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2026 New England High School Team Previews

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2026 Spring Team Preview: Braintree (MA)

BRAINTREE, Ma. - With seven starters back from a state finalist team, one of the most renowned programs in Massachusetts high school baseball could add to its storied history.

Braintree, with nine state title appearances, the most ever in the state - highlighted by five championships - appears on the brink of making another run at winning the crown.

“We have good senior leadership and experience,” pointed out head coach Bill O’Connell, a Massachusetts Hall of Fame inductee this past year.

Entering his 20th season in charge of the Wamps, with two Super 8 titles (2015, 2016) and a pair of state final appearances (2014, 2025), O’Connell will have a number of standouts to build the 2026 squad around after losing to Chelmsford in extra innings in last year’s championship game.

Max DeRoche and Peter Brooks, a pair of four-year starters, are back to lead the way. The 35th-ranked senior right-handed pitcher in New England, DeRoche is a UMass Lowell commit who will also play infield. Brooks, a Worcester Polytechnic Institute recruit, is back to anchor the infield at shortstop.

Two three-year regulars also return to bring valuable experience to Braintree. Max King, the 32nd-rated 2026 outfielder in New England, will play center field and pitch this year. The Springfield College recruit will be helped out on the mound by Luke Joyce, a left-handed junior pitcher who is receiving Division I looks.

One more junior, Mike Ryan, is another key returnee back to play third base and pitch.

Sean Canavans (UMass Lowell), Owen Donnnelly (Wentworth) and Connor Grieve (Mass Maritime) are three key losses to graduation that must be replaced.

“The lack of power bats is the biggest weakness of this team,” O’Connell said.

While there is plenty of experience on the squad, the Braintree head coach has been around long enough to know success does not come easily.

“Playing in a difficult Bay State League will be very challenging this season,” O’Connell concluded. “But at the same time, it allows us to be battle-tested once the state tournament arrives.”

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