Who was the Providence Journal baseball player of the week? Vote now
How did you spend April vacation?
Baseball season across the state is in full swing. The challenge – hit at least one game each day to get a sense of the Division I and Division II fields.
Cumberland and East Providence are the defending champions, and both look in fine working order. There are early challengers emerging for their crowns – Bishop Hendricken, South Kingstown, Westerly and Barrington are among them. The rest will shake out over the next few weeks.
These players were all selected from games featured online or in print by The Journal. We’d like your help in future weeks by calling in or emailing your scores and game summaries to us. You can reach us by phone Monday through Friday at (401) 277-7340 or via email at pjsports@providencejournal.com, by 10 p.m.
A reminder – we can’t accept anything from parents or other outside sources. Information must come from coaches or school administrators. If you find they’re not getting in contact with us consistently, take it up with them directly – we'll be making the same requests both in this space and personally.
Thanks in advance. And now, on with some of the standouts from last week.
Tyler DiCecco, East Providence
The transfer from Bishop Hendricken adds to one of the state’s deepest pitching rotations. DiCecco threw 6 1/3 strong innings in a 2-0 victory over Barrington, allowing four hits and striking out eight. Any future best-of-3 series facing DiCecco, Dylan Annicelli and Tim Robitaille will provide a stiff challenge for any opponent.
Andrew Nocera, Cumberland
The Clippers have a new spark atop their batting order – and, when needed, with the glove. Nocera pounded out three hits in a win over Cranston West and picked up a victory on the mound in relief against Toll Gate. Those types of all-around contributions helped drive Cumberland to a title last spring.
Cade Thomas, East Greenwich
How will the Avengers rebound from falling in the Division II finals last year? Leaning on Thomas is a good start. He reached safely three times, scored a run and drove in a run while taking care of Chariho. Every good baseball team features a strong spine, and Thomas offers excellent defense in center field thanks to his overall athleticism.
Cooper Maher, Bishop Hendricken
Thursday saw a rivalry renewal with La Salle, and Maher helped power the Hawks over the top. He knocked a pair of RBI singles and closed on the mound with 2 2/3 innings in a 9-6 victory. The two-way talent at second base and as a right-handed pitcher is just scratching the surface, and his contributions could help Bishop Hendricken play deep into June.
Michael Poole, Westerly
We’ve seen Poole perform on the biggest stages before. His freshman year ended with a shutout of Narragansett in the game that clinched the Division II championship. Now he’s a junior and a Maine commit who looks to dominate every time out – a 1-0 blanking of Barrington certainly qualifies, and that came off 18 strikeouts while beating rival Chariho.
Liam Sagal, South Kingstown
A good lineup doesn’t end in the middle. Sagal was dangerous out of the nine spot while the Rebels handled Moses Brown, 9-1. He knocked three hits, drove in two runs and scored a pair. South Kingstown carried a perfect record into Tuesday’s showdown with Bishop Hendricken thanks to its collective approach.
Anthony Colucci, Coventry
What a time to hit a first home run in high school. Colucci cracked a walkoff three-run shot as the Oakers slipped past North Kingstown, 4-1, on Saturday afternoon. He fired a complete game on the mound in a victory over Cranston East earlier in the week, and Coventry was safely in the top half of the league standings through six games.
bkoch@providencejournal.com
On X: @BillKoch25
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: The Providence Journal baseball player of the week poll
