An Era Of Excellence Culminates In Title For Ellington Quartet

ELLINGTON, CT — In 2015, Little League baseball in Ellington was at an all-time high. The 10/11 team won the District 8 championship, while the 11/12 squad captured not only the District 8 crown, but advanced to the state finals, falling to Norwich by a single run in extra innings.

A half-dozen years later, four members of those teams - Frank Mozzicato, Ryan Shaw, and brothers Michael and Luke Wearne - played an integral part in leading East Catholic High School to the Class M state championship. Mozzicato, Shaw and Michael Wearne all were standouts throughout the season, right through the 7-0 title game victory over Northwestern Regional.

Luke Wearne suffered a torn labrum early in the spring and missed most of the season. Despite his injury, he remained with the team throughout its magical undefeated season. In fact, when the Eagles were presented their championship medals following their title win, Mozzicato placed Luke's medal around his neck.

After having played together in various incarnations for about a decade, the quartet is splitting up. Mozzicato was chosen seventh overall by the Kansas City Royals in the Major League Baseball draft earlier this week. Shaw is heading to study and play at UMass-Boston, while Michael Wearne will be playing at Saint Joseph College in Maine, double majoring in marketing and business/sports management. Luke Wearne, a year younger than the rest, will be returning to East Catholic for his senior year.

Following the team championship, each of the four players independently told Patch about their experience growing up in Ellington and playing together all those years. The remainder of this story is in each young man's own words.

Michael Wearne
"I find it fascinating because Frank Mozzicato, Ryan Shaw, my brother Luke and I have been playing together since we were 8 years old. An entire decade later, we all played a pretty significant part in bringing a title back to East Catholic. Our time on the Ellington all star team started together in 2013 and ended in 2015. In district play, we did not lose a single game. On that team, Ryan was the slugger, Mozz was the ace, and I liked to flash the leather. Ten years later, it’s still the same story. Our roles back then got us ready for high school ball, and we fulfilled those roles pretty well. We knew we were doing something special by winning districts every year, and with that being said, championships aren’t new to us. But for a few years after Little League, we would play on different travel ball teams and occasionally play against each other during the summer. Then we got to East Catholic. Frank and I started there freshman year and then Luke would join us as a freshman and Ryan would join as a sophomore the year after that. Most of us bounced up and down from JV to varsity that year, and the pandemic took away our 2020 season. In 2021, we picked up right where we left off. Luke would be sidelined by a torn labrum injury but we other three were undisputed starters. I was at third base, Ryan was at second base, and Frank pitched and played first base when not on the mound. We started every single game this year and all of us has batting averages over .400 (Frank .476, me .435, Ryan .410). Come playoffs, we knew what it was like to make a deep run and win a title. We had three of them from ten to twelve years old. We just wanted to add one more to our resumé. The brotherhood that we developed from the early days of baseball is something special. And now we’re a part of something even more monumental that can never be taken away. We won titles back then, and we won one now. We never lost back then, and we didn’t lose now. That’s a pretty cool stat I’m proud to be a part of.

Ryan Shaw
"I first off want to thank you for the opportunity you are giving me to voice my experience. I always thought that Little League all stars was going to be the best time of my life on the baseball diamond. After three very successful years alongside Frank Mozzicato, Michael Wearne and Luke Wearne, I never thought anything would be able to top the fun we had on the field as Ellington All Stars. I was blessed to spend my childhood playing for a town that was so successful due to all of the support from the families and coaches. I really formed a special bond with these three guys. Frank was my best friend at the start of All Stars and remains my best friend to this day. I am so thankful for the opportunity that I was given by my parents to attend a Catholic high school and play baseball. It was the best decision I have ever made. I was able to play the game I love in an environment that reminded me of the “All Star days.” My dad Scott has thrown me thousands of pitches over the years, and my mom Beth does everything possible to keep me on track and organize events and things for the programs. I couldn’t have done it without them. The 2021 East Catholic baseball operation was all hands on deck. The coaches and players were 100 percent dedicated, as well as each and every family. Going to a Catholic school was definitely different. Besides the three Ellington guys, I had to try to form a bond with my new team, whereas in public schools, the majority of the kids have been playing together their whole lives. A few weeks into the season, I felt that I knew every single one of the guys on my team as well as I knew my Ellington teammates. We developed a brotherhood vibe and didn’t have any drama throughout the whole season. Our 2021 season was absolutely ELECTRIC. With the help of everyone on and off the field, we cruised to a 25-0 record, becoming the Class M state champions as well as the No. 1 team in the state and the CHSCA Team of the Year. Watching these guys play and seeing the growth in Mike, Frank and Luke over the years was truly amazing, though my favorite part of it all was the lifelong friendships we developed. Special shout out to Mr. and Mrs. Shaw. Special shout out to Mr. and Mrs. Mozzicato. Special shout out to Mr. and Mrs. Wearne. These parents all treated each and every one of us as their own child. They all did so much for us at all levels and gave us the opportunity to play for the Ellington All Stars as well as the East Catholic program."

Frank Mozzicato
"Playing together with Ryan Shaw, Michael Wearne and Luke Wearne since we were in Little League has been a fantastic experience. All of the hard work that we put in to our games, since we played together during the minor and major leagues and on various All Star teams and travel ball teams, really helped our chemistry as players at East Catholic. I really think it helped in our quest for a state championship title. We all have similar priorities, we put team first, we work hard, support each other and most importantly we all have fun!"

Luke Wearne
"Let me just say, being a part of these guys throughout Little League all the way up to the final game this year has been an amazing experience. It’s crazy to think that our days of playing together could be over, and it just seems like time flew by! We have had our ups and downs, our high points and our low points, but we all worked hard to support each other and support our team. With Mike, Frank and Ryan all being a grade ahead - and I believe always a “baseball year” ahead of me - I wasn’t always on the same team with them. However, I always remember playing against those guys in Little League, which was always a fun experience. We always had some friendly competition within the league, playing each other every couple of days. In 2014, I remember getting called up as a 9-year-old to play with the big and bad 10-year-olds on the all star team. That was the one all star team that I ended up playing on with Frankie, and boy, we had a good run, especially for our first year. If I’m correct, we won almost every, if not every game, and even won districts that year. That was the first year I caught Frankie, and even back then he was one of the best pitchers of his age. Now, onto Shaw, whom I didn’t play with often, but I was always around when he and my brother played together. He was always a great hitter, and it was great to watch him and my brother challenge themselves and each other in the field and at the plate throughout the years. Last but certainly not least, my brother and I have obviously been playing together for easily over a decade, from the day I started baseball. Always working together, getting extra swings, ground balls, and any sort of practice in with each other. We were always alongside each other and never strayed apart. So after thinking all the way back to Little League, catching Frank and playing alongside Ryan and my brother all throughout high school, I think that the best and only word to describe the four of us is family. And who better to win a state championship with than your family, right?"

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