A year after its historic state championship, English High baseball is ready to prove it's here to stay
'It was like a dream come true,' said English senior
Armanis Romero
. 'I knew I wanted to go back-to-back since the second we won it last year, because that feeling was amazing.'
The Eagles, ranked No. 18 in the first Globe's Top 20 of the spring, have become a juggernaut in Division 5. Their returning core, led by Romero, is key — but there's so much more that makes English the premier city baseball product.
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Every player on the roster has ties to the Dominican Republic.
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'In that country, you're born playing baseball,' said fourth-year coach
Christian Ortiz
.
The Eagles hang the Dominican Republic flag in their dugout — a nod to their shared heritage.
'We all know each other, we come from the same spot,' freshman outfielder
Yeduary Soto
said. 'We've got good teamwork, and a lot of brotherhood here, too.'
Every player on the English High team has ties to the Dominican Republic.
Barry Chin/Globe Staff
They've thrived under a notion of playing not just for one another, but for their friends, families, and neighbors in the city. Each game at the turf diamond on Williams Street attracts a crowd of fans from nearby Jamaica Plain up against the backstop. Buoyed by that support, the
English has been able to develop college talent — including Globe All-Scholastic
David Castillo
, now at Western Texas.
That list now includes Romero, who
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To the 13 new players across JV and varsity, Romero is an example of what hard work can do for you — and what a Division I athlete looks like. His work in the weight room over the years has complemented his skills.
'When he started as a freshman, he was less than 100 pounds,' Ortiz said. 'He's gotten stronger, he's consistent on the field. His leadership and his voice is going to have a big impact on our new guys.'
'To see what a real D1 baseball player looks like, it helps us see what we want to build up to,' Soto added.
Matthew Guerrero provides a steady hand behind the dish.
Barry Chin/Globe Staff
Rusbert Martinez
brings a big bat to the lineup, with his two-run double a massive turning point in last year's state championship game. Catcher
Matthew Guerrero
provides an experienced, steady hand behind the plate, and
Manny de Jesus
(Worcester State) is crucial in the infield, at the plate, and on the mound.
Soto, who played varsity as an eighth-grader last season, will step into a bigger role and bring his speed to the outfield.
Other contenders in Division 5 should include Georgetown and Bourne in EMass, as well as Hopedale, Greenfield, and Pioneer Valley Regional. The Eagles know they'll have to recapture their best — they outscored opponents 27-4 over the final four rounds games of last year's tourney — to get the job done again.
'We're trying to win again, so we've got to work harder,' Soto said.
Christian Ortiz led English High to a state championship in his third season.
Barry Chin/Globe Staff
Extra bases
▪ Former St. John's (Shrewsbury) ace
Sean Burke
won his first opening day start for the White Sox Thursday afternoon, tossing six shutout innings against the Angels. Less than a month after making his MLB debut last summer, the 25-year-old righthander stopped in for a visit to his alma mater.
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'We want them to obviously still feel a part of the program,' St. John's coach Casey Cummins said, noting Pioneers' alum Ian Seymour is with the Rays and six other SJS graduates have made the big leagues.
In his visit, the 6-foot-6-inch Burke ('18) discussed how St. John's prepared him for college ball at Maryland, and how the Terrapins prepared him for pro ball.
In his second season, Cummins, said he 'stole' one of Burke's insights for the upcoming season.
'A milestone is not the finish line,' Cummins said. 'I've tried to work it in as much as possible, [Burke] probably not really knowing it.'
The captains, infielder/pitcher
Jack Forgues
(UMass Lowell), lefthander
Brayden Mercier
(UMass Amherst), and outfielder
Andrew Schmit
(Salve Regina) have all embraced the message too.
The
Returning seven starters, the 'core five' consist of Forgues, Mercier, Schmit, and middle infielders
Jamie Herlihy
and
Conor Secrist
, both juniors.
In 74 at-bats last season, Forgues slugged a robust .527 with just four strikeouts. Mercier, Herlihy, and Secrist all hit .375-plus.
'We're still fairly new to the Catholic Conference, and last year was the first time we had won,' Cummins said. 'But I think now, at this point, every team has won it probably over the last 10 to 15 years. It just speaks to the parity.'
▪ Plymouth North coach
Dwayne Follette
said the defending Division 2 champions are 'reloading, not rebuilding.'
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Ranked 11th in the Globe's initial Top 20, the Eagles graduated 10 players from last year's roster. But senior captains
Matt Nardone
(.409 average, 20 stolen bases last season) and
Will Novak
(.395, 15 RBIs) lead a promising group. Novak's twin brother,
Jake
, bound for Rhode Island, will bat fourth and play third base while contributing on the mound.
Danny Kenney
, a 6-3 lefty, has a shot to be the ace.
'We're going to have to let our lack of experience catch up to our experience, if you know what I mean,' Follette said. 'But we're going to be a tough out.'
Games to watch
Monday, No. 9 St. Mary's at No. 14 Milton, 4 p.m.
— Two of the best hurlers in the MIAA, St. Mary's Josh Doney and Milton's Scott Longo, are set to make their first starts.
Tuesday, No. 15 North Andover at No. 10 Westford, 4 p.m.
— A Dual County/Merrimack Valley crossover of Top 20 teams.
Wednesday, King Philip at No. 8 Franklin, 3:45 p.m.
— The Warriors have an early chance to steal one from the Panthers, the favorites in the Hockomock.
Thursday, No. 19 Central Catholic at No. 1 St. John's (S), 4 p.m.
— The top-ranked Pioneers have an early visit from one of the Merrimack Valley's most talented Division 1 contenders.
Friday, No. 7 St. John's Prep at No. 16 Chelmsford, 4 p.m.
— Harvard-bound Will Shaheen looks to get the Eagles back atop the Catholic Conference after missing out on a share of the title in 2024.
Correspondent Graham Dietz contributed to this story.
Mike Puzzanghera can be reached at
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