Determined Dragons Look to Make Noise in State Tournament

Written by Amber Kountz

On the strength of the leadership from its 10 seniors, the Hamden baseball team ended a five-year postseason drought and looks to make some noise in the upcoming CIAC Class LL state tournament.

The Green Dragons (9-11) will enter the tournament, which begins June 1, as the 28th seed and will remain a confident bunch regardless of their opponent.

“We’ve beat the best team in the state,” said senior Bill Varney, who will play quarterback at Keene State next year, referring to Hamden’s 4-3 victory over top-ranked and previously undefeated Fairfield Prep in the middle of the season.

Hamden finished with the program’s best record since 2006 when the Green Dragons went 13-7.

The senior class was determined to get the program back to the postseason this year.

“It was a goal for us (since freshman year) and we are achieving it now,” Matthew Barnett said.

While it’s been 38 years since the Green Dragons have won a baseball state championship, Hamden players and coaches have high hopes of bringing a parade to town.

Hamden last reached the title game in 1992, when it lost to Cheshire, but that isn’t deterring the players who want to bring a state championship back to the town after a drought that has lasted almost twice their lifetime.

”It’s our year,” senior co-captain Luke D’Ostilio said. “We want a parade.”

D’Ostilio was referring to the celebration that occurred after the 2009 and 2010 winter seasons when the Hamden boys’ hockey team won the state title in back-to-back years. The town rewarded the stellar performance with a parade.

D’Ostilio looks to encourage a similar outcome by leading his team on and off the field. He tops the stats boards with 27 hits, 21 runs, and is tied for the lead with 5 stolen bases. From the dugout, D’Ostilio has been described by his teammates as always putting the team first.

Coach Christopher Borelli shares in the enthusiasm as a Hamden High School alumni baseball player.

“(Hamden) was where I always wanted to be,” said Borelli, who is in his fourth season with the Dragons and was named the Co-SCC Coach of the Year for 2015.

Days away from the start of the state tournament, Borelli will lean on the team’s strengths, such as experience and leadership.

The starting lineup features seven seniors, including D’Ostilio, Marc Masciantonio, Paul Wetmore, Varney, Nick Tagliaferri, Barnett, Patrick Alexander, Jim Magson, Christian Colon, and Khaleb Cyril.

The boys are also exceptional hitters and have a deep pitching rotation.

Colon, a third-year starter at catcher, caught a shutout win against top-ranked Xavier last year. Colon looks to fire up the team in the tournament with his defensive experience. He will play baseball at Bates University in Maine next season.

Players such as Cyril, Barnett, and Magson are standout multi-sport athletes.

Cyril plays outfield for the baseball team and played defensive end in football all four years. Cyril will join Southern Connecticut State University next year.

Barnett, who was captain of the 2015 Hamden hockey team, batted .323 in the regular season. Barnett will be attending Bryant University in the fall.

Magson played four years of hockey and baseball at Hamden. He leads the team this season with 29 RBIs, 3 home runs, and 11 extra base hits.

His athleticism will be put to good use after graduation, since he plans to enlist into the Marine Corps. Magson and D’Ostilio both were selected to the 2015 All SCC Quinnipiac Division team.

Tagliaferri, Alexander and Wetmore contributed to the pitching excellence this season.

Wetmore was the Dragons’ ace, going 3-0 on the mound and batting 341 before he broke his arm during their second matchup against Fairfield Prep.

Wetmore was sidelined but continues to uplift his teammates with humor and positivity. He is expected to play baseball at Western New England University next year.

Alexander, a senior co-captain, also suffered from a dislocated shoulder injury that sidelined him earlier this season. He is making a strong comeback with his go-to fastball.

Alexander will attend UConn-Avery Point in the fall.

Tagliaferri took over the pitching responsibilities late in the season. He is 3-1 with 13 strikeouts.

Hoping success in the playoffs will be their signature in their high school baseball careers.

“I am going to miss it,” said Masciantonio, the team’s first baseman who batted .269 with 1 home run and 7 RBIs. He will attend Newbury College in Boston.

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