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Portsmouth In Search Of Another State Title

PORTSMOUTH, N.H. - With seven state championships in the last dozen years, Portsmouth was looking at adding to that impressive reign last season only to have the 2020 campaign wiped out due to covid.

“We missed out on the senior season of Cal Hewitt, who is now playing at Vanderbilt,” reflected Portsmouth long-time head coach Tim Hopley in reference to the second-ranked player in the class across the six New England states. “Cal is one of the best players we've ever had in our program and an even better person. His leadership and ability, along with our other now-graduated seniors and the small core of returning players, gave us hope that we'd have been able to compete for a state championship a year ago.”

But the number of all-time state titles at Portsmouth remained at 12 with no season played. The quest for number 13 now begins behind four returning players in Myles Sargent, Ryan Minckler, Justin Blumenthal and Max Lalime. Sargent, the eighth-rated senior shortstop in New England, is a Maine commit while Minckler, the fourth-ranked 2021 right-handed pitcher in the area and number 176 nationally, is a Virginia signee. Blumenthal is a junior third baseman committed to UMass-Amherst while Lalime is the 81st-rated junior outfielder in New England.

“With just four players returning from 2019, we'll have 10 first-time varsity players this season,” pointed out Hopley, who is beginning his 26th season at the helm.

Oscar Lalime, an outfielder/pitcher, and first baseman Jack Russo are seniors ready to make it big in their last year in the program. Juniors Carmine Zingariello (OF/P) and Damon Chase (P) are newcomers to watch along with sophomores Matt Minckler, Duncan Cullinane and Elliot Miles, the 37th-ranked  

2023 shortstop.

“So far the day-in, day-out approach has been really good,” explained Hopley. “They're working hard and building chemistry, and there's a good foundation from which we can build and grow together.”

As is often the case, Hopley knows what can be the difference down the road.

“We'll have to pitch well every time out, and continue to put the team ahead of the individual,” the Portsmouth coach said.

With the postseason different this year due to coronavirus concerns, Hopley believes a tournament run will be harder than ever.

“With New Hampshire using an open-tournament, random-draw format, the best teams won't necessarily be the ones you see in the Final Four because you could have two of the top teams play each other in a play-in game just to reach the Round of 16,” pointed out Hopley. “In our ‘pod,’ all five teams are perennially in the top eight to 10 or 12 and only one will advance to the final. The same basically holds true in the other groups as well.”

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