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Pinkerton Academy

DERRY, N.H. - For the third time in six years Steve Campo took Pinkerton Academy to the Final 4. Could this be the year the Astros get over the hump and bring home a state championship?

Five returning pitchers and the complete infield is back making the prospect of winning the school’s first state baseball title since 1986 a realistic possibility.

“I like the experience we have with a lot of pitchers, though Division I is a different animal when you add in Portsmouth, Goffstown and Windham this year,” Campo said. ““But we’re excited about what lies ahead. Our infield defense took major steps forward last year and it’s exciting to see what we do this year.”

Asa Runge returns as the ace of the Pinkerton Academy staff. The 6-1 193-pound left-hander plays first base when not pitching and bats in the meat of the order. Currently a junior at Pinkerton, Runge has reclassified to the 2021 class where he is ranked second in New England.

“Asa had a breakout sophomore year and saw a lot of Division I attention in the summer,” noted Campo about the College of Charleston commit.

Richard Marique is also back after pitching just seven innings as a junior. The 5-8 165-pound right-hander who is headed to Plymouth State, was first-team all-state as a sophomore before arm problems brought an early end to his 2018 season on the mound.

“He will be a big factor if he can get back to his sophomore form,” Campo noted. “That would give us two good pitchers at the top of the rotation.”

Derek Hiscox, a junior right-hander, was the number three hurler a year ago during a 17-5 season that ended with a 5-3 state semifinal loss to eventual state champion Exeter and is again expected to fill that role.

Senior Matt Albetski, an all-state closer with nine saves as a sophomore, had four saves last season and returns. Junior Brady Day joins the UMass-Dartmouth recruit in relief.

“He has a live arm,” Campo said of Day, who has two years of varsity pitching experience. “We’re expecting another big year out of the bullpen.”

It brings a lot of promise to the Astros.

“We’re pretty pumped, they all have at least three years experience,” Campo pointed out about the pitching staff. “The strength of the team will be pitching and defense with the return of our whole infield from last year.”

It starts in the middle with Day at second and Jacob McGill at shortstop, both three-year players anchoring the infield.

“The way they play together and the confidence they give our pitchers is unbelievable,” Campo said. “It’s a very good feeling when you get a ground ball.”

Third baseman Frank Gulezian is also back with Runge at first base when not on the mound.

UMass-Boston signee Connor Jenkins, a 6-2 215-pound left-handed hitter, returns to play outfield for his senior year after earning first team all-state honors in 2018.

“Connor, Asa and Brady lead our offense,” Campo said about the likely 2-3-4-hole hitters on the team.

Marique is also penciled in to play outfield for Pinkerton Academy, with juniors Jagger Bell and JD Normand competing for action at catcher. Bell is a 6-2 175-pounder ranked 339th in the New England 2020 class.

“Both had fantastic offseasons and both will get varsity time,” Campo noted.

It has the Astros and Campo looking at a potential big season in 2019.

“There are so many good teams in our conference, we just want to try and be competitive every day,” Campo said. “If we execute the way we’re supposed to, we can win a lot of ball games. Pitching and defense will be the keys. If our pitchers can challenge hitters and our defense limits mistakes, we can be very, very competitive this year.”