This compilation spotlights exceptional high school baseball talents across the SouthCoast region, acknowledging stellar athletic displays. It revisits prior poll victors, Chase Afonso and Logan Stott, and then delves into the recent week's standout players from local high schools. These athletes, hailing from institutions such as Apponequet, Bishop Stang, Dartmouth, Fairhaven, GNB Voc-Tech, New Bedford, Old Colony, Old Rochester, and Wareham, distinguished themselves through remarkable pitching, powerful hitting, and significant contributions to their teams' successes.
Last week, Chase Afonso from Dartmouth was honored as the Baseball Player of the Week, securing over 11,000 votes, which accounted for 37% of the total. His performance included pitching 2 ⅓ innings in relief, where he surrendered only one run and one hit, earning a victory against GNB Voc-Tech. Additionally, Afonso contributed with two hits at the plate. Earlier, Logan Stott, also from Dartmouth, was recognized as the Preseason Baseball Player of the Year, receiving more than 1,000 votes, making up 38% of the total. Old Colony's Cam Vallee and GNB Voc-Tech's Ashton DeMedeiros followed closely in the preseason rankings.
The current week also saw impressive individual efforts. Brayden Bogdan of Apponequet delivered a crucial 2-RBI single in the sixth inning, sealing a comeback win against Bishop Stang. He further added four hits and two RBIs in separate victories over Old Rochester and Somerset Berkley. His teammate, Ryan Levesque, pitched five shutout innings against Old Rochester, allowing just two hits and two walks while striking out seven. Levesque also shone offensively with three hits and three RBIs in a win over Somerset Berkley. Another Apponequet player, Sean Lundrigan, collectively achieved four hits and six RBIs across two games against Old Rochester and Somerset Berkley.
From Bishop Stang, Amir Cartagena had an exceptional three-game stretch, going 6-for-9 with a walk, four RBIs, and four runs scored. Nathan Zexter, also from Bishop Stang, amassed four hits, an RBI, and three runs scored over two games despite losses to Apponequet and Bishop Fenwick. Sebastian Diaz of Dartmouth managed two RBIs with one hit in a defeat to New Bedford, while his colleague, Logan Stott, hit a solo home run in a game against Middleboro.
Fairhaven’s Nick Lajoie demonstrated his all-around skills, going 4-for-8, drawing a walk, stealing three bases, and scoring four runs in three games. Teammate Evan Lamontagne pitched 5 ⅓ innings against Case, giving up three runs on one hit and two walks, along with nine strikeouts. He also hit 2-for-4 with two RBIs in a win over Bourne. Jackson Ponte, another Fairhaven standout, was 2-for-2 with two stolen bases and a run scored against Bourne, where he also closed the game by striking out the side. In a game against Case, Ponte contributed with a hit, an RBI, and a run.
Ashton DeMedeiros from GNB Voc-Tech threw a complete-game four-hitter against Somerset Berkley, walking two and striking out ten. Charlie Niemiec, also from GNB Voc-Tech, hit a walk-off single in the seventh inning to secure a win against Somerset Berkley. Logan Rego, meanwhile, recorded a total of four hits over games against Somerset Berkley and Old Colony.
New Bedford's Jerriel Cortes provided two hits and three RBIs in a victory over Dartmouth. Camden Hill matched this with two hits and three RBIs in the same game. Trevor Roderiques, despite a loss to Bridgewater-Raynham, pitched five innings, allowing only one earned run, and contributed offensively with a hit, an RBI, and a run. Kris Woods of New Bedford blasted two home runs and drove in four runs in a loss to Springfield Central, and scored three runs in a win against Dartmouth. Old Colony's Aiden Deree pitched a complete game against GNB Voc-Tech, yielding three runs on six hits and two walks, with five strikeouts, while also collecting three hits. Marc Donati was 2-for-3 with three RBIs and a two-run homer in the same game. Cam Vallee went 2-for-4 with two runs, two walks, and three RBIs against GNB Voc-Tech.
Charlie Connelly of Old Rochester registered one hit and one RBI in a loss to Seekonk. Wareham's Jackson Cabe amassed four hits, two RBIs, and a run across victories over Southeastern and Rising Tide. Tyler Cannon and Braydon Pease combined for a no-hitter against Rising Tide; Cannon pitched three innings with five strikeouts and added three RBIs, while Pease struck out two over two innings. These performances underscore the depth of talent and competitive spirit present in SouthCoast high school baseball.
