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It didn't end the way he would have liked, and it probably lasted three years longer than he thought it would, but the Jim Tgettis era at Lynn Classical is over.

Tgettis, who has coached baseball for the Rams since 1996, has informed principal Warren White that he is stepping down.

"But," he said, "I'm not retiring from coaching baseball. But I need a little break. I'm going to step back and reassess."

Tgettis, who also was the varsity coach at St. Mary's -- leading the Spartans to state titles in 1987 and 1988 -- took over the Classical program from Dick Maag after the 1995 season. From then until two years ago, the Rams made the state tournament every year during his tenure. Along the way, he brought along such standouts as Derek Murray, Eric McGrath and several players from this year's team, including Lymbel Guerrero, Bryant Gauthier and Mike Chakoutis.

However, he said, it's time to go.

"It's time for me to reflect and take a break from things," he said. "I still have a lot of fire in me, and I still have that great desire to teach the game and work at it. But it's also time for me to do other things

"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.

"There are more important things than the wins," he said. "I want to be remembered as someone who really cared about the kids, and about what he was doing ... and tried to do ... and who tried to make things better."

Still, Tgettis - who was often called "The Jedi" by his players -- has won a lot of games and coached an entire generation of players -- some of whom have become coaches themselves.

His former players dot the Lynn baseball landscape. Bill Norcross is the varsity coach at St. Mary's and Derek Dana (whom Tgettis would like to see succeed him) is an assistant at Classical.

Tim Fila -- who was unhittable in 1988 in backboning the Spartans to a state title -- and Joel Karakaedos are heavily involved in Lynn Babe Ruth; and Tim Burt, who pitched a no-hitter on Tony Conigliaro night in 1990, is an assistant coach for the Gautreau American Legion team, which is managed by Tgettis' brother, Chris.

Tgettis tried to instill the value of education in his players by leading them on a tour of the Washington, DC area. He was strict about the students keeping up with their studies on the tour, and directed all his players to write letters to various people in Lynn -- including Item sports staffers -- describing their experiences.

Tgettis, along with Maag, North Reading coach Frank Carey and former Lynn Tech baseball coach and director Bart Conlon, founded the Nipper Clancy tournament. The common link among them was that they all played for Clancy, either at St. Mary's or for Connery Post 6 American Legion.

He was also hired by the North Shore Spirit in 2002 as a first base coach, a position he retained until the conclusion of the 2006 season. Along with Carey, he began the "Jet-Cro" summer baseball camp during the 1990s.

He said this year's team, which fell a game short of making the tournament, was one of his favorites.

"We had more participation this year than any other year," he said. "We had a great trip to Washington this year ... one of the best ever."

However, he said, it was disappointing that the team didn't make the tournament because "I thought we had a chance to ... and a chance to go a ways, too."

He stresses that he is not retiring from coaching ... just stepping down from coaching at Classical.

"I'm not stepping down as much as I'm stepping aside," he said. "I'm not retiring from coaching."

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'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)

Both Classical and English went into last night's game at Fraser Field with their backs against the wall. They had identical 7-9 records, so a loss would severely damage their tournament chances.

Today, Classical's back is, perhaps, not as squarely against the wall while there is now no room for error for English. Or, as the case may be, errors. The Bulldogs committed five of them and they contributed dearly to their 11-0 loss at the hands of Classical.

It wasn't all errors, though. Classical pitcher Bryant Gauthier spun an impressive two-hitter (one of those being a scratch hit in the sixth, the other a bloop single in the seventh).

"That was by far the best game he pitched this year," said Classical coach Jim Tgettis. "The last three games, he's been outstanding ... and he's been better every time. This time, he had good command of his curveball, which made him look a lot quicker than he actually is."

"He pitched great," said English's Joe Caponigro. "And our relief pitcher (Pat Curran, a freshman) pitched pretty well, too. That's probably the only positive we can take out of tonight, though. We didn't hit, and we certainly didn't field."

Gauthier poured first-pitch strikes over the plate all night long with his curveball, and, says Tgettis, "it's an awful lot easier to pitch when you're pitching ahead."

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.

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.

LYNN -- This wasn't just a rivalry game. It was a game that both teams desperately needed to win to stay on course for a berth in the postseason.

Today, English gets to breathe a little easier. The Bulldogs got a three-run, opposite-field homer from Jairo Valdez in the top of the sixth inning last night at Fraser Field, and then held their breath in the bottom of the seventh as Cory Enquist ran down Bryan Gauthier's fly ball that looked as if it might be a gapper, to defeat Classical, 6-4.

"We needed this one after the game we played Wednesday," said English coach Joe Caponigro, referring to his team's 7-1 defeat at the hands of Saugus. "Jairo has been swinging the bat very well, and he certainly got all of that one."

Classical coach Jim Tgettis was equally impressed.
"I didn't think that was out," he said.
Classical, 5-8, had just taken a 5-4 lead in the bottom of the fifth inning when Sean Fitzgerald's base hit up the middle drove home Matt Church, who had singled and stolen second.

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."

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.

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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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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Classical Baseball Team will Begin Preseason Trip at ESPN

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.”

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

		CLASSICAL HIGH SCHOOL SWEEPS SWAMPSCOTT Roundup by Dan Ventura, Boston Herald, Monday, May 26, 2003 Lynn Classical couldn't have scripted a better scenario for its stunning rise to the top of the Northeastern Conference. Trailing undefeated Swampscott by a game in the league standings, the Rams proceeded to defeat the Big Blue twice yesterday at Fraser Field to capture their first outright NEC title since 1983. After outlasting Swampscott in a continuation game, 6-5, in 19 innings, Lynn Classical rallied in the second game to complete the sweep, scoring twice in the last of the sixth to prevail, 3-2. ``I'm very happy for this group of kids, a lot of them have been with me for three years,'' said coach Jim Tgettis of his Rams (16-1). ``We don't have the great individual players, but we have a group that really plays well together.'' The first game, which started back on April 30, was suspended after 13 innings with the score tied at 5. The Rams had several chances to break it open, leaving the bases loaded in the 16th inning and two runners in scoring position in the 17th before finally reaching Big Blue reliever Tim Kiely in the 19th. With two on and two out, Eric Shurtleff (the Game 2 winner in relief) singled in Eric McGrath with the winning run. McGrath, the junior lefty who finished second to Swampscott's Gene Howard in league MVP voting, retired the Big Blue in order in the bottom of the frame to snap their 17-game unbeaten streak. ``All along we wanted to be in a position to control our own destiny,'' said Tgettis. ``We've been in a lot of tight games and all we wanted was to win the first game and hang close in the second game. We felt if we could do that, we could win it.'' Swampscott (17-2) grabbed a quick 2-0 lead in the top of the first of the nightcap, but Lynn Classical got one back in the third and cashed in on some sloppy fielding to score two more in the sixth.