HAMDEN, CT — Hamden’s Will Benedetti and Hamden Hall’s Eric Jagielow will be among the 34 honorees to receive the John “Whitey” Piurek “There’s No ‘I’ in Team” Award at the Southern Connecticut Diamond Club’s upcoming banquet.
The Southern Connecticut Diamond Club, Inc., will hold its 21st Annual “No ‘I’ in Team” High School Awards Banquet on Sunday, June 14, at The Woodwinds in Branford. Doors open at 10:30 a.m. with the speaking program and a buffet brunch to begin at 11 a.m.
Tickets to the 2026 SCDC “No ‘I’ in Team” luncheon are $50 per person and will only be sold in advance. Tickets can be purchased online here or by contacting Matt Mentone, Executive Director, at info@southernctdiamondclub.org.
The SCDC, a non-profit, volunteer-run organization whose stated mission is to foster and promote the game of baseball in greater New Haven, will bestow upon a player from each of 34 area high schools the John “Whitey” Piurek “There’s No ‘I’ in Team” Award.
The honor is named for Piurek, the longtime West Haven High School coach, Seattle Mariners scout, and Greater New Haven Baseball Umpires Association commissioner, and is tagged with one of his favorite phrases.
Honorees were selected jointly by their coaches and directors of athletics. While it was recommended schools choose a senior, they were free to recognize any player they felt gave most unselfishly to their team.
Winners represent the Southern Connecticut Conference (19), Shoreline Conference (5), Naugatuck Valley League (4), New England Private Schools Athletics Council (3), Central Connecticut Conference (2), and Connecticut Technical Conference (1).
The SCDC will also recognize its Teams of the Year and Coaches of the Year at the luncheon. Honorees will be announced this week.
The Southern Connecticut Diamond Club redirects all net proceeds back to the local baseball community. To make a donation, visit the link above or donate via Venmo @SCDC-1.
The 2026 winners of the Southern Connecticut Diamond Club John “Whitey” Piurek “There’s No ‘I’ in Team” Award are:
Amity Regional – Joe Luberti
Ansonia – Victor Garcia
Branford – Jake Pombo
Canterbury – Patrick Weaving
Career (New Haven) - Giovany Siarez Medina
Cheshire – Dylan Santino
Derby – Brooklyn Fernandez
East Haven – Adam McIntyre
Fairfield Prep – Andrew Wong
Foran - Brendan Auscavitch
Guilford - Patrick McGowan
Haddam-Killingworth - Chase Bruno
Hamden - Will Benedetti
Hamden Hall - Eric Jagielow
Hand - Colin Menard
Hillhouse - Ricardo Turner
Hopkins - Rocco DeMaio III
Law - Brady O’Neil
Morgan - Nathan Levy
Naugatuck - Jeremiah Cruz
North Branford - Jacob Poston
North Haven - Max Rothwell
Notre Dame (West Haven) - Luca Saulino
Old Saybrook - Wyatt Pennington
Platt HS - Tyler Cioffi
Sheehan - Dylan DeMayo
Shelton - Will Widomski
Southington – Max Pierce
Westbrook – Kyle Leandri
West Haven – Hudson Axelrod
Wilbur Cross – Janiel Montero
Wilcox Tech – Ean Finkle
Woodland Regional – Jacob Trumbley
Xavier – Jarrett Cyr
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