2014 HockomockSports Baseball Awards

Attleboro senior shortstop Max Lancaster has been named the 2014 HockomockSports.com Baseball Player of the Year, sponsored by RBI Academy in Foxboro. Lancaster was also voted Hockomock League MVP, a distinction chosen by coaches in the Hockomock League.

Lancaster was a big factor in Attleboro’s season, captaining the Bombardiers to a 14-6 record and the school’s first ever Kelley-Rex Division title. He batted .356 on the season with an on-base percentage of .552. He was also one of the most dangerous players when he reached base, stealing 17 bases and scoring 20 runs. He knocked in 12 runs of his own and had eight extra base hits, including an impressive three triples.

“Max had a terrific season and an amazing career for Attleboro,” HockomockSports.com Editor-in-Chief Ryan Lanigan said. “Whenever there was a big moment in a game, whether it be at the plate or defensively, Max was the player you wanted in that situation.”

The senior shortstop was the true glue of the Bombardiers and proved it in Attleboro’s first playoff game. Attleboro was seeded second in the MIAA D1 South bracket and hosted #10 Plymouth South. After going down 5-0 early, Lancaster capped the comeback late. In the seventh inning, Attleboro trailed 5-4 before Lancaster knocked in the tying run. After getting to third on an error, Lancaster scored the game winning run on a wild pitch.

“In his four years, he’s meant as much as any player we’ve ever had as far as his leadership, his intangibles, his production, his versatility,” Attleboro head coach Matt Bosh said. “He’s just an all around class individual. I’ve said it before, as good of a player he is, he’s a better person.”

Lancaster has always been quick to credit his teammates for his success, but as good of a lineup the Bombardiers had this year, it was Lancaster that teams focused in on.

“In the past ten seasons, Max Lancaster was one of the most difficult [players] to prepare for,” Taunton head coach Jeff Sylvia admitted. “Max has tremendous ability and an even higher understanding of how the game is played. He could easily take over a game with a single at bat, one pitch, with his legs, or even with a great defensive play that always shifted momentum. We always knew Max was going to do something that would help his team win in every game. Our goal was to limit this ability as much as possible; but for the past four years, I think the game plan may have worked once.”

This is the second straight year a senior shortstop has won the award, as Oliver Ames’ David MacKinnon was named the inaugural winner last year. Lancaster will be attending MIT in the Fall.

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The 2014 HockomockSports.com Starting Lineup

Catcher
Taunton senior catcher Zach Bowden had a fantastic year behind the plate and at the plate for the Tigers. Bowden was widely regarded as the best defensive catcher in the league and upped his offensive game big time. He batted .452 at the plate with 18 RBI, 18 runs and two home runs. Bowden was named team MVP for the Tigers and will continue his career next year at Curry College.

 
 

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First Base
Michael Birschbach was an anchor for the Eagles this season. The senior right-handed hitter batted an impressive .397 at the play with 10 extra-base hits, including seven doubles and two triples. He had a home run on the season, drew 10 walks and knocked in 10 runs. He was a key defensive player in the Eagles’ infield as well.

 
 

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Second Base
North Attleboro senior Jake Lang was a true leader for Big Red baseball this season. The right-handed hitter batted an impressive .391 at the plate with a .869 slugging percentage. He had 27 hits on the season, knocked in 12 runs, scored 15 runs, and stole 15 bases. He was one of the best defensive players at second base was North Attleboro’s male scholar-athlete.

 
 

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Third Base
Mansfield senior Cam Nagle took a giant step forward in his senior year for the Hornets. The right-handed hitter batted .368 on the season, which was a big leap from his junior season and was third best for the Hornets. He knocked in nine runs on the season and tied for first on the team with nine doubles. Nagle scored 15 runs on the season, the most of any Mansfield player this year.

 
 

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Shortstop
Attleboro senior Max Lancaster was an impressive in all aspects during the season. The senior was dangerous at the plate, batting .356 with 12 RBI and 20 runs scored. He also was a big time issue for pitchers when he reached base, stealing an impressive 17 bases. He also was a vacuum defensively at shortstop, helping to anchor a strong Attleboro infield.

 
 

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Outfield
Oliver Ames’ Michael Ferrara was a breakout star in the league this year. The junior exploded offensively, hitting a league-best .479 with a league-best 35 hits – 14 of which were extra base hits. He was the prime catalyst in the Tigers’ offense, knocking in 20 runs, scoring 24 runs and stealing eight bases. He was one of the toughest outs in the entire league, striking out just twice all season.

 
 

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Outfield
King Philip’s Michael Murray had a standout year in centerfield for the Warriors. The senior had a team-high .404 batting average and knocked in eight runs on the season. He scored 15 runs and only struck out four times all season. He hit three triples on the season for King Philip and was also strong defensively in the outfield.

 
 

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Outfield
Mansfield senior Zac Courier was a catalyst for the Hornets’ offense. The right-handed batter was a force at the plate, batting a team-high .413 with three home runs. Courier was the only player on Mansfield to go yard this season and tied for a team-high with nine doubles. His 18 RBI were also a team-best and had an impressive .825 slugging percentage.

 
 

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Designated Hitter
Zach Gibb was the heartbeat of the Stoughton Black Knights this season. Gibb played in multiple positions and had success in all of them. At the plate, Gibb batted .462 with two home runs, 17 RBI and 24 runs scored. He had three doubles and three triples as well as 12 stolen bases. He was also successful on the mound, tossing 26 innings with 26 strikeouts and a 2.15 ERA.

 
 

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Bench
Ryan Bowen, Attleboro: .339, 17 RBI, 15 R
Nick Santucci, Franklin: .373, 9 RBI, 17 R
Dylon Grzenda, North Attleboro: .308, 10 RBI, 9 R, 11 SB
Jovani Pires, Stoughton: .380, 17 RBI, 24 R, 10 SB
Casey Grady, Taunton: .387, 8 RBI, 17 R

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Starting Pitcher
Oliver Ames’ ace Brendan Welch (6-1) had a terrific season for the Tigers. The southpaw pitcher was dominant on the mound with a 1.35 ERA and struck out an impressive 62 batters. Welch tossed five complete games with just 12 walks in 52 innings pitched. He was the best pitcher on the best team in the entire Hockomock League. He wasn’t just a one-trick pony either, as he batted .382 at the plate with 14 RBI.

 
 

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Rotation:
Steven Knox, Attleboro: Knox (7-0) had a breakout year for Attleboro, posting an impressive 1.81 ERA and striking out 44 batters in 54 innings of work.

Jeff Perillo, Mansfield: Perillo (4-3) was the ace for Mansfield as he struck out 61 batters, walked just three batters in 65+ IP and had an 2.04 ERA.

Liam O’Donnell, North Attleboro: O’Donnell (5-2) had a strong season for North, posting a 2.34 ERA with 37 strikeouts. He tossed 4 CG and held batters to a .205 average.

Eric Cote, King Philip: Cote (4-2) had a tremendous year for the Warriors, striking out 31 batters and was the lone starting pitcher with a sub-one ERA at 0.98.

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Taunton sophomore Luke Figueira has been named the 2014 HockomockSports.com Baseball Underclassman of the Year, sponosored by RBI Academy in Foxboro. Figueira had a strong season on the mound and at the plate for Taunton.

After graduating two of the league’s best pitchers last year in Connor Johnson and Matt Nunes, Taunton was in search of a new anchor for their pitching staff. That’s where Figueira came in, becoming more and more of a force on the bump as the season went on. He finished the season with 55.2 innings pitched and a 2.03 ERA. He compiled a 6-3 record and was a catalyst in helping the Tigers turn around an 0-6 start into a playoff berth. He collected 54 strikeouts on the season and also chalked up one save.

“Luke really emerged about halfway through the season as not only one of the best underclassman in the league, but one of the best pitchers,” HockomockSports.com Editor-in-Chief Ryan Lanigan said. “The Tigers were in need of a spark and Figueira provided that on the mound and at the plate.”

Figueira played in the outfield when he wasn’t pitching for the Tigers and had a great season at the plate as well. The sophomore batted .317 with a .400 on base percentage. He knocked in eight runs, scored 10 runs himself and had two stolen bases.

“Luke had an excellent season for us,” Taunton head coach Jeff Sylvia said. “Even though he was a first time varsity player, he played with the confidence, poise and leadership of a senior.  Every time he took the mound, he gave our team a sense of infallibility. We played very differently with him on the mound – he gave us great confidence for that game. It was an absolute pleasure to coach him this past season, but more importantly to watch him grow and succeed at the highest level.  We are looking forward to giving him the ball each week going forward, and as a fan, to watch him reach his full potential which I feel is pretty high.”

Honorable Mention: Tyler Stowe, Attleboro – Nick Santucci, Franklin

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Coach of the Year – Leo Duggan, Oliver Ames
Oliver Ames head coach Leo Duggan has been named the 2014 HockomockSports.com Baseball Coach of the Year. This is the second time the award has been given out.

Duggan, who started coaching at Oliver Ames in 1987, guided the Tigers to a 16-4 regular season record and their third straight Davenport Division title. The Tigers were seeded #4 in the Division 2 bracket and rallied to beat Milton in the first game before falling to #5 Duxbury in the next round.

The Tigers started the season with an impressive comeback win over Mansfield, which boosted them to a 6-0 start. After losing their first game in mid-April, Duggan led Oliver Ames to nine wins in the next eleven games. OA clinched the 2014 Davenport Division title on May 12th with a 6-1 win over rival Stoughton at Frothingham Park.

Honorable Mention: Matt Bosh, Attleboro – Jeff Sylvia, Taunton – Mike Armour, Stoughton