be scoring easily on Chris Freni's double to the right-field corner. But Richard's relay throw to Bobby Adams was on the money for the out. Gauthier then struck out Cohen and got Brian Skerry to ground to third, but the throw was wide of the mark, scoring Freni. Leathersich then began to settle into a groove, striking out the side in the second, third and fourth innings. He then dodged trouble in the fifth, stranding Richard at third with his 12th strikeout. The Panthers tacked on what turned out to be an important run in the seventh when Cohen singled and took second on a botched pickoff attempt. Skerry then hit a one-hop double to the fence in left to make it 4-1. That run proved to be big as Leathersich plunked Gauthier and gave up the homer to Pichardo before surviving. "You've got to give Classical a lot of credit. It's always a tough game against them," Wilbur said. The improvements to Fraser Field in time for the start of the North Shore Navigators season continued on Wednesday as the new scoreboard was installed in centerfield and worked to perfection when tested over the final four innings.

Classical's Luis Castillo Spearheads Ram Victory over Revere

By Christian Mielcarek / For The Item

Rams Make Coach Zukowski's Special Day Complete

from the Daily Item, May 8, 2008

By the time Classical head coach Mike Zukowski came to Fraser Field on Thursday, it had already been a day to remember.

Zukowski's wife gave birth to the couple's first child, a daughter, at 11:30 p.m. on Tuesday night. After spending most of the night with the newest addition to the family, Zukowski went home and got about two hours of sleep before heading to the park.

Once he got there, Zukowski watched his team put together one of its best performances of the season.

Felipe Barahona pitched outstandingly, striking out 10 and holding Marblehead to five hits while the Rams used a 3-run third inning to break a 2-2 tie and take a 5-2 win over the Magicians.

"That was a pretty good end to a special day," Zukowski said. "After a loss like we had the other night (10-1 to Danvers), it was nice to come back with the win."

The win came in comeback fashion as Classical (3-9) spotted the Magicians (4-8) a 2-0 lead in the top of the first thanks to a wild pitch and Andy Glabicky's triple.

The Rams charged right back in the bottom of the first as Dan Richard and Brian Kolodziej singled. Richard then scored on the back end of a double steal before Luis Castillo drove home Kolodziej to tie the game.

Classical then took the lead for good in the second, scoring three times with two outs thanks to three Marblehead errors.

Shawn Cushman reached on an error and moved to third on a steal and a fly ball. With two outs, Kolodziej reached on an error to score Cushman.

Wilson Mercado and Castillo followed with RBI singles to extend the lead to 5-2. And with Barahona on cruise control, the lead stayed there.

In the seventh, Marblehead loaded the bases, but Barahona got Glabicky to hit into a fielder's choice to end the game.

Danvers 10, Classical 1

At Twi Field in Danvers, the Falcons (9-2) trailed 1-0 after Wilson Mercado's solo homer in the first, but rallied for three runs in the second and six in the third. John Gikas drove home three runs for Danvers. Bobby Dean had two hits and an RBI; Tom Marini had a hit and an RBI.

Gloucester 8, Classical 5 (8 innings)

At Fraser Field, the Rams (2-8) were an out away from victory but Taylor Curley's single scored Zach Kendall to tie the game. The Fishermen (5-6) then got three runs off Luis Castillo in the eighth to take the win.

Castillo was 3-for-4 at the plate with two runs while Ellido Reyes was 2-for-4 with two RBI. Connor Ressel was 3-for-5 with two RBI and two runs for Gloucester.

Winthrop 6, Classical 5

At Winthrop, the Vikings walked off with a victory against the Rams in a back-and-forth contest that ended on two wild pitches which allowed Will Milano to score the game-winning run.

After Classical tied the game at 5 in the top of the seventh, Milano doubled to begin his team's half. With Matt Moore at the plate, one wild pitch moved Milano to third and a second gave Winthrop (9-2) the win.

Rob Swanson, who pitched three innings against Beverly on Thursday, started the game for the Vikings and pitched "five strong innings" according to his coach Frank DeMarco.

Moore entered in the sixth and pitched the final two innings to improve his record to 6-0 on the season. Along with possessing two thirds of his team's wins, the center fielder and pitcher is batting .580 on the year.

Baseball Team Strikes Back    from the Daily Item

Last Monday, the Classical baseball team experienced its own version of the Patriots Day Massacre at the hands of Saugus thanks to a 10-0 blanking at Fraser Field.

On Thursday at World Series Park, it looked like the Rams were going to go 0-fer in terms of runs against Saugus as they trailed 3-0 with just four outs remaining in the game.

Then lightning struck.

Classical rallied for two runs in the sixth and then got a 2-run single from Dan Richard with two outs in the seventh against Sachems starter Harry Rocheville to take a 4-3 win.

"These guys wanted this one and I'm proud of them," Classical coach Mike Zukowski said.

Tyler Gauthier took the brunt of the runs in the first loss to Saugus, but did yeoman's work on Thursday, holding the Sachems off the board except for the swings of Dave Ferreira.

The Saugus shortstop was 2-for-4 with two long home runs, giving him three against Classical this season, and three RBI.

In the sixth, Brian Kolodziej and Luis Castillo were aboard with two outs. Felipe Barahona singled home Brian Kolozetski to make it 3-1 before pinch-runner Shawn Cushman scored on the back half of a delayed steal to cut the gap to one.

In the seventh, Gauthier singled and was sacrificed to second. With two outs, Josh Horgan singled to put runners at first and third. Following a stolen base, Richard singled home both men on a 2-2 pitch.

English's Eric Bransfield tries unsuccessfully to tag Classical's Brian Kolodziej on his way back to first base during yesterday's game at Fraser Field. ITEM PHOTO / OWEN O'ROURKE

English Baseball  Beats Classical

By Steve Krause / The Daily Item, April 27, 2008

LYNN -- English drew first blood yesterday in the battle of Lynn baseball with a 10-0 victory over Classical as Bulldog pitcher Kyle Moore silenced the Ram bats while his counterpart, Felippe Barahona, surely deserved a better fate.

Both pitchers threw well through six innings at Fraser Field, but it was still a ballgame going into the top of the seventh until Barahona tired and allowed English to tack on six runs onto what had been a 4-0 lead.

"Our guy pitched a great game," said English's Joe Caponigro. "He's 2-0, and the only runs he's allowed have been unearned.

"We finally strung some hits together, and we made some plays, which we haven't been doing," he said.

As for Classical, "I'm looking some guys who will battle," said first-year coach Mike Zukowski.

"(Barahona) battled," he said. "He was still throwing well in the sixth inning. He had a fast inning, and we asked if he could give us one more, and he said he could.

"Otherwise," Zukowski said, "there isn't much to say about this one. Their guy pitched very well."

English scored all the runs it would need in the top of the fourth. Jonathan Santelisis led off with a double to center on a ball that fell between the center and right fielders, and, after stealing third, he scored on Eric Bransfield's single to right.

From there, things deteriorated for Classical. Alex Fiste followed with a single and, after Angelo Codisporti popped out, Anthony Ortiz grounded into a fielder's choice. However, Gabe Smith reached on an error on what would have been the third out, and Estaban Paula followed with a tower fly ball to right that fell just behind Classical left fielder Josh Horgan for a three-base hit and three RBI.

Barahona kept English quiet after that until the seventh. But the problem is that Moore baffled the Rams all day long with his assortment of soft stuff.

The wheels fell off the wagon for Classical in the seventh as Barahona walked five batters and all of them scored. Ortiz had a two-run single, and Smith and Roberto Reyes also knocked in runs.

English (4-3) is back in action Monday at home against Marblehead while Classical, 1-5, travels to Saugus.

Former Classical Coach Tgettis Hospitalized

By Joyce Erekson / The Daily Item, 4/24/08

Peabody 10, Classical 0                        4/24/08

At Peabody, Kevin Skop and Patrick Doumas combined on a two-hit shutout of the Rams (1-4). Skop started the game, working five innings and walking one, striking out six, and allowing the two hits. Doumas went the last two innings, walking one and fanning one.

Six Peabody players had two hits, including James Noftle with a triple and a single, Josh Band with two doubles, and Jared Shields with two doubles. All nine Peabody batters had at least one hit, while eight different batters knocked in at least one run, including Dan Mello, Gary Girolamo, and Pat Yeo.

Saugus 10, Classical 0                         4/22/08

At Fraser Field, the Rams' Tyler Gauthier struck out five of the first six Saugus (4-3) batters who stepped to the plate and ten in five innings but was outdueled by Mike Silva's complete-game, ten-strikeout shutout for the victorious Sachems.

Silva gave up five hits while walking one and was 1-2 at the plate with two runs scored and two RBI.

"This was his best game of the year," said Saugus coach Pat Petrone. "Silva is a huge part of our team. He already has three home runs, 13 RBI and plays a pretty good outfield. He's also done a very good job pitching."

The Sachems pounded out 13 hits, highlighted by Dave Ferriera (two-run homer, 2-3, three runs scored), Tyler Calla (2-3, two runs scored) and John Moore (2-3, run).

Nine Saugus batters had hits and the visitors scored three in the third, four in the fifth and three in the sixth.

"They got really solid hits. That part of our order has been very strong. (They) probably have about 50 percent of our production this season," Petrone said.

Gauthier pitched five innings for Classical (1-3) and allowed seven runs. Five Ram hitters had one hit apiece.

Classical's Dan Richard avoids a collision with Salem's Mack Ryan Friday during a game between the two teams at Fraser Field. ITEM PHOTO / REBA M. SALDANHA Classical Bewitched at Fraser Field By Matthew Roy / For The Item, April 19, 2008 LYNN -- Let's just say that the Classical-Salem baseball game at Fraser Field on Friday wasn't a thing of beauty. With five errors, countless base running blunders and several misplayed balls, you'd wonder if anyone was going to win. Fortunately for the Witches, they brought their bats to Fraser. Salem pounded out 15 hits and scored in every inning but one en route to a 12-4 victory. "It was just a bizarre game," Salem coach Mike Ward said. "But obviously we brought the bats. We swang them well and we were due to break out offensively." All but one player (Scott Sadoway) got a hit for Salem, who also had eight different players drive home runs. T.J. Larivee led the offensive charge, going 3-for-4 with two RBI. Aiden Church and Colby Boulay also drove home a pair of runs. "Salem is a strong team and they hit the ball well," Classical coach Mike Zukowski said. "Their pitcher (Justin Williams) threw strikes and the did everything right." Salem (3-2) didn't waste a lot of time in getting its offense going as it struck early agaisnst Rams starter Wade Barber. Dan Reddy led off with a single and moved to second on a passed ball. With one out, Larivee ripped a single that brought Reddy around. Aiden Church and Harry Noone followed with a single and a walk that loaded the bases. Larivee then committed the first of the several base running blunders when he was picked off third by Barber for the second out. But Boulay delivered the other two runs when he singled sharply to make it 3-0. The Witches were at it again in the second, knocking Barber out. Beau Theriault tripled to left-center and scored on Mack Ryan's base hit to make it 4-0. A walk to Reddy was the end of Barber's outing as he was replaced by Luis Castillo, who immediately got a double play ball and a ground out to end the inning. Classical (1-2) got that run back in a crazy way in the bottom of the inning. Williams got the first two batters in the inning before Ellido Reyes singled. Following a passed ball, Reyes was at second for Greg Rybak. The Rams catcher hit a moon shot pop-up to the left of the mound. Williams was there, but was called off by third baseman Church. But he missed the ball, allowing Reyes to cross the plate. "Our defense was solid for the exception of two pop-ups," Ward said. "And those were made by a kid who normally would have those in his back pocket." Salem got that run right back in the fourth off the bat of Noone, who lauched a towering homer over the left field fence. Classical's response came in the form of a Wilson Mercado double that scored Dan Richard to make it 5-2. After a scoreless fourth, the Witches put more distance between themselves and Classical with single runs in the fifth and sixth innings. Larivee drove home his second run in the fifth with a single and Matt Payne made it 7-2 with a cue shot base hit in the sixth. Williams, meanwhile, was cruising right along, holding Classical to only four hits over five innings of work. "Justin pitched well and he threw strikes," Ward said. "He kept us in the game." Salem put the game on ice in the seventh, scoring five times on five hits and a walk. Classical would add two runs in the bottom of the seventh against reliever Matt Bertone.

Classical's Luis Castillo dominated Revere, throwing a one-hitter at Fraser Field on Monday. The Rams won the game, 2-0. (ITEM PHOTO / REBA M. SALDANHA)

Castillo Brilliant in Opening Classical Win

By Matthew Roy / For The Item, April 15, 2008

LYNN -- The Classical baseball team was the last in the Northeastern Conference to take the field when it began its season on Monday.

After sitting and watching their contemporaries for over a week, you couldn't blame the Rams if they were a little antsy. Well, Luis Castillo put those nerves to rest.

Castillo was simply dominant on Monday at Fraser Field, striking out nine and allowing only a fourth-inning single to Revere's Chris Mastropietro in a 2-0 win over the Patriots.

"Luis kept his numbers down in terms of pitches and threw strong," Classical coach Mike Zukowski said. "He kept their kids off-balance. It really was a very solid performance."

Castillo was very efficient in his 80-pitch outing. He struck out six over the first three innings and was able to work out of mini-jams in each of the final four innings, where Revere put runners in scoring position each time.

"Our defense played solid," Zukowski said. "Revere came out and held their own. After the first inning, it was a battle."

For the Patriots, who fell to 0-3, it was a case of not being able to get a big hit at the right time. The lack of offense wasted a superb performance on the mound from Matt Robichaud, who scattered five hits with six strikeouts in six innings.

"We just can't buy a hit," Revere coach Joe Ranno said. "(Matt) pitched a great game and you couldn't ask for anything more. But their kid also pitched great."

The Rams got all the offense they needed in the bottom of the first inning.

Leadoff batter Brian Kolodziej reached on an infield single and moved up 90 feet when George Winer's  throw  was wide of the mark to first.

Robichaud got the next batter before Kolodziej moved to third on a groundout. But a wild pitch with Tyler Gauthier at the dish brought Kolodziej home with the game's first run.

Gauthier then walked and headed to third on a Castillo single to right. Zukowski then literally stole a run as Castillo got caught in a rundown at first, allowing Gauthier to make it 2-0 after one.

"For the leadoff hitter to come around and score was huge. And then to score on the pull-up steal was great," Zukowski said.

Castillo then proceeded to begin mowing down the Revere lineup, working a perfect second and stranding two in the third.

In the fourth, Chris Mastropietro got the Patriots' first hit when he ripped a high fastball for a single to center. But that threat went by the boards when Castillo retired the next three batters to end the inning.

In the bottom of the inning, Classical had a chance to break the game wide open. Singles from Wilson Mercado, Castillo and Ellido Reyes loaded the bases with one out, but Robichaud got Shawn Cushman swinging and Bobby Adams on a fielder's choice to end the inning.

Revere would knock on the door again in the seventh when Steve Merullo drew a one-out walk. But Castillo got Brian Robichaud and pinch-hitter Nick Dimare on grounders to Reyes at third to polish off the one-hit gem.

"Zuke" Returns to his Alma Mater as Classical Baseball Coach

By Steve Krause,  The Daily Item, March 19, 2008 

LYNN -- Like all kids with long, complicated names, Mike Zukowski has gone through life with his shortened to a more manageable "Zuke."

Just as "Yaz" fits better in a headline than "Yastrzemski," "Zuke" is much easier to build a headline around than "Zukowski."

He's been "Zuke" since his days in Pine Hill Little League, just as every other Zukowski who has gone through the system -- and there have been lots of them -- eventually wound up with the shortened name, too.

This year, "Zuke" returns to his old stomping grounds -- Lynn Classical High School. And he's taking over for the man who coached him in his senior year at Classical -- Jim Tgettis.

"It feels great to be back here," said Zukowski, a 1996 graduate, who wound up his playing career at Classical being robbed of extra bases (and RBI) by Bishop Fenwick's Paul Morais in the North sectional semifinals. Zukowski scorched one down the first-base line, and Morais "just turned his glove the right way and came up with it."

"And (Tgettis) is a legend," Zukowski said. "He's right up there with Frank Carey. I feel like I have some big shoes to fill."

Zukowski, who played for former Winthrop coach Barry Rosen at Merrimack College, began coaching after he graduated, hooking on as an assistant with Masconomet and Peter Delani.

"He taught me a lot," said Zukowski. "You think you know a lot coming out of college, but most of my learning came as an assistant coach with Pete. After a few years with him, I decided I wanted to be a head coach. The opportunity here came up. The job was opened, and I went for it."

Now that he's at Classical, he'll have his work cut out for him. Last year's senior-laden squad (by Zukowski's estimation, 11 of them graduated) just missed making the MIAA tournament, and of that group, he has only three returnees: Luis Castillo, second baseman Danny Richards, and outfielder Wilson Mercado. Of the three, Castillo will definitely be counted upon to pitch, but otherwise, it'll be a whole new staff of moundsmen.

"That," says Zukowski, "and we have to find six more position players. Everyone here is working hard, but at this point, everything's up in the air."

After only two days, Zukowski is reluctant to talk about anyone other than his three returnees ("they look very good," he says).

"Two nights is not enough to do much evaluating," he said. "You have to see them all hit, throw, field ... you have to give them the opportunity to show you what they can do."

At this point, he can't even define the team.

"If you have a lot of quick, fast kids, then you have to use what you have to your advantage," he said. "But if you have kids who can hit the ball into the gaps, and move runners around that way, you have to use that to your advantage, too."

Zukowski isn't worried about finding kids who can play. He's had about 60 kids come out for tryouts these first two days.

"There will be a handful of kids who have real talent, and another handful who are on the fence, and still another handful who will be role players," he said. "We'll figure it all out,"

Helping Zukowski do the figuring will Jeff Waldron, who caught in both the Red Sox and Arizona Diamondbacks organizations. He'll work with the catchers as well as assist Zukowski with the day-to-day coaching. Also on board are D.J. McNulty (junior varsity) and Wayne Maribito (freshmen).

Like just about every other coach around, Zukowski would love to get outside as soon as possible.

"It won't be (today) because the weather doesn't look good," he said. "But I'd like to get outside next week."

"All we can do until then," he says, "is keep evaluating talent."

Zukowski Names Former Teammate Waldron as Assistant Baseball Coach

Courtesy of the Lynn Journal

Mike Zukowksi and Jeff Waldron have enjoyed a lot of success in their own baseball careers. They were Northeastern Conference All-Stars and teammates on an 18-2 Lynn Classical team that made it all the way to the Division 2 North finals.
Zukowski, a 6-foot-2-inch outfielder and pitcher, went on to play four seasons under coach Barry Rosen at Merrimack College where he became the team captain. Waldron, a 6-foot-1-inch catcher, played four seasons at Boston College, where he was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals and the Boston Red Sox in his junior and senior years. He played eight years of professional baseball, reaching the Triple-A level.
“I turned down the Cardinals, but that was the year they signed J.D. Drew for a ton of money [an estimated $9 million bonus] so they had nothing left for me,” Waldron said kiddingly.   
Now the two Classical graduates have been reunited at the top of the Classical baseball program, Zukowski as the new head coach and Waldron as an assistant coach.
“I’m happy to be reunited with Jeff,” said Zukowski. “Coming into the job, I had a good idea that I wanted Jeff on my staff. We had talked during the application process and I was 95 percent sure that I was going to ask Jeff to be an assistant coach.”
Zukowski remembers his days at Classical when he was on the mound and Waldron was behind the plate.
“He was absolutely the best catcher I ever had,” said Zukowski. “I knew that he was going to get drafted and play professional baseball. When we played Stoneham, they had [New York Yankees draft pick] Steve Fisher on the mound and no one was hitting him, but Jeff was all over him, ripping doubles to the gap. Right there, you could tell that Jeff was a special talent.”
Two years ago, Waldron was a freshman baseball at Classical but returned to school to pursue his master’s degree at UMass/Boston. He is a teacher at Breed Middle School.
“I’m happy to back coaching – I’m excited,” said the 31-year-old Waldron. “I think they chose a great guy in Mike and he’ll do a good job. I’m happy to go along with him. He knows what he’s doing. He and I played together in high school and for the Brickyard in the North Shore league. Mike was a very good ballplayer. He’s a smart kid and he’ll be a smart coach.”
Zukowski is looking forward to meeting his players and making plans for the 2008 season.
“I’m excited for the opportunity and I’m excited to meet the players,” said Zukowski, “It’s going to be a building process. I have to lay the groundwork and we have to build upon that. I can’t wait to get started.”
Zukowski, 28, was an assistant baseball coach at Masconomet Regional High School in Boxford for six seasons. A 2000 graduate of Merrimack with a degree in sociology and a minor in education, he is in his eighth year as a teacher at the Career Development Center in Lynn. He is pursuing his master’s degree at Cambridge College.
Classical Athletic Director Bill Devin, who played college baseball at North Adams State College (now Mass. College for Liberal Arts) and professional baseball in Italy, is happy to have two Lynn Classical graduates and experienced baseball men on board.
“I think we have a winning team with our coaches,” said Devin. “Mike was a captain of his college team and is a Merrimack graduate. We have another fine coach in Jeff, who played at BC and in professional baseball. They both have extensive knowledge in baseball. They’re great role models and they’re both teachers in the Lynn Public School System.”

Zukowski Named New Classical Baseball Coach

By Joyce Erekson/The Daily Item, Wednesday, October 24, 2007 

LYNN -- Mike Zukowski will wear the Classical green again when he returns as the new baseball coach.

The 1996 Classical grad will replace Jim Tgettis, who resigned in June. Zukowski, a teacher at the Career Development Center in Lynn, pitched for the Rams. He also played four years at Merrimack under coach Barry Rosen. He was a captain his senior year.

"He's a teacher in the Lynn public school system and he's also an assistant varsity girls soccer coach (at Classical) with Marcy Durgin," said AD Bill Devin Tuesday. "He's very well thought of, very organize. He came in with a fantastic presentation, with goals and objectives lined up. He's a fine coach. He's young, energetic and enthusiastic."

Zukowski said he looking forward to the new job.

"I'm excited about the opportunity. I'm excited to meet the returning players, lay the groundwork and get things going," Zukowski said.

Zukowski played for Tgettis his senior year at Classical and prior to that, former coach Dick Maag. Zukowski said his most memorable year playing high school bases was a junior, when the team reached the North final against Stoneham. That was the year Maag had to step down due to health problems and Benji Johns came in to coach. Among Zukowski's teammates that year were Jim Magner, Brian Richardson and Jeff Waldron, who coached the Classical freshman team two years ago. Tgettis took over the program the following year (1996).

Although this is his first head coaching job, Zukowski spent six years as a varsity assistant coach at Masconomet under Pete Delani. Zukowski said he has an idea on who his assistants will be, but wasn't ready to announce anything along those lines just yet.

Classical Baseball Coach Position has 12 Applicants

Wednesday, October 17, 2007,  from The Daily Item of Lynn

LYNN -- The search for a new Classical High baseball coach will kick into high gear over the course of the next week or so.

Athletic Director Bill Devin said there are 12 applicants for the job. He and Classical High principal Warren White will begin going through the applications and a committee will be assembled to provide input. Devin said a new coach could be in place sometime next week. The position opened up last spring when Jim Tgettis resigned from the job.

When the job opened up, Classical assistant Derek Dana was mentioned as a possible successor to Tgettis, but the St. Mary's baseball job opened and Dana, a graduate of the school, was hired to replace Bill Norcross.

Filling the baseball job isn't the only thing on the Classical High athletic director's plate. With the pending retirement Penny Pension early next month, Devin will also have to launch a search for a boys tennis coach and a new girls tennis coach. Pension coached both teams, but with girls tennis moving to the spring (the same time the boys play), her loss results in two job openings.

Devin will also be busy dealing with the lacrosse team due to its merger with English. Although Classical had healthy numbers last spring, English was in danger of not being able to field a team this year and as a result, the two teams will be merged and a new coach appointed. Chris Simbliaris is the current Classical coach and Kevin Driscoll coached the Bulldogs.

Devin said the lacrosse merger will be handle in much the same way as the hockey merger between Classical and English. The team will take a new name and get new uniforms.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Baseball 2007

Classical Baseball Coach Tgettis Steps Down        

By Steve Krause / The Daily Item, June 26th, 2007

"I've had the pedal down for a long time."

Tgettis, a member of the Classical Hall of Fame, said he wanted to stay at the school long enough to amass 200 victories.

"To my knowledge," he said, "nobody's ever done that here. I thought that it would be quite an achievement. But I got a bit too personal in my goals."

He leaves having fallen short of that goal, he said, but he has no regrets.

---------------------------------------------------------------

Exciting and High-Scoring Games, but Classical Doesn't End up Winners

 In first-round action Sunday, St. Mary's outlasted Classical, 14-10, and, in the process, qualified for the state tournament.

Trailing 10-8 entering the top of the sixth, St. Mary's put together a three-run two-out rally to take the lead. Outfielder Jackie Bartlett (4-for-4) walked, stole second, and scored on Anthony DiSciscio's pinch single. Kasabuski reached on an infield single, with pinch-runner Marc Lemenger scoring on an error. Kasabuski came home on a wild pitch.

The first few innings resembled a track meet, with six runs crossing the plate in the first, and seven more in the second. Classical trailed 8-7 going into its half of the third, but pushed three across for a 10-8 cushion.

Pitcher Gauthier drilled a leadoff double, and was replaced by pinch-runner Brian Kolodziej. Second baseman Dan Richard then singled, and right fielder Wilson Mercado followed with an opposite-field single of his own to left. Kolodziej scored easily from third, and Richard went home on the throw to tie the game. Mercado scored on another infield grounder.
Spartans clinch a postseason spot with a wild and crazy 14-10 win over Classical (pushing the Rams, who had beaten Gloucester earlier in the day, to the brink of elimination).

English pushed Classical over the cliff in the Clancy consolation game, taking an equally wild 10-6 win over the Rams.

In the consolation, the top of the Bulldog batting order carried the day. Chris Cole had three hits and a walk, and scored four runs; Eric Bransfield knocked in three; and Jairo Valdez knocked in four, including a three-run homer to right in the seventh (his second such homer against the Rams this year).

"It was a nice way to end the season," coach Joe Caponigro said. "And the future looks pretty good here. We have a lot of good young talent coming up."

The Rams, 9-11, fell behind 3-0 but rallied in the third, sending 10 batters to the plate in taking a 6-3 lead. Bryant Gauthier knocked home two of the runs with a single to center.

"I'm disappointed we didn't make the tournament," coach Jim Tgettis said. "But we had a good group of kids, and I told them that there's more to a season than making the tournament. We learned a lot and experienced a lot."

Classical Baseball Emerges Victorious vs. English

By Steve Krause / The Daily Item, 5/24/07                        

Classical's Anthony Ortiz, left, showcases his sliding skills as he dives past English's Eric Bransfield on Wednesday at Fraser Field. (ITEM PHOTO / REBA M. SALDANHA)

The night simply belonged to Classical. After English starter Dariel Pimentel got out of the first inning unscathed, he wasn't so fortunate in the second and third.

With one out in the second, the Rams sandwiched an infield hit by Sean Walleston around walks to Gauthier and Danny Richards. Wilson Mercado's infield hit (Pimentel tried to backhand it, but it kicked out of his glove) made it 1-0, and Anthony Ortiz's double knocked in two more runs. Mercado came home with the fourth run on a squeeze bunt by Mike Chakoutis.

The third inning wasn't any kinder for the Bulldogs. Matt Church led off by reaching third on an error. After Sean Fitzgerald walked, Gauthier knocked home Church with a base hit, and Walleston scored another run on a single.

A fielder's choice by Mercado brought home Gauthier, Walleston came home on Ortiz's single, and Chakoutis reached on an error that allowed Ortiz to score.

At Fraser Field, Luis Castillo threw a two-hitter to get his first varsity win as the Rams (7-9) got a much-needed win.

Matt Church had a pair of hits, two RBI and two runs scored to lead Classical. Dan Richard had a pair of hits and an RBI with Lymbel Guerrero picking up his 22nd RBI of the year.

Baseball Update 5/19/07 Danvers 10, Classical 2 At Fraser Field, the Falcons (14-2) scored eight times in the first inning and cruised from there. Bob Deane  drove home three runs,  with Steve Blanchette, Jeff Eldridge, Eric Oxford and Chris Perry all having single RBI. Matt Church and Lymbel Guerrero had two hits each for the Rams (6-8), with Church driving home  both Classical runs.

Classical's Bryant Gauthier and Swampscott's Dan Nellhaus collide at home plate Monday in Swampscott. (ITEM PHOTO / REBA M. SALDANHA)

Back-to-Back-to-Back Homers Power Classical Baseball Past Swampscott

By Steve Krause / The Daily Item, Tuesday, May 15, 2007

SWAMPSCOTT -- We'd already seen it once this year -- on a Sunday night when the Red Sox played the New York Yankees.

And we almost saw it again Monday night ... albeit on a much smaller stage.

Manny Ramirez, J.D. Drew, Mike Lowell and Jason Varitek hit four straight homers -- all off the same Yankee pitcher -- last month. The feat was generally considered a once-in-a-generation thing.

Classical came one homer short of duplicating the feat last night, however, during its 6-2 victory over Swampscott (an upset in and of itself).

The Rams hit three straight out of the Swampscott baseball field -- and all of them practically in the same location. The Rams had already built up a 3-0 lead off Swampscott starter Justin Mitchell, who had retired the first two Rams in the fifth. Matt Church parked one over the fence in right-center. After him came Sean Fitzgerald, who belted one that cleared the fence with ease.

After that homer, Swampscott manager T.J. Baril replaced Mitchell with John Beaulieu, and pitcher Bryant Gauther, helping out his cause immeasurably, scorched one in almost the same location.

It was up to Sean Walleston to play the role of Varitek, but Beaulieu spoiled the script by grounding out to second.

While it was nice -- the homer barrage -- none of it mattered to Classical coach Jim Tgettis as much as the win did ... especially the fact that it came off the first-place team in the league.

"This is, obviously, our best game of the year," said Tgettis. "I told them afterward that they'd always had it in them.

"So now," he said. "No more losing. Let's use this as a springboard to get into the tournament."

That's not going to be easy. The win only lifted Classical's record to 6-8, which means the Rams will have to pretty much be spot-on the rest of the way ... and do it against Gloucester and Danvers (a game that's been moved to Thursday) this week.

Classical came out swinging in the top of the first. Anthony Ortiz led off with a single, and Dan Richard followed with another base hit. Lymbel Guerrero knocked home Ortiz with a single, but Swampscott got a break when Mitchell snared Church's stinging line drive and doubled off Guerrero at first.

Gauthier protected that lead gingerly, walking two batters in the bottom of the first before getting Gordon Hunter to ground into a force play at third.

From then on, Gauthier stayed out of trouble, but trouble kind of hung around waiting for a chance. In the second, he gave up a leadoff single to Mitchell, but his defense bailed him out when the pitcher tried to go to third, and got caught, on Phill Witt's sacrifice.

After a 1-2-3 third, Gauthier gave up a one-out single to John Hicks and a double to Gordon. However, Mitchell's liner to right (caught by Wilson Mercado) was too shallow for Hicks to tag from third; and Witt grounded out to end the threat.

"This was, by far, Gauthier's best outing," Tgettis said. "He's been our best pitcher all year."

Gauthier gave up six hits and walked four, but got the tough outs when he needed them.

Classical got two more runs in the fourth before its home run barrage sealed the deal. Church doubled to lead off and went to third when Gauthier reached on an error. He scored on Walleston's single to right, and Walleston came home on Mercado's bad-hop single over the shortstop's head.

Swampscott got two in the sixth. With one out, Hicks reached on an error, and Gordon singled him to second (Mike Keeler pinch-ran for him). Mitchell's single scored Hicks and sent Keeler to third. Keeler came home on an infield hit by Witt (the ball drew the first baseman off the bag, but it appeared as if he'd beaten it out anyway).

"Gauthier did a great job," said Baril. "He's been good for them all year.

"We gave them extra outs," said Baril, referring to the errors. "If we hadn't, he (Mitchell) wouldn't have been in the spots he was in."

NOTES: In the correction department, it was erroneously reported Friday that Walleston hurt his leg trying to catch a ball during Thursday's Classical-English game. It was actually Shane Clemens, who tore his anterior cruciate ligament. He was on the bench, with the aid of crutches, for Monday's game.

Classical's Wilson Mercardo makes an acrobatic catch against Swampscott Monday in Swampscott. (ITEM PHOTO / REBA M. SALDANHA)

Classical's Sean Fitzgerald tags out English's Jairo Valdez on his way to first base Thursday at Fraser Field. (ITEM PHOTO / REBA M. SALDANHA)

 English Baseball Gets Past Classical

By Steve Krause / The Daily Item, 5/11/07

Classical reliever Greg Clapp -- who relieved Church in the second inning and held the Bulldogs at bay until the sixth -- got his counterpart David Burke to pop to the catcher for the first out of the sixth. He then walked Sean Coogan and hit Chris Cole (there were five hit batsmen in the game).

Valdez then hit a screaming line drive to right that kept carrying until it cleared the fence.
"The ball seemed to be carrying well out there all night," Tgettis said. "(Lymbel) Guerrero hit one out there for us that their guy caught right at the fence."

Classical couldn't muster up anything in its half of the sixth. With one out in the seventh, Burke hit a long fly ball to left that looked as if it would be the Bulldogs' third home run of the night. But it hit the top of the wall for a triple.

Classical left fielder Sean Walleston came down the wrong way after jumping for the ball and felt his knee pop. An ambulance had to be summoned, and he was taken to Union Hospital. However, Tgettis said Walleston appeared to be all right, "though I don't think he'll be playing anytime soon."
Clapp got out of the one-out jam, and Burke retired the first two Classical batters easily. However, he walked Fitzgerald to put a runner on before Gauthier flied out to end the game.
Burke went the distance for English, even though things got a little dicey for him early in the game. After being staked to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first (thanks to a two-run double by Carlos Baez), Burke walked Mike Chakoutis to lead off the bottom of the inning. Guerrero singled him to second, and Walleston's bunt was misplayed to load the bases.
Chakoutis scored on a wild pitch, but Burke escaped further damage.
Classical scored two more in the second on back-to-back RBI singles by Guerrero and Walleston, but Burke escaped more trouble when his team turned a double play behind him.
"I thought he pitched a gutsy game," said Caponigro, whose team moves to 6-7. "Both teams were a little rocky early, but they settled down until Classical scored in the fifth."
Baez's leadoff homer in the top of the third evened the score at 3-3.
"I'll tell you," Caponigro said, "there's a lot of good players over there (in the Classical dugout) and they have an excellent staff. So it does feel good to beat them."
Tgettis, on the other hand, says he can't get too worried about whether rivalry games mean more than any other games.
"We need wins, period," he said. "And this one, tonight, is a killer."

Classical Varsity Baseball Team 2007

Junior Varsity Baseball Team 2007

Freshman Baseball Team 2007

Plenty of "Fans" in Classical Win

from The Daily Item of Lynn, Thursday, May 10, 2007

The game must have been sponsored by the letter 'K.'

Classical and Marblehead combined for 20 strikeouts Wednesday at Seaside Park. The Rams prevailed 5-3.

Classical starter Bryant Gauthier fanned nine while scattering five hits and allowing two earned runs. Marblehead starter Dan Glabicky countered with 11 strikeouts, five hits, and three earned runs.

Glabicky also paced the Magicians (5-7) at the plate, with a home run and RBI double.

"I told my guys before the game we were going to have to beat Glabicky," said Classical coach Jim Tgettis. "I said he was the guy we had to beat. He really kept Marblehead in the game today."

Classical's Lymbel Guerrero had two hits and an RBI, while Sean Fitzgerald's RBI hit in the third inning scored the Rams' fourth (and ultimately winning) run.

"They are a well-coached team and executed well today," said Marblehead coach Jason Tarasuik.

Revere 5, Classical 2

5/3/07    At Revere, Classical attempted a comeback in the top of the seventh, scoring two runs. However, the effort was short-lived and the Patriots managed to hold on.

In the seventh, Bryant Gauthier got things started with a single. With Josh Horgan pinch-running, Matt Church drove him in with a double. Sean Walleston's second hit of the game was an RBI triple to score Church. After scoring two runs, the rally died out and Revere claimed victory.

Falcons Edge Classical in Epic Baseball Game

By Matthew Roy / For The Daily Item, 5/02/07

For nearly three hours on Tuesday, Danvers and Classical put on a show in one of the best games in the first half of the high school baseball season.

When the dust finally settled at Twi Field, the Falcons got a game-winning sacrifice fly from Matt Michaud in the bottom of the ninth inning for a 3-2 win over the Rams.

"They may not be in our style, but we're finding a way to get wins," Danvers coach Roger Day said.

The Falcons (8-2) hit into three rally-killing double plays, including one with the bases loaded and another when a runner was called out for tagging early on a fly ball.

In the ninth, Tom Marini got things started with a single. Then the comedy of errors started. A failed bunt attempt resulted in Marini taking second on an errant pickoff throw.

A grounder to second sent Marini to third, where he would score on Michaud's sacrifice fly to left.

Eric Oxford got the win in relief of Bob Deane, who struck out 16 and scattered five hits over eight innings. Greg Clapp was the tough-luck loser for Classical, pitching 8.1 strong innings.

"These are the kind of games we need to win," Classical (4-4) coach Jim Tgettis said. "And until we win games like this, we'll flirt with mediocrity."

Danvers led 1-0 through four innings before the Rams took a 2-1 lead in the fifth on Limbel Guerrero's 2-run double with the bases loaded. The Falcons tied the game in the bottom of the inning on an Oxford sacrifice fly that plated Jake Korthas.

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Monday, 4/30/07 - -  - At Fraser Field, Bryant Gauthier went the distance, allowing two hits with 11 strikeouts while going 2-for-2 with two RBI and two runs scored.  Classical (4-1, 3-1 NEC North) took a 6-0 lead through the first two innings.
Limbel Guerrero went 2-for-4 with two triples and an RBI. Sean Fitzgerald was 1-for-3 with an RBI and Matt Church went 2-for-2.

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 Classical Wakes Up , Stops Winthrop

By Matthew Roy / For The Daily Item of Lynn, 4/10/07

Limbel Guerrero had a pair of hits, a run scored and two RBI in the seven-run seventh. Mike Chakoutis also drove home a run in the seventh.

Classical Baseball Sees Increase in Numbers
Classical High baseball coach Jim Tgettis had 83 players show up for the first day of tryouts this week.

"This is the largest group since I've been here," Tgettis said. "It's nice to see, especially given the circumstances surrounding what we've all grown tired of hearing about (the building problems). It's a pleasant surprise."

The Rams are coming off a 9-11 season. They didn't qualify for the state tournament, which is something Tgettis is looking to change this year.

"I felt we were below expectations," Tgettis said. "I thought we would be more like 11-9. I was disappointed we did not make the tournament."

Tgettis said he has six or seven veteran players returning, including shortstop Matt Church, who will also do some pitching; pitcher Greg Clapp; and Brian Gauthier, the Rams' top pitcher last year. Gauthier is a three-year starter who plays first when he's not on the mound.

"I feel like we have a very solid infield," Tgettis said. "That will probably be our strength. We don't have overpowering pitching, but we have some players who can fill in behind Gauthier."

Starting senior catcher Mike Chakoutis is back, as is Sean Fitzgerald, who will be at first when Gauthier is pitching. Senior Sean Walleston was an infielder last year, but he'll be in the outfield this year. Senior Lymbel Guerrero will be at third; Dan Richard, a junior, returns at second base; and Shane Clemens will anchor the outfield in center. Clemens is a senior.

Tgettis said a couple of things are going to have to happen if the team is going to be successful this year.

"We need to have a much more consistent approach to our offense. We had too many punchouts last year. We were striking out 10-11 times in a game. We're not putting a lot of pressure on the other team's defense. We have to create more scoring opportunities," Tgettis said.

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Varsity Baseball Team 2006     Go to Individual Photos

Junior Varsity Baseball Team

Freshmen Baseball Team

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Classical Baseball Team will Begin Preseason Trip      at ESPN

Courtesy of the Lynn Journal, 2/1/06

What better place to start your sports season than at the worldwide leader in sports, ESPN Headquarters in Bristol, Conn.
And that’s where coach Jim Tgettis and his 2006 Lynn Classical High School baseball team will commence their preseason trip south on March 30.
The preseason southern excursion is an annual rite of spring for the Rams but the visit to ESPN is an added highlight, made possible through arrangements by Marcus Tgettis, former UMass baseball standout who has a high-level position at the 24-hour sports and entertainment industry leader. Marcus Tgettis is Jim Tgettis’s son.
Classical will also scrimmage Connecticut powerhouse New Britain High School and then journey to Virginia and Annapolis, Md., where they’ll visit the United States Naval Academy.
“I’m sure the kids will really enjoy a tour of ESPN,” said Jim Tgettis. “They’ll get to see the studio, the plaza, the human resource center. Hopefully, we’ll get to meet some of the ESPN on-air personnel. My personal favorite is Peter Gammons, who is the baseball guru. I certainly enjoy listening to his baseball insight and perception.”
The leaders of the Rams’ twice-weekly conditioning sessions, Wyoma Little League and Greater Lynn Babe Ruth graduates Dave Waldron, Mike Jesoraldo, John Powell, and Andrew Richard, are looking forward to the team’s visit to ESPN.
“ESPN is the station that I watch the most as a teenager so I’m definitely looking forward to touring their headquarters in Connecticut,” said Waldron, who isn’t related to former Classical standout and pro baseball player Jeff Waldron
While crosstown Lynn English is the likely preseason favorite to win the NEC title, Waldron and his teammates think Classical can make a strong run at the crown.
“We have a real, strong group of seniors who have been together since freshman year,” said Waldron, who is applying to Endicott, UMass/Amherst, Quinnipiac, and Franklin Pierce. “The word at Classical that really describes us is ‘Class,’ and that’s really important to us. We have a real hardworking program. We won the conference title in 2003 and hope to get there again.”
Powell, who is ranked third academically in the Class of 2006, is a starting outfielder for the Rams.
“The outlook is very good for the team,” said Powell. “We’ve been working in the weight room in the off-season, and we hope to build on that. I think we can contend for the championship.”
Powell has applied to several schools, including the Ivy League’s Harvard, Brown, and Dartmouth, Tufts, BU, BC, Merrimack, and Northeastern.
Jesoraldo said the side trip to ESPN will make an enjoyable trip even better. “We’ve usually gone to New Jersey on the first day, but to go to ESPN is a real highlight,” said Jesoraldo, who is leaning toward UMass/Lowell, where he hopes to play college baseball. “We’ve met Mr. Tgettis’s son, Marcus, and we’re looking forward to seeing him at ESPN. I’m excited about the baseball season. It was a letdown last year because we didn’t make the tournament, but we’re looking to get back there this year.”
Richard, a pitcher and outfielder, has high hopes for his final season in the program. “We have a good group of kids here, and as long as we play our hardest, we definitely have a chance to have a very successful season,” said Richard, an aspiring business student who has been accepted to Babson, Bentley, and Providence. “The preseason trip we take is a good time for all the guys. It’s like bonding with everybody else. We become more like a family than just a team. We have a great coach. He [Jim Tgettis] is a Hall of Fame coach, and you can’t get much better than that.”

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LCHS BASEBALL 2005

LCHS Baseball  Head Coach:   Jim Tgettis        

 Varsity Site: Fraser Field                      JV: Breed Middle School  

Classical, English make Clancy Final
By Jim Bianchine, For The Daily Item of Lynn, Monday, May 30, 2005

Varsity Team 2005

Junior Varsity Team

Freshman Team

The following young men will represent Lynn Classical High School in Division One Varsity Baseball Competition this 2005 season.

 NAME:                                  YEAR OF GRAD.                 NUMBER                 POSITION
,
DAN RICHARDS                           08                                           8                            2B
MIKE CHAKOUTIS                       07                                          10                         OF-C
GREG CLAPP                                07                                           12                             P
CRAIG MACARELLI                     07                                          44                         OF-DH
SEAN FITZGERALD                      07                                          22                            3B
MATT CHURCH                            07                                            3                           SS-P
DAVE WALDRON                        06                                             9                           OF-P
GEORGE MARTINEZ                   06                                            18                           OF
JOHN POWELL                             06                                            11                            OF
ANDREW RICHARD                    06                                            23                             P
MIKE JESORALDO .                    06                                            24                            1B
PAUL EMMONS;                           05                                            29                              P
DAN OSBORNE                            05                                            30                             3B
EVAN CRAIG                                05                                            21                         C-UTIL
RICK MYETTE                              05                                            15                             C

My Varsity Baseball Trip to Washington D.C.

Story by Evan Craig,    transcribed by Meaghan Chalmers

            On Tuesday March 22, I woke up feeling extremely excited for one reason. I knew we were leaving for our annual Washington D.C. trip. I arrived at school around 8:00am with my luggage by my side. All the baseball players met and we were all anxious to get on the bus and begin our trip. We were all talking about how our host families would be and how the host players would be. We were all feeling the same anxiousness and excitedness.

            Finally around 8:50am, we departed from Lynn Classical High School. On the way to Parsippany Hill High School, we traveled through a few states, including Connecticut and Rhode Island. In Connecticut, we traveled through its capital, Hartford. We also traveled through the city of Danbury, where the state jail is, which we also saw. About an hour later, we drove over the Hudson River, which was a beautiful site. It was the biggest river I’ve ever seen. On the way through Connecticut and some of New Jersey, the scenery was beautiful. The wooded and open areas were different from around Lynn.

            Four hours after departing from Lynn Classical High School, we arrived at Parsippany Hills High School in New Jersey. When we arrived we were escorted to meet our host player, which is the player we would be spending the next day and a half with. After meeting our host player, we attended their last period with them. This was cool because not only did we meet our host player, we also met some of their friends. About 45 minutes later, we quickly went to the gym locker room where we got ready to play in out first scrimmage of the baseball season.

            The first few innings were close and action-packed. I started behind the plate, and played pretty well for the second day of baseball this season. I also came into the 6^th inning for relief pitching. I had 2 strikeouts and no runs given up.

            After the game, we had a pizza party with the. Parsippany  Hills team. It gave us a chance to converse with the other players and coaches.

            After the pizza party, my host player and I, Chuck G., went back to his house to meet his parents. His parents were awesome because they were Met fans. Better than Yankees fans, they were very welcoming and nice to me. After meeting his parents, we took showers and quickly met up with some of his friends. This was an awesome opportunity to finally brag about the Red Sox winning the World Series and the Patriots winning the Super Bowl. That night was very fun and exciting in getting to meet new people from a different state.

            The next day we woke up at 7:00 AM to get up to get ready to go to school. I was kind of nervous in spending a whole day of school in which I did not know much about. But the day ended up being a lot of fun in meeting a lot of new people and teachers.

            At about 1:00pm, it was time to say our goodbyes and thank you’s to our host players because it was time to leave and check into our hotel in Winchester, Virginia, the Shoney’s Inn.

            The next morning, we woke up at 7:30am and had a quick workout at 8:45am. After a good workout, we quickly went back to our hotel rooms, got freshened up, got our cameras and prepared ourselves for the visit to our nations capital, Washington D.C., which would be my second trip there.

            When we arrived, we split up in groups to observe the monuments. The first monument we saw was the Lincoln Memorial. Even though it was my second time in D.C., the Lincoln Memorial always inspires me. The Vietnam Memorial wall was also inspiring to me because it shows how many people gave their lives for us to live a better one. The Washington Monument was also very nice and a great site.

            After visiting the monuments and statues, we drove 10 minutes away to go to the National Zoo. This was unique because I’ve never been to the Zoo. The first things that I saw were some cheetahs, pandas, zebras, and the huge emus. I especially thought the hippos, elephants, and giraffes were the most interesting because they were all enormous. I didn’t get a chance to visit the marine animals, but the rest was enough to convince me that the zoo was a great time.

            The next day was probably the most exciting. We woke up at 7:45am, ate breakfast, then we departed to James Wood High School to scrimmage Hemsfield, and Greensburg / Salem, Pennsylvania. The first game was awesome. Even though we lost, we played extremely well. Our pitching was good and our overall play was good. I pitched two innings with 2 K’s and no runs given up.

            The next game was also fun. I caught for 3 innings and did ok. We lost, but the most important thing was that we had fun.

            The next day we woke up at 8:00am. We departed shortly after that to start heading home. But then we decided to tour New York City. I was there last year with my host from last year’s trip and it was an awesome experience. This year’s visit was also awesome. When we first arrived, we walked on the dock near Liberty National park and took some pictures of the skyline and of the Statue of Liberty. Shortly after, we had a 2-hour workout and then we were on the bus. On the way home, we drove through the city and took a lot of pictures. Time Square was especially nice. The huge T.V. screens, stores, and T.V shows like ESPN zone, TRL, and the news was fun to see. In all I’d have to say that this year was the best because I’m a senior and we saw a lot more landmarks and it gave me time to meet new people and see unique things.

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___________________________

LCHS BASEBALL 2004

  LCHS Baseball  Head Coach: Jim Tgettis        

 Varsity Site: Fraser Field    JV: Breed Middle School  

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Classical Baseball Beats Marblehead to Open Season
By Steve Krause,          The Daily Item of Lynn       Tuesday, April 13, 2004

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Baseball Roster 2004

#23   Eric Mcgrath   Pitcher                  #1  Eric Held    OF

     #24    Zack Burke    1B     #29    Evan Craig     Catcher

#15  Ricky Myette   Catcher            #25 Cory Enquist   CF

#30   Mike Jesoraldo   3B           #10   Andrew Richard  3B

#12  Gregg Clapp   Catcher             #21   John Waldron   OF

#9   Dave Waldron   2B                #22   Doug Mullins     Pitcher / 3B

Paul Emmons, Pitcher                              JD Young 

Kevin Narey

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Classical's McGrath Sets Strong Example        By Rich Tenorio
          The Daily Item of Lynn          Friday, March 26, 2004

Classical pitcher Eric McGrath winds up before throwing a pitch during practice Thursday. (Photo: Reba M. Saldanha)

     Washington, D.C. conjures up images of presidential campaigns and congressional deliberations. For Lynn Classical senior pitcher Eric McGrath, however, the perspective is somewhat different.
 For the fourth consecutive season, McGrath will participate in the Classical baseball team's trip to the nation's capital, during which the Rams play a series of scrimmages and do some sightseeing. The team leaves this morning.
     "We're looking forward to it," McGrath said. "It's always a great opportunity."
     Last year, after the Rams' Southern swing, the highlights continued. The Rams won the Northeastern Conference, aided by a doubleheader sweep of Swampscott. McGrath won one of those games and scored the winning run in both. He finished the year 8-0, averaging 11 strikeouts a game. McGrath picked up a victory over Cambridge in the first round of the state tournament before Classical bowed out in the next round. (He followed up those achievements with a stellar season in football as a quarterback this past fall.)
    "He has tremendous leadership skills," said Classical baseball coach Jim Tgettis. "He's a very personable student-athlete. He's well-rounded and a terrific leader. He's a fine representative of our program. He's a very giving, unselfish kid. I've observed him offering advice to other teammates wherever and whenever he can. Eric's a winner, and a really fine high school baseball player."
     "I'm looking to help the team out any way I can," said McGrath, who will play some centerfield and first base as well as pitch. "We lost a lot of guys, but we have a good nucleus back. We have five seniors, and only three played (last year) ... The downfall is having so many places to fill. But it's a good challenge. I think that's how the team is looking at it."
    So, as he has done for the past three years, McGrath is ready for a challenge.  In McGrath's first year on the varsity, Tgettis spotted something special.  "In a game when Danvers was undefeated, he pitched well enough to win," Tgettis said. "It was a tie; the game was suspended, and it was resumed later on ... It was a shining moment for a freshman to have that opportunity."

    The next season, McGrath went 3-3 before Tgettis sat him for the last two weeks.  "We put him on a progression to succeed," Tgettis explained. "We didn't feel he was ripe."   The move paid off last year, when McGrath joined 2003 graduates Brett and Blake Kennison and Eric Shurtleff in a top-notch rotation that would benefit the Rams.  

    The battle for the NEC began when Classical faced Swampscott for the first time. Classical took a 5-2 lead into the seventh inning and got the first two outs. However, a misplayed ball allowed the Big Blue to tie the game. After six extra innings, the score remained 5-5.  Conference rules mandated that the teams resume the game the next time they played. That rematch was postponed thanks to a rainout. The teams ended up playing in the next-to-the-last game of the season. McGrath got the ball and the six-inning win against Swampscott ace Tim Kiely. The game ultimately lasted 19 innings.   In the teams' regularly scheduled second game, the Rams wiped out a 2-0 Swampscott lead and won, 3-2. (That night, Classical also had to face St. Mary's in the Clancy Tournament.)   A rainout the next day cancelled the scheduled games and ensured the Rams' first conference crown since 1997. "The best Swampscott could do was tie us," Tgettis said. "We'd only had one loss, and Swampscott had two."
    In the Division 1 North tournament, McGrath excelled against Cambridge, pitching all nine innings and striking out 15. While Billerica ended Classical's season, 3-2, it was a year of accomplishments. Now the Rams must start anew.
    "From reading, and historically, winning the second time is harder," McGrath said. "I assume every team will be gunning for us."
     When this season ends, McGrath is looking at several options. He said he's "heavily leaning" toward Avon Old Farms, a prep school. He is being recruited by two top Division 2 schools: Rollins College in Florida and UMass-Lowell. McGrath has also been recruited by Bentley, Central Connecticut, Northeastern, and Sacred Heart. When he plays in the Shriners football game this summer, he said, "I hope to catch someone's eye. I'm happy with the schools that have recruited me, but I'll see if anything happens with Ivy League schools. I'll figure out if I want to play two sports or one sport."
     McGrath has also been active in extracurricular activities. He was on the student council in his freshman year and is a member of a peer mediation program. He has a 3.25 GPA, has made the honor roll, and is taking mostly honors courses.  He's looking for a few more honors in baseball.
    "I think we're very capable," Tgettis said. "A lot of things will have to work out to our favor. We'll have to find players. Is it possible? Yes. Are we working towards that end? Absolutely. I'm very busy preparing this team, and it's difficult to make that assessment."   However, the coach added, "I think we have the best pitcher in the NEC in Eric McGrath."
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Freshman Baseball 2004

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LCHS BASEBALL 2003

Head Coach: Jim Tgettis    Assistant Coaches: Derek Dana, Tom Donahue, Bill Devin

NO.                        NAME                        GRADE                        POS.

3                     Albie Couillard                     12                             OF

7                     Billy Morin                             12                             1B

9                     David Waldron             9                             OF

10                     Patrick Cullinane               12                             OF

11                     Eric Shurtleff                      12                                P

12                     Mark Pierre                        12                               C

14                     Chris Hanlon                      12                               C

15                     Ricky Myette                      10                               C

16                     John Waldron                    11                               OF

18                     Doug Mullins                      11                             IF/P

20                     Kevin Neary                       11                             SS

21                     Eric Held                            11                             OF

22                     Matt Fedas                        12                             2B

23  Eric McGrath                     11                           P/OF

24                     Zack Burke                        11                             U

25                     Brett Kennison                 12                          P/OF

29                     Blake Kennison               12                             P

44                     Tim Magner                       12                            3B

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                                       It is a Classical tradition

           Baseball team set to take its yearly trip to Washington, D.C.

From The Daily Item            Wednesday, March 19, 2003         By Steve Krause.

    The way Classical baseball coach Jim Tgettis sees it; going to the Washington D.C. area for a little pre-season baseball action accomplishes a number of objectives.    First, he says, it gets his kids into a warmer climate where the fields are perhaps more playable than they are here once the season officially begins (which it did on Monday with the first practices)     Second, it gives his players a chance to bond into a team by spending time together; and by scrimmaging against some of the mid-Atlantic region’s best high school talent. Third, it allows his players a chance to see some of his historical and governmental sites they may only get to study in books.   

    Tgettis, who has been Classical baseball coach since 1996, began taking his teams to the D.C. area in 1982, when he was coaching at St. Mary’s. “When I first began”, he says.”  I really felt as if I wanted to make an impact on my team and to do some things that maybe haven’t been done before.”    As it happened, however, 1982 was also the year the New England region got clipped wit ha major April blizzard, rendering fields unplayable for at least a week, if not longer.“So,” he says, “it really worked out to our advantage.” The first year Tgettis and the Spartans hit the D.C. area they played St. Alban’s, a private school next to the National Cathedral. “They had a tournaments going on down there, and they invented us to participate,” Tgettis said.  “We found some of the teams were outstanding. And that was really the beginning of it.” Tgettis adds, almost as an afterthought, that among the many things he saw down there was the vice president of the U.S., George Bush, jogging on the grounds of the school.

    This year; the Rams will leave Lynn early Friday morning, March 28, and travel first to Parsippany Hills High School in New Jersey, where the players will shadow their positional counterparts through the day. Classical and Parsippany Hills scrimmage Friday afternoon and Saturday morning before the Rams get back on the bus and travel to their annual headquarters at the Best Western Venice Inn in Hagerstown, Md. Tgettis finds that the Maryland location is conductive for both baseball the other activities that usually go in. And Tgettis is serious about the academic aspect of the trip. The players are all required to keep journals of what they experience, and they are required to write letters to different teachers, administrators and even newspapers back home. “ Things have always gone well on these trips”, Tgettis said. “We have the support of the teachers, the school, faculty, athletic director…  We have a bit of a tradition going with this. “The camaraderie and bonding that usually takes place at the start of a season is accelerated because they are staying together for four, five or six days at a time.”

    There is a heavy accent on history. The players always visit the Lincoln Memorial, Washington Monument, and Vietnam War memorial because the three are in proximity to each other.  In past years, the players have visited the Smithsonian and Arlington National Cemetery, where they saw the Kennedy’s’ graves and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.  In addition, although the players have gone to the Pentagon in the past that did not happen last year because the wing damaged in the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks was being repaired. “ I think in ’97 or ’98, we got inside the White House,” Tgettis said.  “And we’ve been inside the Capitol building too.” Another must-see, Tgettis says, is the Iwo  Jima U.S. Marine memorial, which is close to Arlington National Cemetery.  And, he said, the team has been in Washington during the Cherry Blossom festivities, and we’ve been a part of that, too.” Though the players may miss classes, they are required to do all the work.  Tgettis says either they are assigned the work they will miss before they go, or they have to make it up when they get back. “This is all part of the curriculum,” he said.  “We collect the journals and give them to the individual departments and to the guidance department.  The kids are well aware that this is not just an athletic trip. It is an academic trip too. It’s part of the whole educational process.” Naturally, the Rams plan for this trip with war clouds hanging over the country, but thus far, Tgettis had received no indications that the school is thinking twice about it. “It is certainly something we’ve never; ever had to even think about before. “  Tgettis said.”  But now it’s becoming a way of life for us all.”                               Put into the website by Yuliya Kalmanovich

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