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2022 New England High School Team Previews

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2022 Spring Team Preview: FFDL Warde

FAIRFIELD, Ct. - Nine all-conference players return. No pitchers graduated. There are four Division I commits.

No wonder FFLD Warde head coach Brett Connors is optimistic about a big season in 2022.

“We have a lot of experience,” noted Connors, who led the Mustangs to a 20-4 record a year ago, including a FCIAC championship game win over Greenwich, a team that defeated FFLD Warde in the state quarterfinals. “We have a lot returning and all of our pitchers are back. We lost some high-quality seniors but our main nucleus of pitchers is back, our number one, two and three along with our top reliever.”

Zach Broderick, a Merrimack signee ranked 11th among 2022 southpaws in New England, and Griffin Polley, a James Madison commit rated 14th in the 2023 class of right-handed pitchers in New England, headline the staff.. Broderick plays first base and Polley third when not pitching.

Will Stellato, the 33rd-ranked 2023 RHP in New England, and Jack Pasick, a junior left-hander, bring depth on the mound along with Paddy Galvin, the 58th-rated junior right-hander in the area who will also be a utility player.

Whoever is on the mound will have the luxury of throwing to senior catcher Roman Digiacomo, a Duke commit called by Connors “easily the top catcher in the state.”

John Heitzman, the 19th-ranked senior outfielder in New England and a Quinnipiac recruit, brings more talent to the Mustangs after earning all-state honors in 2021.

“This is probably the best team I’ve had,” noted Connors, who heads into his seventh season at FFLD with a 69-46 overtall record, including a 2016 state finals loss to Amity in his first year at the helm.

Senior second baseman Jack Andrews and senior Jake Balogh, the 36th-rated 2022 New England outfielder, along with junior shortstop Garrett Larsen are other key returnees for a team that lost all-conference center fielder Declan O’Hara, now at Salve Regina, and Jack Corcoran, a first baseman/DH, to graduation.

“I really like the leadership of this group,” pointed out Connors. “These are high-quality kids on and off the field. They do a great job in the program going down to the fields and giving back to the local Little League with players coming up in the program. They’re tremendous to watch in all aspects. Our team GPA is 3.9. It’s the smartest team I’ve ever had and the deepest pitching.”

Newcomers add to the excitement.

“We have a crop of kids that have an opportunity to compete,” Connors said. “We have an open position in left field, an open position at first base when Broderick pitches and an open position at DH. The keys for us are pitching, timely hitting, executing, leadership, solid defense and working hard.

“Doing things right on and off the field and conducting yourself professionally is what we want. Giving back to the program to the next crop coming through is what it’s all about for us.”

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