Follow on Twitter- @PBNewEngland
Follow on Instagram- @PBR_NewEngland

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

2024 New England High School Team Previews

To view our complete list, please CLICK HERE.

2024 Spring Team Preview: Cumberland (RI)

CUMBERLAND, R.I. - The first state title in 30 years has Cumberland excited for more.

“We’ve really turned into a pretty big baseball town,” noted head coach Jared Cardoso. “It’s a great community to live in. I’ve been here coaching 10 years with some pretty good success. In order to win it, I’ve tried to bring a lot of energy, positivity and building kids up.

“We expected to go back last year and it was awesome that it happened. We were only 11-7 in the regular season but we got hot and made a playoff run.”

A 17-9 campaign culminated with a win over Bishop Hendricken in the semifinals followed by taking two-of-three in the finals against LaSalle, winning game three 2-1 behind the pitching of Michael Bradshaw.

But Bradshaw has moved on to Merrimack after winning 18 of 21 decisions over the past two years. Another graduate that will be missed on the mound is Alexander Iannuccilli, who was 2-2 with four saves a year ago before taking his game to Rhode Island College.

However, Cardoso sees promise with the pitching staff this year led by his cousin Joaquin Cardoso, a senior committed to Johnson & Wales who began last season as the number two pitcher on the team before an injury meant more innings for Ben Jahnz. Now a junior, Jahnz will join Cardoso at the top of the rotation this year after going 2-1 with one save and a 1.03 ERA, fanning 15 in 20.1 frames. Cardoso was 3-2 with a 2.85 ERA, striking out 21 in 27 innings last year.

“Experience with what we did last year will play heavily into the success we have on the mound this year,” noted the fourth-year Cumberland head coach, who looks for sophomore Liam Monahanto be the third hurler this season. “We only have 50 innings returning this year but they were big. They watched the older kids and learned how to prepare.”

Third baseman Andrew Ray, the 12th-rated senior outfielder in New England, is back for his final season at Cumberland before taking his game to the University of Rhode Island and is expected to be a leader for a program that lost two starting infielders in shortstop Scott Penney, now at URI, and third baseman Charlie Tarara, now at Nichols College.

A catcher in 2023, a football injury will move Ray to third base or center field this season. A year ago the eighth-ranked 2024 in Rhode Island hit .338 with 18 runs and a .907 OPS.

Second baseman Connor Allard is back for his third year batting in the two-hole with the senior coming off a .291 season that included 18 runs scored.

Josh Lyon, the 15th-ranked junior first baseman in New England, played every inning at first a year ago and is back to hit cleanup. Lyon had a .253 batting average last season with 21 RBIs.

Junior Owen Koczera will be the shortstop with junior Aidan Ray, Andrew’s brother, or freshman Chase Austin behind the plate.

Infield depth comes from freshman Micah Cousineau and sophomore Ryan Harris.

Luke Plumer, who drove in four of the five Cumberland runs in the three-game series with LaSalle, is back for his third season in left field. Plumer had a .342 average in 2023 while driving in 23 runs.

Andrew Nocera is back to play right field for his junior year with Andrew Ray or junior Brady Enos, a pinch runner last season, in center.

“Last year showed it doesn’t matter how you start out,” explained Cardoso, a 2007 Cumberland graduate who is joined on his staff by two other Cumberland alums. “We got beat up in back to back games starting off by Hendricken and Portsmouth, but our leaders kept saying that it would work out and then things started to click. It’s about keeping your eyes on the goals, making the playoffs, then getting the number one seed, then making the final four, then winning a championship. We have a lot of returning guys from that run that will help us this year.”

The number of players back is unusual according to Cardoso.

“In public high schools you don’t have this amount of returning guys,” the Cumberland mentor said. “I’m really excited about what the seniors can bring as long as we don’t have a championship hangover.

“We’re already hearing about having a target and we know Hendricken is on a revenge tour. Portsmouth also thinks they have a shot to win it this year.”

For Cumberland, it is about staying with the course.

“Last year we stayed healthy and had luck on our side,” Cardoso concluded. “It’s just about keeping focus and not making little things too big and making it a big problem. If we stay hungry we think we can do it again.”

Recent Articles