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2024 New England High School Team Previews

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2024 Spring Team Preview: Salisbury (CT)

SALISBURY, Ct. - Kevin Huber has a good explanation why the Salisbury baseball program is so successful.

“It’s a really close-knit group, with a family-type atmosphere,” the eighth-year head coach said. “We key on player development. We have multi-sport athletes that are exceptional in the classroom, not just baseball. The reason we’ve been successful is we have guys that have bought in. They play for each other and work for each other.”

The recipe has brought prosperity to the Crimson Knights, Western New England Prep Baseball League champions the past two years, compiling a combined record of 45-7-1.

The losses are huge from the 2023 squad, with 10 that have gone on to play at some level of college baseball, including Jack Killelea, Player of the Year in the conference, and Brady Bendik, Pitcher of the year in the conference, who are both at Navy. Still, expectations remain high for Huber and company.

“We get post-grads so we have 10 that have committed in the 2024 class, one in the 2025 and two in the 2026,” Huber noted.

The strength of this year’s squad starts on the mound.

“We have a deep staff,” pointed out Huber, who is proud to note that 2018 Salisbury grad Emmet Sheehan, who played at Boston College, made his MLB debut last July for the Dodgers.

The 2024 pitching staff begins with Jasper Nadel, a George Washington commit. Southpaw Michael Plummer and right-hander Ty Deperno, a pair of two-way players that have signed with Navy, are also being counted on to pitch along with Derrick Dellea, a Lassel commit, and Ryan Tongini, a Hamilton College recruit.

Depth on the mound is outstanding according to Huber, with five left-handers in the mix: senior Drew Stark, who will try to walk on at Navy; sophomore Quincy Bright, a Mississippi State commit; sophomore Liam Colley; and freshmen Blake Taylor and Jackson Pettid. Bright is the seventh-rated 2026 LHP in the nation.

“We have some good strike throwers,” Huber said.

Deperno and Thomas O’Connell, a junior committed to Virginia, are the top two catchers at another position that is deep, with juniors Finn Harney, Riley Reimund and Ross Busillo others that can play behind the plate.

Plummer is one of a number of potential first basemen along with Gavin O’Brien, a UMass commit, and Mick Graham, who started in right field last year. Freshman Michael Dell’Aera is another that could play at first.

Will Mumby, a senior headed to Union, and Pierce Cowels, the 18th-ranked 2024 shortstop in New England who is committed to Central Connecticut State, are middle infielders along with junior Michael Fiatarone and freshman Mack Brensilver.

Kaleb Traylor, a sophomore headed to Missouri, is penciled in to get the most time at third base, with Deperno and Busillo other possibilities.

Left-handed hitting senior Danny Rogers, a Salve Regina commit, will be in center with sophomore Nasir Stevenson back in left. Plummer, O’Brien, Graham and junior Lucas Black are others that will fit into the outfield in 2023. O’Brien is the seventh-ranked 2025 outfielder in New England.

“Offensively, this has the most punch out of any team we’ve had here,” Huber noted. “From top to bottom the talent we have is pretty impressive.”

So is a three-peat possible in the league?

“I like our chances,” explained Huber, who pointed to Canterbury, which Salisbury defeated in last year’s final, and Millbrook, with three D-I arms, as top contenders along with Cheshire Academy, which is in the other division. “But we were second in our division last year and the league’s gotten way better.”

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