HS baseball: Breaking down the tournament

In his first year at the helm Matt Henriksen coached Whitman-Hanson to a Patriot League Keenan title. Now he hopes that magic translates to the state tournament.

Courtesy of a strong pitching staff highlighted by Evan Yakavonis and Ryan Baker, the No. 5 Panthers are a legitimate threat in Div. 2 but face plenty of landmines if they hope to reach a state final. Defending champion Milton enters as the tournament’s top overall seed and has the talent depth in Owen McHugh, Scott Longo, and Jimmy Fallon to make another deep run. The finalist from a year ago, No. 3 King Philip, has Brendan Senjac leading a strong lineup. A second-round matchup with No. 14 Duxbury would be interesting.

Second-seeded Leominster may be playing better than anyone in Massachusetts and is a contender while No. 4 Hopkinton closed the year with an impressive win over Franklin. Dwayne Follette’s Plymouth North team enters the tournament as the No. 9 seed and can never be taken lightly while perennial contender St. Mary sits lurking at No. 10. With flame-throwing ace Jack Cropper, No. 17 Norwood is a team to watch.

“Over the last 10 days of the season we could not afford a loss if we wanted to win a league championship,” Henriksen said. “We knew we had to run the table to win the league so every game really since the middle of May has been a postseason one for us.”

Div. 1 has a bevy of contenders capable of bringing home the title. Top-seeded Franklin won its first 17 games and has been there before while No. 2 Taunton has plenty of crucial pieces back from last year’s state championship team. It’s impossible to overlook No. 3 Westford Academy who went a spotless 18-0 behind the dynamic 1-2 punch of Jake Cullen and Matt Morash. Fourth-seeded Central Catholic has as much talent as anyone but faces a potential tough second round matchup in No. 13 Chelmsford.

A first round matchup between No. 21 Methuen and No. 12 Andover pits two of the premier arms in Eastern Mass. against each other in Matt Pappalardo and Chris Jaillet. Milford (No. 11), Walpole (No. 17), and Waltham (No. 27) are all dangerous.

Taconic will look to assert itself as Div. 3 favorites after an early exit a season ago and has Kansas State-bound Matt Lee to lean on. Danny Worth’s team was a player a season ago and is set to be one again as No. 2 Medfield enters the tournament as a serious threat behind two-way star Jack Collins. A potential rematch from last year’s quarterfinal may materialize if No. 3 Bishop Stang and sixth-seeded Foxborough both hold serve.

Tenth-seeded Hanover is a dangerous higher seed, as is No. 15 Sandwich.

Boston English may be the No. 2 seed in Div. 4 but appears to be the team to beat as it enters the postseason with a spotless 20-0 record. Justin Peguero is one of the premier players in Massachusetts. Top-seeded Bellingham has four hitters batting over .300 to go with a deep pitching staff. Seekonk played for the state championship a year ago and the No. 3 Warriors have the pieces to make a return trip. Seventh-seeded Monument Mountain is riding into the tournament high after knocking off Taconic to claim the Western Mass. Class B Championship.

A second-round matchup between the Spartans and No. 10 Hamilton-Wenham would provide intrigue.

Div. 5 may be destined for chalk amongst the top three seeds as No. 1 Georgetown, No. 2 Bourne, and No. 3 Oxford all appear to be a cut above the rest. It’s worth not overlooking fifth-seeded Pioneer Valley Christian, who went 18-0 during the regular season. While No. 12 Millis enters the tournament at 5-15 they have the makings of a sleeper based on their experience within the Tri-Valley League.

DIV. 1

CHAMPION: No. 4 Central Catholic

RUNNER-UP: No. 2 Taunton

FINAL FOUR: No. 1 Franklin, No. 2 Taunton, No. 3 Westford Academy, No. 4 Central Catholic

SLEEPER: No. 27 Waltham

BEST FIRST ROUND MATCHUP: No. 21 Methuen at No. 12 Andover

UPSET SPECIAL: No. 19 Saint Paul over No. 14 Lincoln-Sudbury

DIV. 2

CHAMPION: No. 2 Leominster

RUNNER-UP: No.1 Milton

FINAL FOUR: No.1 Milton, No. 2 Leominster, No. 3 King Philip, No. 5 Whitman-Hanson

SLEEPER: No. 14 Duxbury

BEST FIRST ROUND MATCHUP: No. 18 Westborough at No. 15 Mansfield

UPSET SPECIAL: No.17 Norwood over No. 16 West Springfield

DIV. 3

CHAMPION: No. 1 Taconic

RUNNER-UP: No. 6 Foxborough

FINAL FOUR: No. 1 Taconic, No. 2 Medfield, No. 4 Oakmont, No. 6 Foxborough

SLEEPER: No. 15 Sandwich

BEST FIRST ROUND MATCHUP: No. 20 East Bridgewater at No. 13 Hudson

UPSET SPECIAL: No. 19 North Reading over No. 14 Greater New Bedford

DIV. 4

CHAMPION: No. 2 Boston English

RUNNER-UP: No. 1 Bellingham

FINAL FOUR: No. 1 Bellingham, No. 2 Boston English, No. 5 Shawsheen Tech, No. 6 Uxbridge

SLEEPER: No. 10 Hamilton-Wenham

BEST FIRST ROUND MATCHUP: No. 23 Ipswich at No. 10 Hamilton-Wenham

UPSET SPECIAL: None

DIV. 5

CHAMPION: No. 1 Georgetown

RUNNER-UP: No. 3 Oxford

FINAL FOUR: No. 1 Georgetown, No. 2 Bourne, No. 3 Oxford, No. 5 Pioneer Valley Regional

SLEEPER: No. 12 Millis

BEST FIRST ROUND MATCHUP: No. 17 Quaboag at No. 16 Saint John Paul II

UPSET SPECIAL: None