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By Dylan Hefflinger, Dennis Healy, Trevor Brown and PBR Staff
Editor in Chief / Co-Director of Scouting

With the 2016 spring season right around the corner, PBR New England is eagerly anticipating bringing the New England states the best high school coverage throughout the region.

Starting February 1st, we began releasing team previews for teams across the state, leading into the Preseason All-State Teams as well as the Preseason State Rankings.

If you are a coach and haven't filled out your 2016 Team Preview, click here.

Interested in attending a PBR New England event? Check out our schedule by clicking here.

2016 Massachusetts Spring Team Preview: Phillips Academy Andover

Team Name: Phillips Academy Andover (MA)
Head Coach: Kevin Graber
Division: Massachusetts Prep
2015 Record: 17-5
Conference: Central New England Prep School
Returning Starters/Pitchers: 7/3

Overall Thoughts:

• "Andover, which finished 17-5 (10-2 in league play) in 2015 and advanced to the Central New England Prep championship game, will have to overcome the graduation of four division I pitchers — Travis Lane ’15 (Boston College), Tim Salvadore ’15 (Virginia Tech), Jake Nelson ’15 (UPenn), and Matt Hosman ’15 (UMass Amherst) — who gobbled up most of the innings on the mound last year."

2016 Team Strengths:

• The offense will be a strong suit

2016 Team Weaknesses:

• This year young and new arms will have to step up

Top 2016 Players:

• John Simourian (C/OF, 5-9/175 pounds, R/R, captain, Georgetown commit) .279 avg. (19-for-68), 5 doubles, 22 RBI, 8 runs, 4 walks, .329 OBP, 4 steals
• Rich Ciufo (SS, 5-11/195 pounds, new this year to the program, Brown University commit, made Northeast Yankees Area Code team last summer)
• Nick Latham (OF/1B, 6-2/200 pounds, new this year to the program, Boston College commit, played last year at St. John's Prep)
• Matt Wesoloski (RHP, 6-6/220 pounds, new this year to the program, uncommitted, played last year at Arlington Catholic)
• Matt Whalen (INF, 5-9/175 pounds, R/R, Bowdoin commit) .226 avg. (7-for-31), 1 double, 0 RBI, 6 runs, 5 walks, .368 OBP, 3 steals
• Payton Jancsy (UTIL, 5-11/185 pounds, R/R, UChicago commit) .206 avg. (7-for-34), 1 double, 1 RBI, 6 runs, 3 walks .270 OBP, 3 steals

Top 2017 Players:

• Robby Cerulle (1B/RHP, 6-1/195 pounds, R/R). Hitting: .286 avg. (16-for-56), 1 double, 9 RBI, 7 runs, 2 walks, 339 OBP, 4 steals.
• Taylor Beckett (3B/OF, 5-11/190 pounds, R/R, 2015 First-Team All-Central New England Prep) .353 (24-for-68), 7 doubles, 13 RBI, 16 runs, 7 walks, .439 OBP, 4 steals
• Cam Garfield (RHP, 6-1/185 pounds, R/R)

Top 2018/2019 Players:

• Joe Simourian (CF, 2018, 5-11/160 pounds, L/L) .274 avg. (17-for-62), 3 doubles, 1 triple, 10 RBI, 18 runs, 17 walks, .458 OBP, 5 steals
• Travis Lane (1B/RHP, 2018, 6-2, 225 pounds, L/R, Boston College commit). Hitting: .333 avg. (11-for-33), 1 double, 7 RBI, 5 runs, 4 walks, .405 OBP, 1 steal.
• Sam Conte (OF/LHP, 2018, 6-4/200 pounds, L/L, new to the program, plus tools all the way around)
• Kai Marcos (OF, 2018, 6-0/157 pounds, R/R, new to the program, plus speed)
• Anthony Redfern (OF/RHP, 2018, 6-1/183 pounds, R/R, new to the program, First-Team All-Western Mass. last year at Easthampton High School)

Notable Alumni:

• George H. W. Bush (class of 1942), 41st President of the United States.
• George W. Bush (class of 1964), 43rd President of the United States, who owned a share of the Texas Rangers from 1989 to 1998.
• A. Bartlett Giamatti (class of 1956), former Commissioner of Major League Baseball.
• Bill Veeck (class of 1932), former owner of the Cleveland Indians, St. Louis Browns, and Chicago White Sox.
• Bill Vinton (class of 1884), who struck out 100 batters as a senior captain and went on to pitch for the Philadelphia Phillies.
• William Clarence Matthews (class of 1901), shortstop at Andover and Harvard, later barred from Major League Baseball because he was African-American, for whom the Ivy League Baseball Championship Trophy is named.
• Bill Belichick (class of 1970), head coach New England Patriots.
• Zak DeOssie (class of 2003), long snapper New York Giants.
• Matt Hyde (class of 1992), northeast area scout, New York Yankees.
• Gus Quattlebaum (class of 1993), director of professional scouting, Boston Red Sox.