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New England Diamond Notes: April 21-27

It was a week to remember for Connor Hinkell of Drury.

The 14th-ranked junior third baseman in New England was 6-7 at the plate, but it was on the mound where he was even better.

The hard-throwing right-hander did not give up an earned run in seven innings against Monument, striking out eight. Hinkell then came back to throw five innings versus Lenox, not permitting an earned run with seven strikeouts.

The 193rd-rated 2026 in New England entered this week with a .429 batting average while sporting a 5-0 record pitching. Hinkell has not allowed an earned run in 23.2 innings with 42 strikeouts.

So who else had big weeks? Read on… 

TWO-WAY STANDOUTS

Three was the number for Luke Delia this week.

The Campbell High School junior RHP/SS was 3-3 with three runs scored at the plate while also tossing a three-hitter.

Delia had a pair of RBIs and a walk in his four trips to the plate, while not giving up an earned run in five innings, striking out six and giving up two free passes. 

There were other players that also got the job done with the bat and pitching …

- Reaching base at a .900 clip on the week, Beaver Country Day’s Lorenzo Figueroa scored seven runs with two doubles, three walks and a HBP, going 5-6 with three RBIs. The 46th-rated senior outfielder in New England was also the winning pitcher against Landmark, giving up one earned run on four hits in four frames with eight Ks. Figueroa owns a .552 average on the season with 21 runs scored and a .667 OBP. 

- Jackson Howe was 3-3 with a double for Otter Valley Union, while also going all seven innings in a 2-1 win on the hill, giving up one earned run, his first of the season, with eight strikeouts. The junior is now 5-10 at the plate this year while holding a 3-0 pitching record. In 16 innings Howe has 22 strikeouts and a .0.438 ERA.

- Vanderbilt commit Wyatt Nadeau was at it again for Gorham. The second-ranked senior in New England and 33rd-rated 2025 RHP in the country, Nadeau did not give up a hit or earned run in 5.2 innings, walking three while striking out 13. Nadeau was also 2-3 at the plate with a run scored.

- Pinkerton Academy’s Leo Boucher is getting it done pitching and hitting this season. The Penn State signee was 4-7 with a double and triple, driving in three runs this week. The 11th-ranked senior RHP in New England also threw five shutout innings in a win over Keene, striking out seven. Boucher is now batting .500 at the plate on the season while standing 2-0 with 14 Ks in eight innings on the hill.

- Josh Misiaszek showed off his power in a 6-12 week with three doubles and a triple, driving in six and scoring four runs. The third baseman for Belchertown also walked and stole two bases. Additionally, the senior right-hander tossed 5.1 innings of two-hit no-run ball in beating Agawam, striking out three and walking a pair.

HOT AT THE PLATE

Speaking of Belchertown, two of the top performances at the plate this week come from that team.

Belchertown DH Thatcher Rudnik was an on-base machine with seven walks, a HBP, two singles and a double in 14 plate appearances while also bringing home two runs. The senior has a .576 OBP for the season with 11 walks, 10 runs and eight stolen bases.

Fellow classmate Ian McDonald stood out as well with a 6-11 week. The senior shortstop scored five runs and brought in five, hitting two doubles, stealing three bases and reaching once on a walk. McDonald now has nine runs scored and six stolen bases on the campaign.

There were other standouts with the bat worth mentioning as well…

- Jack Weierman hit four singles and two triples in 11 at-bats for Natick, producing five RBIs while scoring twice and stealing a pair of bases. The junior outfielder now has a .414 batting average with 10 RBIs on the year.

- Austin Grzych of Burlington upped his season batting average to .429 with a 4-7 performance. The senior catcher scored three times, had two RBIs, hit a double, walked and stole a base.

- Just two games into the season Ben Kyles is on a roll. The Greely left-handed hitting junior first baseman went 4-4 with a double and scored two runs while adding a pair of RBIs in a win over Gray. For the young season Kyles is 6-8 with five runs and four RBIs.

- Tufts University commit Tate Bannish, of Deerfield Academy, went 6-9 with four runs scored to push his season batting mark to .485 with 14 RBIs and 13 runs.

- Trey Tennett had just one hit but made it count for Bangor. The junior left fielder, who has a .667 OBP, knocked in the tying run with a base knock, then stole second and eventually scored the winning run.  

- Luca Sapienza had a ,667 slugging percentage during a 4-9 week that included two doubles and a triple. The Malden Catholic senior center fielder, who also tallied a pair of runs on the week, is now hitting .412 with a .565 OBP, .647 slugging percentage and 1.212 OPS. 

- Left-handed hitting senior Quentin Glass, a LHP/1B, drove in three runs and scored three times for Oxford during a 4-10 week that included a double.

- Cole Moore did a lot in his eight at-bats during the week with the Vermont Academy senior outfielder driving in five runs with a home run, double and single, walking twice and scoring three runs.

SOLID PITCHING

Kaden Smith was dominant in two outings this week for Monadnock High School. The senior threw a no-hit shutout against D-1 Brattleboro in one game, then came back with a three-hit blanking of Stevens.

The season numbers for Smith are impressive, with 30 strikeouts in 23 innings, a 0.91 ERA and a 4-0 record.

There were more good performances reported on the hill …

- Lucas DaCosta needed only 62 pitches in a 2-0 three-hitter against Bedford Voc Tech. The Fairhaven senior did not walk a batter while retiring seven on Ks. DaCosta has yet to give up an earned run in 15 innings this year.

- Will Gills of Simsbury did not permit a run in 13 innings while striking out 21 in a week that included a no-hitter against Conard.

- Blake Littlefield shut out Oxford Hills on two hits. The Brewer High senior struck out 10 and walked two over seven innings of his 88-pitch outing.

- Every out but one came on a strikeout in John Luter’s five inning one-hitter for Colchester. The 247th-ranked junior in New England finished with 14 strikeouts.

- Tommy Crowley also fanned 14 for Whitman Hanson in a no-hit performance. The senior did not walk a batter in the seven-inning contest and now has 36 strikeouts with just three walks on the season in 22.2 frames.

- Jeremy Krendel also threw a no-hitter for St. Mark’s, striking out eight to improve to 2-1 on the season. The senior left-hander, an Endicott College commit, has struck out 21 in 13.2 innings this year, giving up five hits and no earned runs.

- West Warwick has been led on the mound by Anthony Burt this season and it was no different this week. The junior gave up just one unearned run and one hit in a 12-strikeout win over Scituate to improve to 4-0. Burt has 35 Ks and just one walk in 19.2 innings. 

SOPHOMORES SHINES

Pitch count was definitely not an issue for Tyler Geriak this week. The Fairfield Ludlowe sophomore needed only 45 pitches in a complete-game victory.

The left-hander went all five innings of the game allowing two hits and no walks while retiring four batters on strikes.

Geriak is now 1-0 with a save on the season, while sporting a 0.97 ERA.

There were a few other sophomores that came up big this week…

- The top-ranked sophomore in New England, Kaiden McCarthy, showed why with a six-inning no-hitter, striking out 10 and allowing one walk against Kimball Union Academy. The Vermont Academy RHP, the 22nd-rated 2027 in the nation, has won all three decisions to date, fanning 38 in 19.2 innings while giving up just five hits and one earned run with a 0.36 ERA.

- Notre Dame of West Haven 10th-grader Zack Lawruszko was 1-2 at the plate in the first game of the week and 2-4 in another, hitting a double and driving in three. The left-hander also threw 1.1 innings of scoreless relief against top-ranked Hand. For the year, Lawruszko has yet to give up an earned run in 3.1 frames while batting .400.

- Luke Leger fired a six-inning complete game for Noble & Greenough. The sophomore left-hander gave up one run on two hits, striking out 10 and not permitting a free pass.

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