baseball.htm

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."

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.

The one thing that Salem coach Mike Ward feared coming into his team's game on Thursday was a letdown of immense proportions following Wednesday's 7-6 win over Classical.

Well, the Witches didn't let that happen.

Salem pounded out 13 hits and scored in every inning but the sixth en route to a 9-2 win over the Rams at the new Salem State College baseball field.

"The big fear was having a letdown, but the kids kept their heads on straight," Ward said.

The Witches (11-6, 10-4 NEC North) scored twice in the first, second, third and fifth innings and had a single run in the fourth.

Ben Henderson led the hit parade with three hits, three RBI and two runs scored. John Pegnato had a pair of hits, two RBI and scored once while Dan Reddy had two hits, two runs scored and an RBI. Andy Cavanaugh added two hits and an RBI.

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

Classical's Luis Castillo had a stellar game standing atop the mound and in the batter's box in a 4-3 win over Revere.

Castillo picked up his second victory of the season in a complete-game performance. He allowed one run on seven hits and four walks while striking out seven Patriots (0-14). At the plate, the pitcher went 2-3 and scored half of his team's runs.

A three-run fourth for Revere pushed the Patriots ahead 3-2 but Classical (4-9) came right back in the fifth with a two-run inning. Castillo led off with a walk, Felipe Barahona laid down a "perfectly placed" bunt single according to his coach Mike Zukowski, and Tyler Gauthier singled to load the bases.

Shawn Cushman singled to drive home Castillo, and Gauthier scored later in the inning on a wild pitch to provide Classical with the eventual winning run.

"The guys played pretty well today," Zukowski said. "(Revere) scored their three runs on an error that should have been the final out of the inning. But we played well enough to win."

Barahona went 2-3 with a run scored, and Bobby Adams had a 3-4 day with an RBI.

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.

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.

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 High baseball coach Jim Tgettis is recovering from triple bypass surgery at Salem Hospital.
North Reading High baseball coach Frank Carey said he was informed by the family that Tgettis was out walking in the Wyoma Square area Monday when he started to experience problems. He was near the Broadway fire station at the time and went inside, where firefighters came to his assistance. He was taken to Salem Hospital, given an angiogram, and on Tuesday, he underwent bypass surgery. Carey said he was told that Tgettis came out of surgery with no complications and, although sore, was resting comfortably.
Carey said Tgettis, who took over the Classical job in 1996 and resigned at the end of last season, is an avid walker, sometimes logging 10 to 20 miles.
"The doctors were amazed he was able to do the amount of walking he does (with the blockage)," Carey said.

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.

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.

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

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.”

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.

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.

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Classical Baseball 2008

Zukowski Names Former Teammate Waldron as Assistant Baseball Coach