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Pitching The Question Mark For St. John’s Prep

DANVERS, Ma. - There was a lot of promise a year ago for the St. John’s Prep baseball team. With 13 players back from the Super 8 runners-up in 2019, the Eagles were considered by many to be a favorite to bring home a championship. However, the dream never materialized for St. John’s with the cancellation of the 2020 season due to Covid-19.

While a dozen of those players are now in college playing baseball, Dan Latarte has hopes of bringing more success to a program he has been in charge of for eight years. In that time, St. John’s has made the Super 8 all six times of existence, reaching the finals on four occasions.

If the run is to continue, pitching will have to step up for the Eagles, which have yet to claim a Super 8 title.

“Our biggest question mark going into this year is pitching,” noted Latarte, who has been coaching for 26 years. “We have no returning innings back, so it’s a brand new team.”

Senior right-handers Joey Gizmunt and Sam Belliveau are being counted on to lead the staff in 2021. The 6-6 Gizmunt, rated 178th among senior RHPs in New England - who has hit 91 on the radar according to Latarte - will be attending Dartmouth in 2023. Belliveau, the 22nd-ranked 2021 right-handed pitcher in the area, is a Massachusetts-Amherst commit closing in on 90 mph.

“It comes down to those guys throwing strikes,” Latarte said.

More arms in the senior class bring additional expectations in uncommitted PJ Martin, Jack Mahoney, a WPI commit rated 30th among New England 2021 RHP, and Patrick Hosman, who will be attending Endicott College.

A pair of three-year starters anchor the infield in seniors Patrick D’Amico and DJ Pachero. A Seton Hall commit, D’Amico is the 61st-rated senior in New England while Pachero, ranked 24th in the New England 2021 class, is headed to Richmond.

Outfielder Gavin George, a WPI commit, first baseman/outfielder Eric Wing, a St. Joseph’s College (Maine) commit, and catcher Chris Dirk, a Bowdoin College commit, are others that bring promise to the season,

“I think we’ll be okay hitting and I have confidence in our defense,” Latarte said. “Pitching is the question for us.”

Juniors Peyton Palladino and Nick Solitro, a pair of middle infielders/outfielders are newcomers expected to help along with outfielder/RHP Shane Williams.

“The challenge is it feels like we’re starting fresh after no season last year,” Latarte pointed out.

A change in schedule this spring, with football in the mix through late April, finds baseball starting April 26 with the completion date set for July 3.

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