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2024 New England High School Team Previews

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2024 Spring Team Preview: Deerfield Academy (MA)

DEERFIELD, Ma. - A successful trip to Florida has Deerfield Academy head coach Pat Moriarty excited about the start of the season on Saturday.

“We were challenged a ton and improved a ton,” the eighth-year head coach said about the five exhibition games played down south.

Hope is that translates to success in the 2024 campaign after finishing 10-12 overall last year and 6-4 in league play.

“Coming off our week in Florida, I like the chemistry and culture,” Moriarty noted. “I loved how we played down there. It was talented athletes working together. I like the way we pitched and played defense. We were scrappy at the plate with some power guys and some speed guys.”

Since Moriarty has been in charge the Big Green has made the New England Prep School Athletic Conference playoffs every year, losing to eventual champ Worcester Academy 5-2 in the semifinals last year and in the finals a year prior to Andover, 4-3.

“I like to think we compete and are disciplined,” Moriarty said in explaining the program. “We play the game the right way, we play hard. We don’t take anything for granted. We’re one of the smaller schools, so roster depth is an issue. We rely on pitching and defense.”

Two all-league players, Conor Moriarty and Fletcher Waterman, return this season for Deerfield, which last won a title in 2008. Moriarty, the son of the head coach and a Bowdoin College commit, will play shortstop and bat leadoff with Waterman, a Holy Cross signee and the seventh-rated senior catcher in New England who threw out 13 base stealers last season, will hit in the three-hole after driving in 16 runs last season. Moriarty had 14 stolen bases and scored 20 runs a year ago.

Griffin Dupuis, Connor Niemiec and Tripp Woytowicz are the top three pitchers this season.

“Not many light up the radar but they’re mid-80s or better guys that can change speeds and throw strikes in any count,” noted Moriarty. All right-handers, Dupuis is a post-grad committed to Saint Michael’s College while the other two are juniors.

Senior Jake Rowen will be at first base after battling injuries and playing in just 11 games a year ago while Gavin Rigney, a senior signed with Saint Anselm College, returns to play second after producing 11 RBIs last year.

Post-grad Sawyer Ramey, a basketball commit to Middlebury whose dad is the softball coach at Castleton University, will play third along with Dupuis and sophomore Jack Welch.

Malachi Costello, a post-grad headed to Iona, will be in center field with senior Landon Whayne in left and sophomores Will Machnik and Connor Mudd looking to see time in right.

“We have a new field and we’re playing on turf so hopefully we can use that to our advantage,” Moriarty said. “It’s a goal of ours to get a bye in the tournament (the top two in the league receive a bye). Having a better record in league games than we do overall speaks to our (lack of) depth.”

In addition to the new field, another highlight this season is a game against Westminster Academy on May 8 at Dunkin’ Park in Hartford, home field of the Hartford Yard Goats of the Eastern League.

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