Division I

Defending-champion Exeter looks like the team to beat in D1 baseball

George Scione

— 3 min read
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Defending-champion Exeter looks like the team to beat in D1 baseball

On paper, the only thing standing in the way of the Exeter High School baseball team repeating as Division I champions is the Blue Hawks themselves.

With 10 players returning – five starters, including four Division I college-bound players – from an undefeated title team, Exeter is prepped for another championship run.

Bedford (2017 runner-up), Concord, Pinkerton Academy and Londonderry are all clear challengers in Exeter’s path.

Favorite

  • Exeter: A pitching staff led by seniors Cody Morisette (9-0, .154 ERA) and Bobby Cliche (5-0, 0.72 ERA), and junior Ethan Imbimbo (3-0, 1.05 ERA) is the Blue Hawks greatest asset. Exeter also is stacked offensively, with seniors Ben Malgeri (.367 BA, 17 RBIs), Tom Polhemus (.418 BA, 7 HRs, 30 RBIs), Morissette (.435 BA, 17 RBIs) and Sean Lavery (.305 BA, 8 RBIs) leading the charge.

Contenders

  • Bedford: Senior Geoff Mosseau is one of the state’s top hurlers. Paired with fellow senior and arguably the state’s best hitter, Grant Lavigne, these Bulldogs are not to be taken lightly.
  • Concord: Griffin Gilbert is atop a strong rotation that includes Jake Knowles and Eric Sullivan. Pitching is key to a deep tournament run, but it’s not all the Tide has on its side. Concord is made up of 14 upperclassmen, including six starters returning from last year’s breakout squad. Middle-of-the-order bat Kurtis Stadnicki is back behind the plate, while leadoff hitter Ryan Tessier also returns.
  • Pinkerton: Pitching depth is key for the Astros in their plans to advance further than the quarterfinal finish of 2017. Seniors David Unkles (5-2, 1.69 ERA) and Eli Runge, juniors Richard Marique (5-2, 1.18 ERA, 47.1 IP, 41 Ks), and Mat Albetski (8 saves, 15Ks, 11.2 IP) and sophomores Asa Runge and Derek Hiscox combined for all but eight innings of work in 2017. Those veteran arms will have offensive support led by junior first baseman/outfielder Connor Jenkins (.556 BA).
  • Londonderry: Anthony Pirolli’s arm is key to how deep this Lancers squad can go. Londonderry graduated only three seniors, which means the Lancers are a veteran team led by Pirolli and fellow seniors Nate Sullivan and Rick Perry.

Dark Horses

  • Nashua North: Senior C.J Barrett is a big reason the Titans cannot be counted out.
  • Manchester Central: The 1-2 punch of Declan Knieriem and Kyle Swetland, along with Kyler Bosse’s bat, put the Little Green in the running.

Rest of the field

  • Salem: Seniors Andrew Shumski (3-3, 27Ks, 32.2 IP) and John Palardy (.280 BA) are the Blue Devils returning leaders on the mound and at the plate, respectively. Salem’s roster is full of talent from various sports. The hope here is that this talent carries over onto the diamond and propels the Blue Devils past their quarterfinal finish of 2017.
  • Timberlane: Seniors Christian Allaire (.364 BA) and Kyle Gleason (.298 BA) lead the Owls into the spring with hopes of qualifying for the tournament. The duo teams up with seniors Robbie Horgan and Connor Schott as Timberlane’s quad-captains in that quest.
  • Alvirne: Pitcher/outfielder Hayden Callery is a player to keep an eye on as the Broncos look to bounce back from just seven wins and a first-round exit in 2017.
  • Nashua South: Senior pitcher Zach Finkelstein should keep the Panthers, who graduated 10 seniors, in the hunt for a tournament berth.
  • Bishop Guertin: An inexperienced Cardinals squad of one year ago is now full of veterans, led by senior pitcher Ryan Gallagher.
  • Merrimack: The Tomahawks are young. Only four starters – Jared Wells, Jake Mainey, Cody Pfeifer and Spencer Clark – return from a four-win team. Merrimack needs a handful of promising newcomers to step up fast if a tournament spot is to be had.
  • Winnacunnet: With two straight years of only two wins to their credit, there’s only one way to go for the Warriors. Just a sophomore, Jake Bullard – a verbal commit to Division I Dayton – takes the lead role in the rotation, while Andrew Mills is expected to log significant innings as well.
  • Spaulding: The Red Raiders lost 12 seniors to graduation from a team that lost to eventual-champion Exeter in the semifinals. All-State shortstop Keagan Calero is a player to watch.
  • Dover: The Green Wave lost its top four pitchers. Dover will be relying heavily on its offense, led by junior Axel Post, and seniors Jared Turgeon and Ryan Coleman.
  • Keene: The Blackbirds made quite a run to reach the tournament last spring. Will that momentum, which Bedford stalled in the quarterfinals, carry over into this season? Mound leadership comes in the form of senior Cullen Costa and sophomore Noah Timmer. Cam Chamberlain will settle in behind the plate, while also anchoring the middle of the lineup.
  • Trinity: Junior Dylan Sullivan is a bright spot for the Pioneers.
  • Manchester Memorial: Keep an eye on senior Connor Lyons.

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