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2020 NH Spring Team Preview - Bedford

BEDFORD, N.H. - For the third year in a row Bedford was defeated in the state championship game.

With the top six players in the batting order back along with the best pitcher from a year ago, It doesn’t take a genius to understand the type of expectations Billy Chapman and the Bulldogs have in 2020.

“Experience is our biggest strength,” noted Chapman, who in eight years at the helm has led Bedford to a 125-46 record with seven Final Fours, four state runners-up finishes and a 2016 state championship. “This group has been in a lot of big games and they don’t like to lose.”

Senior right-hander Trevor Anibal, a Southern New Hampshire signee, is back to anchor the staff after fanning 103 in 63 innings of work last season, walking 21 and allowing 46 hits with a 6-2 record and 1.22 ERA.

Zach Fletcher, a junior left-hander committed to Purdue, is expected to join Anibal at the top of the rotation.

“The key is if Trevor and Zach can pitch like we think they can,” related Chapman, who led Bedford to a 15-7 record last season after a 1-4 start to the campaign. “Our lineup is going to be hard to beat.”

Senior southpaw Nolan Stoney, a New England College commit, and junior LHP Michael Pratte, a Maine commit, bring depth to the pitching staff of a program that has been in the state finals five years in a row.

Pratte will play center field when not on the mound after hitting .379 with 30 runs scored and a .557 OBP last year. Fletcher also fits into the outfield following a .364 season that included 24 runs and 13 RBIs. Anibal, a middle infielder, averaged .377 with 19 runs and 20 RBIs.

Senior Jared Neikam, a first baseman signed with Stonehill College, is back after leading the squad with a .417 average in 2019 to go along with four home runs and 27 RBIs. Kyle Lavigne, whose brother Grant plays at Wake Forest, returns at catcher after producing three home runs and 17 RBIs while hitting .339 as a sophomore.

In addition to Stoney, Chapman points to juniors TJ Crowley (P/IF) and Austin Bequeath (1B) along with sophomore Ryan Juliano as breakout players for the upcoming season. The starting shortstop last year, Juliano batted .267 as a freshman with 15 runs scored.

“Our biggest concern is healthy pitching,” Chapman said. “If we can stay healthy, that will be key. Last year we could have won more if we’d stayed healthy.

“Another concern is if our starting pitchers can go deep into games.”

Londonderry, which beat Bedford 1-0 in last year’s state title contest despite a three-hit effort by Anibal, is once again one of the teams to beat in New Hampshire according to Chapman with Exeter, state champions the previous two seasons, another top contender along with Portsmouth and up-and-coming Winnacunnet.