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2024 New England High School Team Previews

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2024 Spring Team Preview: Worcester Academy (MA)

WORCESTER, Ma. - It was a season to remember for first-year Worcester Academy head coach Mike Abraham in 2023, capped off by a Central New England Prep School Baseball League championship.

“Last year was one of those groups you don’t have to motivate a ton,” explained Abraham, whose Hilltoppers defeated Dexter Southfield 12-6 in the championship game after beating Deerfield Academy 5-2 in the semifinals. “It’s hard to recreate that. We’ve got a new group of guys this year with different personalities, strengths and weaknesses.”

It starts up the middle with the three captains, pitcher Mav Rizy, catcher Cam Papetti and shortstop James Anastasopoulos. Center fielder Liam Dally adds to the strength of the lineup’s interior.

“That’s the goal,” Abraham said. “You always want to start up the middle. Good teams are strong up the middle.”

In Rizy, Worcester Academy has the top-rated senior in New England, an LSU commit ranked 39th among 2024 right-handed pitchers in the country.

“I’ve coached some talented guys,” Abraham said. “He acts like a pro without thinking he’s better than everybody. The confidence he has … you know what you’re going to get out of him. This year I can already see how much better he’s gotten.”

The return of Papetti behind the plate adds to the potential of what can be accomplished by Rizy, a 6-9 235-pound RHP, rated 115th in the senior class nationally.

“Mav’s connection with our catcher is so important,” noted Abraham, who has high praise for the eighth-rated senior catcher in New England, a Bryant commit. “Working with Cam the last two years has been incredible. He’s a Division I player as an infielder or catcher. He just has a knack for catching. He’s one of those leaders verbally and non-verbally.”

Anastasopoulos is the 11th-ranked junior shortstop in New England who played second base last season while Dally is the 42nd-rated 2025 in Massachusetts who started in left field a year ago.

The Worcester mentor is counting on their leadership as being invaluable this year.

“There are so many types of leaders - vocal, tireless working, guys that play the right way,” Abraham explained. “To learn from the ones we had last year will help our leadership this year.”

A trio of post-grads will also help the cause on the mound in Peter Murphy, Connor Murphy and Casey DeLorenzo. Peter Murphy is a left-handed pitcher signed with Trinity, while Connor will likely only hit this season due to an injury. DeLorenzo, the 48th-ranked 2024 shortstop in New England who is committed to Saint Anselm, will bat leadoff and play third base, pitch and fill in elsewhere in the infield.

“He’s a gamer,” Abraham said of the 295th-rated senior in New England. “He’s a baseball player.”

Cole Hambley, the third-rated junior first baseman in New England, is slated to play first with freshman Lucas Stockenberg at second base. Bryan Sornas, the 41st-ranked 2025 shortstop in New England, brings infield depth at third base and first base and will also DH.

Dushyant Singh, a repeat junior, will be in left field with Mikey MaGee, the 21st-rated junior outfielder in New England, in right for a team that lost a number of standouts to graduation including outfielders Gabe Pitts (Central Connecticut State) and Jamison Howland (Assumption), catcher Cole Carbone (Houston), LHP/1B TJ Power (Duke basketball) and southpaw hurler Huxley Holcombe (Cornell).

“The big thing that stands out with this group is how close we are,” Abraham noted. “We start in the fall with a team weekend at Cape, we have team meals and go to games together. So by day one we already know each other. We have that closeness.”

There is more that the second-year head coach sees with the 2024 squad.

“We have maybe more depth than last year,” Abraham related. “Last year we had starters and then young guys. This year we have guys that will push each other. We have a chance to use different lineups and play different guys. Our young guys are pretty talented.”

One of those is freshman Kellan Kissane, an outfielder and right-handed pitcher who also plays hockey.

“Like with any team, consistency will be the key,” Abraham concluded. “Doing the simple things really well is important, especially in high school baseball. As long as we throw strikes and are consistent on the mound, we’ll play defense. Last year we had five D-I arms. This year, as long as we throw strikes and keep ourselves in games we’ll be a tough team to beat.”

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