Meet Dan Mantoni

Name, Age: Dan Mantoni, 16

Class Year: Hopedale High School, 2012

Team: Milford Legion Baseball Post 59

Sport, Position: Baseball, Shortstop

Why is Dan Mantoni the Patch Player of the Week?

Dan Mantoni is Post 59’s starting shortstop and is proving he belongs in that role this year as he enters his second season under head coach Brian Macchi. Mantoni, who played in a limited role last season, is taking advantage of his opportunity this season by hitting .500 (11-for-22) in eight games this year (as of 6/30/11), helping the team jump out to a 9-3 start. He has driven in eight runs, while scoring six of his own and has hit three doubles this season. Mantoni believes that his success at the plate is due to jumping on first pitch fastballs. “I’m down in the bottom of the lineup hitting in the eighth spot — so you see a lot of first pitch fastballs down there — so I look to jump on the first pitch if I can because it’s usually the best pitch I’ll get,” he said. “I just have to take advantage of it, so that’s what I’ve been doing.”

Mantoni, who lives in Northbridge, chose Hopedale High School through school choice, to become a Blue Raider. He has enjoyed his time there over the past two years.  Mantoni plays a forward on the basketball court in the winter and shortstop/pitcher on the varsity baseball team in the spring. This past Hopedale High School baseball season, Mantoni was a part of the varsity baseball team that defeated Uxbridge High School in the District Championship, crowning them the tournament champions. Hopedale (17-5) would then get the opportunity to face Pioneer in the State Semi-Finals, but would be knocked out losing 4-2. Though the team was unable to defeat Pioneer, Mantoni was happy with just winning the Districts saying, “There’s really no feeling like it.”

Mantoni looks to continue to play sports next year for Hopedale and hopes to get onto the National Honor Society as well, but for now, he looks to help Post 59 to the playoffs and beyond.

How is the season going for you individually and as a whole?

We’re having a pretty good year. This is my second year on the team, and last year I didn’t really play — I got a few innings — but this year I got into the lineup. I’m happy with that and I’m just trying to do what I can to help the team and so far everything is working.

What does Milford have to do to keep up its success and continue into the playoffs?

It’s a tough season, we have games every day and one thing you have to do is be ready to play every day — and now that we’re up at the top and are one of the better teams — we’re going to get our opponent’s best every day. We have to be up for the challenge, and so far, we’ve proved to be up for the challenge of playing every day and we just have to keep doing that and keep coming in and fighting. As long as we hit the ball all right — we have pretty good pitching depth — and just keep everything intact, we’ll be pretty good.

What college or professional athlete inspires you and why?

Adrian Gonzalez is someone I like to watch play, he’s a very good hitter. He’s a person I enjoy watching, but there isn’t one particular person I look up to. But he’s one person I’d watch play baseball.

What is your most memorable experience as an athlete so far?

To this point it’s definitely been the District Championship with Hopedale, but hopefully in Legion this year we can do something in the playoffs as well, that will be just as fun.

What are your plans for the future athletically and academically?

I’d like to play baseball in college. The science and math field actually interests me, so maybe something like [engineering] or something like that, so that’s what I’m aiming toward right now, but I’m still unsure.