Division II

Portsmouth will have plenty of competition defending Division II baseball title

George Scione

— 4 min read
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Portsmouth will have plenty of competition defending Division II baseball title

The biggest story of the spring is the farewell tour of Souhegan High School baseball coach Bill Dod. The winningest baseball coach in NHIAA history enters his 50th and final season in the dugout.

A third-straight trip to the Division II final doesn’t seem likely for Dod’s Sabers on paper, but sometimes emotions and playing for a cause are enough to carry a team that isn’t totally lacking for talent. However, it’s the team that ruined Dod’s bid for a title in his 49th campaign, Portsmouth, that is being tabbed for a return to the final and expected to repeat.

It won’t be easy for the Clippers, who along with Goffstown and Windham are moving up to Division I next spring. There are a few teams with title aspirations that aren’t far behind.

Favorites

  • Portsmouth: Trevor Van Allen (6-0, 1.44 ERA) is a lock as ace of the Clippers rotation. Who will fill in behind the senior is the biggest question in Portsmouth’s title defense. Junior Timm Kutzer (2-0, 0.53 ERA) would have been the definite No. 2, but offseason Tommy John surgery will keep him off the mound this spring. The Clippers still have potent bats in the lineup, highlighted by senior first baseman Peyton Goodrich (.410 BA, 26 RBIs) and senior middle infielder Max Malila (.333 BA).
  • Goffstown: The Grizzlies are the team to watch. That’s the consensus in Division II circles. With sophomore Connor Hujsak and senior Taylor French leading the way, that popular view is understandable.

Contenders

  • Oyster River: Returning Division II Player of the Year Brennen Oxford looks to improve on a junior campaign that saw him strike out 77 batters in 51 innings, while posting a 6-1 record and .029 ERA. Oh, yeah, he also tossed four straight no-hitters. The Bobcats have pitching depth. Junior Owen Tonkin (4-0, 2.00 ERA) is no slouch, while the trio of senior Tyler McKenna, junior Max Lewis and sophomore Myles Carrico also are expected to get the ball plenty.
  • Windham: Ryan Faria (4-2, 3.24 ERA, 46Ks, 41 IP) returns to headline the Jaguars rotation. Windham also will lean on senior shortstop and team captain Tommy Costa (.322 BA, 17 runs, 16 RBIs) to pace the offense.
  • John Stark: Four experienced starters on the mound and an all-state laden lineup – led by seniors Derek Goldrick and Noah Greene, and sophomore Brett Patnode – project good things for the Generals.

Dark Horses

  • Milford: The Spartans are full of upperclassmen out to avenge last season’s early tournament exit. Senior shortstop/pitcher Tyler Gendron, senior infielder/pitcher Jameson Pare, senior outfielder/pitcher Ricky DeBernardo and junior catcher Sam Santaniello will be leaned on heavily.
  • Plymouth: Senior Mike Hogan and junior John Demas are Bobcats to keep an eye on.
  • Bow: The Falcons are out to improve on last year’s quarterfinal finish. Led by the quartet of seniors Christian McDonald, Ben Guertin, Jack Corriveau and Sam Selleck, and junior Connor Blandini, that is a definite possibility.
  • Souhegan: Injury and prep school plucked two of the top players from the Sabers’ roster. Senior catcher Caelan Behn, junior pitcher/third baseman Jacob Grassett and sophomore pitcher/first baseman Daniel Trzepacz are Souhegan’s three returning starters. Their task is to make the season more memorable than just celebrating coach Bill Dod’s finale.

Rest of the field

  • Coe-Brown: Junior Jacob Rich is a true leader behind the plate. He has a solid pitching staff to work with, led by seniors Jacob Bisson, Aidan Fillion and Brendan Eaton, junior Luke McCusker, and sophomore Ryan Hughes.
  • Merrimack Valley: Senior Brian Nylen leads a strong rotation, that also includes seniors Ryan Heath and Alan Thompson, and junior Matt Ostrowski. It’s breeding optimism in the locker room.
  • Pembroke: The Spartans return three starters – Cole Hapgood, Justin Legere and Jared Murray – from a three-win squad. The hopes three new varsity arms – Dom Riccio, Cam Nixon and Hayden Drew – can move the needle forward.
  • ConVal: With experienced players returning, the Cougars could find a way into the postseason. Keep an eye on outfielder Tim Burgess, shortstop Manny Bowman and pitcher Jack Plourde.
  • Kingswood: Knights senior Brian Lindsay is a player to watch in Wolfeboro this spring.
  • Laconia: The Sachems’ defense is strong. Pitching is a big mystery, however, so Laconia will lean on the bats of Jack Maher, Cameron Souda, Thomas Turpin and Bradley Weeks.
  • St. Thomas: Thanks to a good chunk of the Saints 2017 playoff roster graduating, seniors Dan Wooster, Matt MacLean and Ben Coate, and junior Jack Gallines will take on a large portion of responsibility as the only returning starters on a young squad.
  • Pelham: Co-captains Matt Poff (2.89 ERA, 41Ks, 36.1 IP) and Jake Kirane (.308 BA) are two of the Pythons three returning starters, who along with Diggy Lawson (.343 BA) are hoping to improve on a three-win 2017 campaign.
  • Sanborn: The Indians just missed the cut last spring and are hoping an expanded tournament field helps when brackets are released. Senior Brian McGough (2.15 ERA, 19Ks, 26 IP) and sophomore Colin Grenier (.298 BA) are players to keep an eye on this spring.
  • Hollis Brookline: There is optimism in the Cavaliers locker room thanks to a trio of returning pitchers – juniors Kaito Kramarcyzk and Joe Messina, and Joe Brown.
  • Kennett
  • Hanover
  • Lebanon

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