Follow @pbrnewengland

Interested in attending a PBR New England event? Check out our schedule by clicking here.

To view the commitment tracker, click here.
To view the uncommitted spotlights, click here.

Oyster River

DURHAM, N.H. - Injuries made for a rough 2018 season for Oyster River. With the return of many of those players, first-year head coach Cam Calato hopes to turn things around following a 4-12 campaign a season ago.

“Energy and passion,” Calato said about what he plans to bring to a program that has reached the quarterfinals three years in a row. “We have had teams that can compete at the top level, but we need to get over that hump.”

An assistant coach for the Bobcats the past three seasons, Calato must replace Brennen Oxford, the team’s standout player who is now a member of the Wake Forest baseball program.

“We have almost everybody back, so it should be a good year,” Calato said.

It starts on the mound with the trio of Owen Tonkin, Max Lewis and Myles Carrico.

“That’s the core,” Calato said. “The top three are not only pitchers, but they have the versatility to also play the field.”

Tonkin, a senior committed to Southern New Hampshire who plays shortstop when not on the mound, was out last season with an injury. Lewis, who will play at the next level at Nichols College, is a third baseman for Oyster River in addition to being one of the top pitchers. Carrico, a junior, is in the outfield when not called upon to pitch.

“We’re looking for consistency,” Calato pointed out. “We’re also looking for leadership.”

Junior center fielder Declan Daubne and junior second baseman Jack Dalton are other key returnees for Oyster River, which has a pair of newcomers expected to play key roles.

Freshman Aidan Sengenberger is penciled in as the catcher.

“There are big things to come from him in the future,” Calato said of Sengenberger.

Ellis Tonkin, a sophomore pitcher, could also be a key contributor this season.   

“I feel like we’re pretty good on pitching,” Calato explained. “We have three starters I’m confident can go deep into the game and then we have some young ones that can come in to close it off. It’s all about if they do what they need to do and that’s throw strikes.”

Calato points to confidence as a key factor if the season is to end on a successful note.

“We’d like to build momentum and then ride it out,” Calato said about what it will take to be a title contender in 2019. “It would be nice to win one of those big games at the end of the year.”

Helping the cause for Oyster River this season is three of the top Division II teams in the state moving up to Division I - Portsmouth, Goffstown and Windham.

“That makes Division II more up in the air than usual,” Calato said. “We still expect Division II to be strong, but when a team that wins it every other year like Portsmouth is gone, there is more room for other good teams to have a shot at it.”

Calato is hoping that is the case for the Bobcats.

“The key for us is to have balance,” Calato said. “Can we do all three phases - good offense, pitching and defense - at a consistent level? We’re trying to practice and hone in on all of that. It’s all about doing those three phases well if we are to be the best that we can be.”