Massachusetts Team Of The Week - Whitman-Hanson
May 16, 2019
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Massachusetts Team Of The Week - Whitman-Hanson
WHITMAN,. Ma. - Pat Cronin is enjoying being back at his alma mater - even if most games thus far have been on the road.
Cronin, who was at East Bridgewater for 36 years, is in his fourth year at Whitman-Hanson and has the Panthers at 11-1 on the season. Eight of those games have been away from home due to wet conditions on the home field.
“Most teams I’ve had pride themselves in team defense, pitching, timely hitting and small ball,” noted Cronin, head coach of Prep Baseball Report Massachusetts Team of the Week.
This year’s team fits the mold Cronin seeks, starting with a pitching staff that has surrendered just 16 runs on the campaign heading into this week.
Rian Schwede, a 6-2 215-pound senior who has signed with Endicott, is 4-1 with a 0.65 ERA, fanning 28 and walking just two in 32.1 innings. Ethan Phelps, a senior going to Colby to play college football, stands 4-0 with a 0.59 ERA, fanning 19 in 23.2 innings.
The newcomer is sophomore Tommy Marshall who has had six appearances with a 2-0 record and two saves.
“He’s one of those kids that just slings it,” Cronin pointed out. “We got him straightened out on his mechanics and brought him in the first game with the bases loaded and he got a pop out before going on to strike out the next six or seven hitters.”
The right-hander, who hits left and plays third base when not pitching, has sat down 22 batters on strikes in 14.2 innings without allowing an earned run.
“We have three or four other strike throwers,” added Cronin, whose staff has a 0.78 team ERA.
Defense has been a big part of the success according to the 70-year-old mentor.
“I’ve worked the daylights out of them on defense,” Cronin said. “These guys pride themselves on defense. Normally I keep 20 players on the roster but this year I only kept 15. That’s been helpful for getting reps on defense, in the cages and other various things.”
Mike Cook, a Babson commit and a tri-captain along with Schwede and Phelps, plays second base and leads the team in batting at .405. Will Newell, a senior first-year starter in left field, is hitting .400 with Schwede, a DH when not pitching, at .393. Marshall is averaging .333 while Phelps, a center fielder in addition to pitcher, is at .263 for a team that has outscored the opposition 76-16.
Other key contributors included junior right fielder Devin Coulstring, a converted catcher to right fielder and pitcher who is hitting 294; senior first baseman Aidan Cafferty at .286; sophomore shortstop Danny Kent, who is getting D-I looks; and senior catcher Derek Frank, a left-handed hitter also getting college interest.
“What surprises me is how some of these guys come in from our sub varsity and freshman teams ready to go,” Cronin noted. “I’ve got to give a lot of credit to our other coaches. They do a great job.”
With a big 1-0 win over Duxbury this past week, Cronin looks forward to the rest of the season including a Patriot League encounter with rival Silver Lake on Saturday.
“I retired from teaching in 2008 and retired from coaching baseball in 2015 when the AD (at Whitman-Hanson) asked if I’d come over,” reflected Cronin, who as a senior was part of state championship teams at the school in football in 1965 and baseball in 1966. “They had gone through four coaches and were looking for stability. I’m living the dream at my alma mater.”