2015 HockomockSports Baseball Awards

Oliver Ames senior pitcher and first baseman Brendan Welch has been named the 2015 HockomockSports.com Baseball Player of the Year. Welch helped lead the Tigers to their sixth straight league title and fifth straight Davenport Division title and was also selected as the Hockomock League MVP by the coaches.

“Brendan was definitely the best pitcher in the league this year and was also one of the best at the plate and at first base,” HockomockSports.com Editor-in-Chief Ryan Lanigan said. “When Welch was on the mound, you knew that Oliver Ames had a great chance of winning the game and he seemed to come in clutch at the plate time after time.”

On the mound, Welch was a perfect 6-0 in the regular season in seven games and was 1-0 in the playoffs. Welch fanned 72 batters, which was second in the league, and finished with a 2.45 ERA in 40 innings pitched. In the playoffs, Welch struck out seven while allowing just three hits.

It wasn’t just pitching for Welch though, as he batted .373 on the season with a league-high 25 runs batted in. He had 25 hits on the season while scoring 14 runs. In OA’s playoff opener, Welch went 4/5 with a pair of singles, a double, a triple, three RBI and two runs scored.

Welch, who is headed to Southern New Hampshire next year, is the second Oliver Ames player to win the award, following David MacKinnon in 2013. Attleboro’s Max Lancaster won the award last year.

Honorable Mention: Luke Figueira, Taunton – Mike Ferrara, Oliver Ames

---

The 2015 HockomockSports.com Starting Lineup

Catcher – Jake Gibb, Stoughton
Stoughton junior Jake Gibb had a very strong year behind the plate for the Black Knights. Gibb led Stoughton in numerous offensive categories including 27 hits and his 14 runs batted in. He had a team-best two home runs for the Black Knights, tied for best on the team with a pair of triples and his .415 batting average and .493 on-base percentage were both team-bests for Stoughton. Behind the plate Gibb was regarded as one of the toughest catchers to try and steal against, throwing out seven runners this year.

 
 

---

First Base – Zane Byrne, Franklin
Franklin senior Zane Byrne was an important part of a Franklin team that made it all the way to the D1 South Sectional Semifinals this season. Byrne batted .299 on the season with 23 hits, seven doubles and a home run. He knocked in 21 runs, scored eight times himself and had three sac flies this season. On the mound, Byrne went 6-2 with a 2.23 ERA, 26 strikeouts in 50.1 innings, issued 17 total walks and had three complete games.

 
 
 

---

Second Base – Zach MacLean, Taunton
Taunton senior Zach MacLean capped a superb four year career with the Tigers with a terrific senior season. MacLean was one of the top second baseman both at the plate and in the field. MacLean batted .368 on the season with 25 hits, 20 runs scored and eight runs batted in. MacLean was second on Taunton with seven doubles and second with a .539 on-base percentage (18 walks). MacLean had his first career walk-off hit against North Attleboro in early May.

 
 

---

Shortstop – Nick Santucci, Franklin
Franklin junior Nick Santucci was a cornerstone in Franklin’s run in the D1 South Sectional tournament. Santucci was one of the best in the entire Hockomock for the second half. On the season, Santucci batted .367 with 22 runs batted in, 11 stolen bases, 29 total hits and 20 runs scored. Santucci also hit a pair of home runs this season. On the mound, Santucci had a 2.33 ERA with four strikeouts and a save for the Panthers.

 
 

---

Third Base – Brendon Mazerolle, Taunton
Taunton junior Brendon Mazerolle had a breakout season for the Tigers in 2015. After seeing limited time last season, Mazerolle was one of Taunton’s top players this year, batting .424 in his first year as a starter and he knocked in 11 runs and scored 13 runs with 28 total hits. The junior had four doubles, a triple and and on-base percentage of .532. He was also one of the best defensive third basemen in the entire league.

 
 

---

Outfield – Anthony Chaiton, Franklin
Franklin senior Anthony Chaiton got it done at the plate, in the field and on the mound for the Panthers this season. Offensively, Chaiton had 31 hits for a .367 average and knocked in 19 runs. He had 11 stolen bases to go with six doubles and a triple while scoring 17 runs. On the mound, Chaiton compiled a 4-2 record in 42.2 innings, striking out a team-high 53 batters while issuing just 17 walks. He finished with a 3.12 ERA this season.

 
 

---

Outfield – Michael Ferrara, Oliver Ames
Oliver Ames senior Michael Ferrara had a record breaking year for the Tigers. In late May, Ferrara broke OA’s single season hit record with his 37th hit of the season, which was best in the Hockomock League. He finished in second with a .521 average while scoring 24 runs, hitting a pair of home runs and knocking in 13 runs. As lead off man, Ferrara was often the catalyst in getting the Tigers very potent offense going. He was also one of the top defensive players, patrolling center field.

 
 

---

Outfield – Will Kelleher, Mansfield
Mansfield senior Will Kelleher enjoyed a strong year in the outfield, one year after serving as catcher for the Hornets. At the plate, Kelleher batted .351 during his senior season with six doubles, a triple, a home run and 17 runs scored. Kelleher also helped the league-winning Hornets with 16 RBI this season while only striking out seven times in 91 plate appearances. He finished with a .433 on-base percentage and was vital in Mansfield winning its first league title since 2007.

 
 

---

Designated Hitter – Aidan Wilde, Milford
Milford freshman Aidan Wilde burst onto the scene in his rookie campaign and led the Hockomock League in batting with a .537 average. Wilde also knocked in a team-high 21 runs and 36 hits, both good for second in the league, and had a pair of homeruns in his first year. His 25 runs scored also ranked second in the Hockomock League. Wilde is the first freshman to make the HockomockSports.com’s Starting Lineup for baseball.

Click here to view a photo gallery of our selections.

 
 

---

Bench

Michael Boen, Mansfield
Mansfield senior Michael Boen concluded an excellent high school career with a great baseball season. Boen, who started at shortstop all year, batted .383 this season with 31 hits, which was among the tops in the league. He also scored 23 runs, knocked in 13 runs, had five doubles and a .463 on-base percentage. On the mound, Boen had a 3-1 record with four saves and 21 strikeouts. As the Hornets’ closer, Boen had a perfect save percentage.

 
 

---

Chris Romero, Oliver Ames
Oliver Ames junior Chris Romero followed up his impressive sophomore campaign with an even more impressive junior year. Romero, who patrolled shortstop for the Tigers, exploded at the plate with a .474 average, which was fourth in the entire league. Romero was a constant threat on the base paths and scored 24 runs to go along with his 27 hits and 10 runs batted in. Defensively, Romero was sound throughout the entire year at shortstop.

 
 

---

Nate Tellier, Attleboro
Attleboro junior Nate Tellier had another solid year for the Bombardiers in 2015. Tellier was one of Attleboro’s top players offensive, defensively and on the mound. At the plate, Tellier had 25 hits to finish with a .357 average. He scored 14 runs, knocked in 12 more and had one home run for Attleboro this year. On the mound, Tellier emerged as one of Attleboro’s best pitchers. In 34 innings, he only allowed seven earned runs for a 1.44 ERA and also had 51 strikeouts.

 
 

---

Pat Vartanian, Canton
Canton senior Pat Vartanian wrapped up an impressive career with a great senior campaign. At the dish, he batted .343 with 23 hits, including five doubles, five triples and a pair of home runs. He scored 16 runs on his own while knocking in 20 runs. He had a pair of stolen bases, drew nine walks and had a .457 on-base percentage. He was also one of the top catchers, with seven pick offs – three coming in one playoff game along, and had an average throwdown time of 1.99

 
 

---

Drew Wilde, Milford
Milford senior Drew Wilde was a big reason why the Scarlet Hawks reached the playoffs for the 37th consecutive year. Wilde manned second base and teamed up with brother Aidan to form a strong middle infield pair. At the plate, Wilde had 27 hits this season for a .428 average. He scored 22 runs and knocked in 12 more for the Scarlet Hawks. Defensively, Wilde was a reliable option at second and was a key leader for the Scarlet Hawks.

Click here to view a photo gallery of our selections.

 
 

---

The 2015 HockomockSports.com Pitching Rotation

Alex Croteau, Milford
Milford senior Alex Croteau emerged as one of the Scarlet Hawks’ most reliable pitchers this year with an impressive 2015 campaign. Croteau racked up 53.1 innings pitched and struck out 57 batters. He was far better than his record (5-4) showed as he finished with a 2.36 ERA and also had a save. In the playoffs, Croteau only surrendered four hits and two earned runs to the eventual D2 State Champs, Middleboro, the least amount of runs they scored all playoffs.
 
 

---

Luke Figueira, Taunton
Taunton junior Luke Figueira continued his impressive high school career by following up his great sophomore campaign with an excellent junior year. On the mound, Figueira had a 2-2 record in 42.1 innings pitched with 59 strikeouts and an impressive 1.83 ERA. The defending HockomockSports.com Underclassman of the Year batted a team-high .471 with a .513 on-base percentage. He racked up 32 hits with 15 RBI and 12 runs scored.
 
 

---

Evan Kershaw, Mansfield
Mansfield senior Evan Kershaw was tremendous on the mound in his senior campaign, helping to lead the Hornets to their first league title since 2007. In the regular season, the Hornets were undefeated when Kershaw took the mound as he posted a 7-0 record with a 1.61 ERA. He picked up a win in the postseason and kept the eventual D1 State Champs Norwood in check in the South Finals. He finished with 41 strikeouts in 63.2 innings with a 2.09 ERA.
 
 

---

Ryan Riley, Sharon
Sharon senior Ryan Riley was one of the top pitchers in the league this season and was a big reason why the Eagles were able to pick up six wins this year. Riley was dominant on the mound at times and had a league best 60 strikeouts heading into the final week of the season. He posted a 1.73 ERA going into the final week of the season and earned four of Sharon’s six wins this year.
 
 
 

---

Brendan Welch, Oliver Ames
Oliver Ames senior Brendan Welch was once again the top pitcher in the league this year. On the mound, Welch was a perfect 6-0 in the regular season in seven games and was 1-0 in the playoffs. Welch fanned 72 batters, which was second in the league, and finished with a 2.45 ERA in 40 innings pitched. In the playoffs, Welch struck out seven while allowing just three hits. Welch was named the HockomockSports.com Player of the Year and the Hockomock League MVP.
 
 

Click here to view a photo gallery of our selections.

---

Milford freshman Aidan Wilde has been named the third annual HockomockSports.com Baseball Underclassman of the Year after a breakout rookie campaign, which saw him lead the Hockomock League in batting.

Wilde, who took over the starting shortstop role for the Scarlet Hawks this season, burst onto the scene with one of the best rookie seasons in recent memory in the Hockomock League. Wilde had an impressive league-best .537 batting average, was second in the league with 36 hits, was second in the league in runs scored with 25 and was second in the league with 21 RBI.

“Aidan Wilde burst onto the scene this year and was one of, if not the best, offensive player this season,” HockomockSports.com Editor-in-Chief Ryan Lanigan said. “Aidan was a big reason for Milford getting its 37th straight playoff berth and will be a vital player for the Scarlet Hawks for the next three years.”

Wilde is the first Milford player to win the award, following Taunton’s Luke Figueira last year and Franklin’s Nick Santucci in 2013.

Honorable Mention: Ryan Sullivan, Stoughton – Blake Hill, Milford

---

Coach of the Year – Joe Breen, Mansfield
Mansfield head coach Joe Breen has been named the third annual HockomockSports.com Baseball Coach of the Year, leading the Hornets to the D1 South Sectional Finals.

“Coach Breen took over a program that snuck into the playoffs a year ago and turned them into league champions,” HockomockSports.com Editor-in-Chief Ryan Lanigan said. “The attitude and energy Joe brought to the program is something Mansfield baseball fans should be excited for going forward.”

Breen, in his first year at the helm of the Hornets, guided Mansfield to its first league title since 2007, winning the Kelley-Rex division with a 14-2 record. The Hornets were eliminated by the eventual state champions, Norwood.

Honorable Mention: Leo Duggan, Oliver Ames – Jeff Sylvia, Taunton – Zach Brown, Franklin