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Central Catholic

LAWRENCE, Ma. - After reaching the Super 8 two years in a row, including a loss in the state finals last season, Central Catholic will have a new look in 2019. John Sexton will be taking over the program with his first stint as a head coach of the Merrimack Valley Conference school.

“I’ve been around the program for so long,” explained Sexton, an assistant on and off since 2002 (he also spent time coaching at UMass-Lowell) as well as an offensive coordinator in football at the school. “I’m excited to put my personal stamp on things. It’s something I’ve wanted to do for a long time. I’m looking forward to how this group of kids works and competes.”

Eight players from last year’s 19-7 squad have moved on to play college baseball leaving a big hole in the 2019 lineup.

“We’re very green,” Sexton admitted. “When you graduate eight, you’re very, very unproven and young. But we have some arms, so I think we’ll be able to pitch. After that it will take some time for several positions to sort out, particularly in the outfield where we have five or six guys battling for three spots.”

Senior Patrick Casserly is one of a trio of returning players Sexton plans to build the Raiders around this season. The 5-11 195-pounder pitches, plays corner infield and will DH while hitting in the middle of the order. The 167th-rated 2019 in New England is a Holy Cross commit.

Senior Michael LeFebre, a two-way football standout at wide receiver and cornerback committed to playing on the gridiron for Endicott, will hit at the top of the lineup and play second base or third. Junior Dante Pistone, a 5-8 170-pound middle infielder ranked 67th in the New England 2020 class, is another top-of-the-order player being recruited by lower D-I and higher D-II colleges according to Sexton.

“The other positions are up for grabs,” noted the first-year head coach, who also has a transfer in the program in Dominic Pedi, a 6-0 200-pound catcher/corner IF/pitcher rated 144th among New England juniors.

But the holes to fill are large with the loss of players such as Steven Hajjar (LHP and Gatorade Player of Year drafted by the Brewers and now at Michigan), Dominic Keegan (catcher to Vanderbilt), Noah Lucier (SS to Stonehill), Michael Pierro (OF to Saint Anselm), Sean Thompson (LHP/OF to Merrimack), Aidan Abernathy (3B/RHP to Worcester State) and Joey Sanchez (CF to Merrimack).

“We have a very strong program and our expectations are always to compete for the league, the postseason and the Super 8,” Sexton said. “Is it realistic? Probably not. But it’s a school that has success in every sport.

“What we need are guys to step up and grab those open jobs. I’m excited to look at the entire roster, there are a lot of opportunities out there for these guys. It’s just going to take a little time to settle on a lineup.”