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: Millbrook (NY)

MILLBROOK, N.Y. - When you play in the Western New England Prep Baseball League you know the competition is going to be at a premium. Millbrook head coach Jack Harlan has found that to be the case.

“The WNEPBL has gotten more competitive with each season I’ve been coaching in it,” the third-year mentor said. “Every team we play is well coached, and there are no ‘easy’ games on our schedule.”

That looks to be the case once again heading into the 2024 campaign.

“Salisbury, Cheshire and Canterbury all have a ton of talent returning, and Suffield and Williston both have great coaching and talented players,” explained Harlan. “Every team has at least one college-level arm, with the deeper teams in our league having five or more. It’s as competitive a league as any, and the competition prepares student-athletes well for the challenges of college baseball.”

In Harlan’s first two years in charge of Millbrook, the results have had some similarities.

“In back-to-back seasons, our series with Canterbury has determined who is going to the WNEPBL playoffs,” Harlan reflected. “We swept them handily in 2022 to earn a playoff spot, but lost in two close ball games last season. I expect this year's series will hold similar weight.

“All of our divisional opponents (Berkshire, Frederick Gunn School, Canterbury and Salisbury) are crucial games to our season. Each of those games tend to have a bit more intensity and energy, and that’s part of what makes this league so fun.”

While Salisbury is the two-time reigning champion, Millbrook is hoping to break through this season.

“We’ve had back-to-back winning seasons since I’ve taken over the program, which is the first time since 1999 that Millbrook baseball has accomplished this,” related Harlan, who has a 23-12 record at the school, with eight players moving on to the next level at colleges like Maryland, Tulane and Colby.

While the team finished with a 9-7 record in 2023, the outcome could have been even better.

“In six of our seven losses, we had the go-ahead run on base or at the plate in the sixth inning or later,” noted Harlan.

But there were certainly some highlights.

“We had several great pitching performances from a young staff, including a combined no-hitter against Frederick Gunn School,” Harlan said

One senior, one junior and one sophomore are expected to make the staff strong once again. Pedro Leon, a Holy Cross signee, had a 2.40 ERA in 28 innings a year ago and “will likely serve as our ace this season” related Harlan about the senior who has hit 92 on the radar.

St. John’s commit Jack Nestler was the closer as a sophomore and “likely to take on an elevated role” in the upcoming campaign with a fastball that reached 90 on the recent trip to Florida.

Justin Munoz threw the most innings a year ago among the returnees with a 4-2 record, fanning 58 and walking just six in 41 frames with a 1.24 ERA. A two-way talent, the 35th-rated sophomore catcher in the nation, who hit .250 as a freshman, recently decommitted from Boston College.

“I’ve really tried to implement a process-oriented approach to player development and competition,” Harlan explained about what has proven beneficial in the program since taking over. “For example, in practice we focus more on executing reps and the process that goes into it, than on the results themselves. In games, we have a competition checklist that we focus on, rather than focusing on the score of the game.

“As a coach and educator, I have always been passionate about the mental side of the game and mental performance,” Harlan added. “We do a ton of team mental game exercises - from reading excerpts to guided meditation. I’m a competitive individual, and I try to share that energy with my players and create a highly competitive and fun environment for the guys that come through.”

Harlan sees the potential for a big season ahead.

“I’m really liking the compete level and energy of this team,” pointed out the Millbrook head coach. “With some injuries, we are a smaller team in terms of depth, but this group has really been giving it their all in the early weeks of practices and scrimmages.”

Senior Pat Costin, a highly-rated catcher, is recovering from an injury and will serve as DH once rehabbed. A career .410 hitter, the Indiana commit has six home runs and 42 RBIs in 29 career games.

A pair of sophomores help bring high expectations when it comes to scoring runs.

Alex Siano, a “high-academic kid who has seen a ton of growth this past year” according to Harlan, is back after hitting .260 as a freshman. Dean Repaci, an all-state performer at Rye Brook last year, is a “very projectable young player with a ton of feel for the game” and being counted on to take a big role in the lineup this season.

“The keys to success for us this year will be executing routine plays, timely hitting and execution on the basepaths,” Harlan noted. “We’ve implemented a lot of new school baserunning techniques with the group this year, and we are excited to see how that plays out once we begin our schedule up north.”

It brings plenty of anticipation with spring baseball now in the early stages of the season.

“We are one of the few schools in New York who competes in the NEPSAC, and the only one in the WNEPBL,” explained Harlan. “Geographically, we are able to tap into some recruiting areas that our opponents cannot access as easily. As a New Englander myself and Boston sports fan, I cannot say I have adopted the mindset that we are New York’s ‘team or school,’ but that said, we take pride in representing our school community. Where we are from, an ‘Empire State of Mind’ is a regular track on our pregame playlist.”

Recent Articles