The middling North Quincy baseball team set a lofty goal. Now, the Raiders are making it a reality.
'We knew this year was going to be different,' senior captain
Max Gaudiano
said. 'The vibe, the culture of the team, is just completely different. You can see it in the pre-game, you can see it all around.'
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Sure, it's still early — but there's no ignoring what the Raiders have done through seven games. How was a group of high schoolers so prescient?
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'They just immediately bought in,' said Edgerly, in his 12th season. 'In this offseason, I was at such peace, because I knew they were putting the work in. They were the ones putting themselves in position to win games this year.'
North Quincy's Collin McGrail races home with a run against Hanover.
Barry Chin/Globe Staff
Gaudiano (committed to UMass Dartmouth) and fellow captain
Aidan McCarthy
(Gordon College) are leaders in the dugout and vital on the field. The returning Patriot League All-Stars are two of the Raiders' driving forces — from contributions that started in the offseason.
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'We knew that if we put in the work, we could definitely win the league,' McCarthy said.
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Gaudiano, the team's catcher since his freshman year, had a 1.350 OPS through six games. He manages a pitching staff led by McCarthy (14⅓ innings, 2.93 ERA, 16 strikeouts) and sophomore
Max LaMonica
(13 IP, 1.08 ERA, 16 Ks). It's a task Gaudiano downplays thanks to their excellent command.
'Anyone can go out there and throw a strike,' Guadiano said. 'They can spot it up on the corner, off-speed, inside, it doesn't matter. They'll hit it.'
Edgerly feels that younger players getting consistent playing time over the past few years has set the tone — and they attacked the offseason with a mind-set aimed at improvement.
North Quincy, MA - 4/17/2025 - 18BASENOTES -- North Quincy's Matt Tolland, (1), slides safely into third as the ball gets away from Hanover third baseman Geo Naples. High school baseball feature on North Quincy, which is off to a 5-0 start vs. Hanover at Adams field. Photo by: Barry Chin/Globe Staff.
Barry Chin/Globe Staff
Take LaMonica. Edgerly and his staff saw he had talent, so they made it a point to throw him 'into every fire we can' as a freshman to see how he would handle it.
The trial by fire was a success. Now, he's a starting pitcher and an impact bat.
'He's really taken that huge drive to put himself in a position to succeed,' Edgerly said of LaMonica.
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The Raiders compete with Plymouth South, Pembroke, Scituate, Quincy, and 2024 champion Hanover in the Patriot League's Fisher Division. Following Thursday's loss to Hanover, they are 3-2 in league play – but there's a long season ahead.
'It's one of my favorite groups of all time,' Edgerly said. 'As a teacher, as a coach, it's just so enjoyable. I have three little kids at home, and my wife is so mad at me during baseball season, but I tell her, 'It's worth it with these guys' . . . This 2025 group will have a special place in my heart forever.'
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Nick DePalma is part of a improved Raiders pitching staff.
Barry Chin/Globe Staff
Extra bases
▪ On Sunday,
Brogan Roche
, a speedy middle infielder (and catcher) at Holliston, set up a donation box at the high school for a National Honor Society (NHS) service project.
According to his X, Roche delivered 100 items of baseball equipment to the Red Sox Foundation for the RBI/Jr. RBI leagues.
The RBI initiative ('Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities') annually provides over 2,000 boys and girls, ages 5-18, with uniforms and equipment at no cost, along with baseball and softball instruction.
Thank you to all that donated to my
— Brogan Roche (@BroganRoche11)
'He actually didn't tell me about it, which is typical Brogan,' Holliston coach Joe Santos said. 'He's an unbelievable kid who cares about others. That's something that we talk about as a program a lot. Just being young men of high character. We try to get the focus off ourselves.'
▪ During its 4-0 start, including a victory over previously unbeaten North Quincy on Tuesday, Duxbury matched its 2024 season win total (4-15) and has outscored foes, 47-3. .
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Sophomore
Joey Hussar
carried the Dragons to their first win against Plymouth South, cracking three doubles with five RBIS in a 12-1 Patriot League victory.
Duxbury shut out Pembroke 14-0, then routed Silver Lake, 10-0, when senior captain
Cole Heythaler
did not surrender a run or hit across five innings — while also posting two hits and knocking in two runs— to make the Dragons 3-0.
Duxbury is hitting .362 as a team with 31 walks in four games.
'I've been coaching here a little bit, you know, save last year [serving as an assistant at Silver Lake], but this is the deepest team I've ever had,' Duxbury coach
Brandon Josselyn
said. 'I probably have four or five guys who don't crack the lineup, but on any given day I think are quality varsity starters.'
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Games to watch
Friday, No. 5 Braintree at No. 19 North Quincy, 11 a.m.
— An intriguing nonleague matchup.
Friday, No. 9 King Philip at Oliver Ames, 11 a.m. —
Off to a 2-4 start, the Tigers can get back on track in the Hockomock with a win over KP.
Friday, No. 13 North Andover at No. 17 Chelmsford, 5 p.m.
— A test between Division 1 and Division 2 Merrimack Valley opponents.
Saturday, No. 3 Taunton at No. 1 Xaverian, 11 a.m.
— Both atop or near the top of their respective leagues, the Tigers (Hockomock Kelley-Rex) and Hawks (Catholic Conference) square off.
Monday, No. 2 St. John's (Shrewsbury) at Algonquin, 1 p.m.
— This clash is always one of the best nonleague matchups in Central Mass.
Correspondent Graham Dietz contributed to this story.
Mike Puzzanghera can be reached at
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