MIAA Baseball: Final Top 25 Poll of 2018

By Matt Feld (@Mattyfeld612)

To cap off our content for the 2018 MIAA Baseball season, SuiteSports is ready to release its final Top 25 Poll.

There is little drama when it comes to number one, while North Attleboro, Austin Prep, Archbishop Williams, and Needham all finish in the top 15 behind their state championship runs.

Here is our final top 25 poll for the 2018 MIAA Baseball Season as chosen by our panel of writers, correspondents, and editors.

1. Franklin (21-5): Franklin went from being the last team voted into Super Eight to taking home the tournament's title as a seven seed. Staff aces Jake Noviello and Bryan Woelfel graduate, but with Alex Haba and Jake Macchi back in the fold the Panthers should compete once again in 2019.

SuiteSports' 2018 MIAA Baseball Award Winners

By Matt Feld (@Mattyfeld612)

Earlier this morning, SuiteSports announced Franklin right-hander Jake Noviello as its 2018 Most Valuable Player. Now, we are excited to unveil the rest of our awards including offensive player of the year, defensive player of the year, breakout player of the year, most outstanding career, and coach of the year.

Check back in tomorrow morning as SuiteSports releases its 2018 MIAA Baseball All-State Team.

Jake Noviello is SuiteSports' 2018 MIAA Baseball Most Valuable Player

Photo courtesy of Ryan Lanigan (@R_Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)

By Matt Feld (@Mattyfeld612)

This past Saturday, the MIAA Baseball season officially came to a close with three state champions crowned out at Holy Cross. 

Now, following a spring of eye-opening individual performances, Suite Sports is excited to announce Franklin right-hander Jake Noviello as its Most Valuable Player for the 2018 season. Noviello was chosen from a deep pool of candidates with the help of our panel of writers, correspondents, and editors, as well as numerous opposing coaches and players. 

He joins 2017 winner Mike Vasil as the two players to take home the award.

MIAA Baseball: 2018 "All-Super Eight" Team

By Matt Feld (@Mattyfeld612)

On Monday night, Franklin was crowded Division 1A Super Eight champions for the first time in school history. Not only is it a first for Franklin, but it also represents the lowest seed (7) to ever take home the Super Eight crown. 

With the tournament now completed, Suite Sports is excited to unveil its 2018 "All-Super Eight" Team, compiling the best pitchers and position players based on tournament play.

Check back in throughout the week for coverage across the remaining MIAA Baseball State Tournaments. Then, next week, Suite Sports will announce its 2018 MIAA Baseball All-State Team as well as its 2018 MIAA Baseball Player of the Year.

MIAA Baseball: Bryan Woelfel is SuiteSports' 2018 Super Eight MVP

By Matt Feld (@Mattyfeld612)

After an exciting MIAA Division 1A "Super Eight" Tournament, Suite Sports is excited to announce Franklin right-handed pitcher Bryan Woelfel as our 2018 Super Eight Most Valuable Player.

Woelfel was sensational serving as Franklin’s closer and number two-starter throughout the tournament. Over four appearances, the right-hander went 3-0 with a 2.14 ERA. 

Woelfel kept hitters off balance with the ability to spot up fastballs that carried significant run on both sides of the plate. He showcased a funky side-arm delivery that made his slider devastating for right-handed hitters.

Franklin Puts Finishing Touches on Magical Season, Captures Super Eight Crown

By Matt Feld (@Mattyfeld612)

Brockton, Mass. – As Jake Noviello walked around the mound, the rain pouring down, he pondered back over his high school career. The Franklin ace was ready for a fairytale ending.

With the Panthers and Central Catholic tied at two in the bottom of the eighth inning, Noviello came in and struck out three consecutive hitters to leave the go-ahead run in scoring position. 

After an Evan Wendell suicide squeeze gave Franklin a one-run lead, Noviello went back to the mound and slammed the door as Franklin claimed the Super Eight title with a 3-2 win over No. 4 Central Catholic on Monday night at Campanelli Stadium.

MIAA Baseball: Super Eight Finals Primer and Pick

By Matt Feld (@Mattyfeld612)

A little over two weeks after the Super Eight field was announced, the Super Eight Final is set to take place on Monday night at Campanelli Stadium. In a rematch of Thursday night's winner's bracket semifinal, No. 7 Franklin (20-5, 3-0) will take No. 4 Central Catholic (18-6, 3-1). 

After trailing by a run for most of the night Thursday, Franklin rallied for a run with two outs in the ninth before scoring two in the tenth to give themselves the upper hand in this year's Super Eight Final. In order for Central Catholic to take home its first Super Eight crown it will need to defeat Franklin twice, while the Panthers can lock up a championship with a win on Monday night.

Franklin Goes Extra Mile to Edge Central Catholic and Advance to Super Eight Final

By Matt Feld (@Mattyfeld612)

Brockton, Mass. -- A little over 10 days ago, Franklin coach Zach Brown sat in the corner of an MIAA conference room sweating it out as his team became the last one chosen to play in the Super Eight tournament. Fast forward to late Thursday night, and Brown was hugging his assistant coaches as the Panthers solidified a spot in the Super Eight final.

With Franklin leading by a run, and the game-tying and winning runs on base, Panthers' reliever Bryan Woelfel reared back and threw a 3-2 fastball on the outside corner for strike three to give No. 7 Franklin a 6-5 win over No. 4 Central Catholic at Campanelli Stadium.

Central Catholic will now play BC High on Saturday at 1 p.m. for the right to take on Franklin in the championship.

Jake Noviello's Fire Fueling Panthers' Super Eight Run

Jake Noviello (pictured) is the heart and soul of a Franklin team that is proving everyone wrong. 

Photo by Ryan Lanigan (HockomockSports.com)

By Matt Feld (@Mattyfeld612)

On Memorial Day, Jake Noviello toed the rubber fully knowing that Franklin’s dreams of a Super Eight appearance hung onto his right arm.

The right-hander had been waiting for this opportunity for four years and he stared at in the final athletic season of his high school career. It was a chance that the competitiveness in him was never going to let fly.

Noviello turned in one of the finest performances of his career going eight innings allowing just one run on six hits while striking out a dozen in a 6-1, nine-inning Franklin win over North Attleboro. As Noviello walked off the mound for the final time he pumped his fist as he had done numerous times prior. The face of the program had just led them to history.

“We’re really fortunate to have Jake Noviello in our program the last four years,” said Franklin coach Zach Brown. “He has done everything to be an integral part of our program. He has been our ace the last three years and he has been through it all.” 

MIAA Baseball: Super Eight Opening Round Preview and Picks

St. John's Prep right-hander Jake Sanderson is expected to get the ball in game on.

Photo by Eamon Convey (@ConveyWEEI)

By Matt Feld (@Mattyfeld612)

Wednesday afternoon marks the opening round of this year's Division 1A "Super Eight" tournament. A number of intriguing matchups are on the table as No. 8 Walpole travels to No. 1 BC High, the only team with 20 wins in the tournament in Wachsuett hosts No. 7 Franklin, No. 6 Lexington heads up to No. 3 St. John's Prep, and Mansfield on a 15-game winning streak takes a trip to No. 4 Central Catholic.

Here are our previews and picks for the four opening round games. You can click here for our full Super Eight primer and tournament picks from yesterday.

MIAA Baseball: Super Eight Projection 4.0

Wachusett ace Jake Gigliotti (pictured) has the Mountaineers on the verge of the top overall seed.

By Matt Feld (@Mattyfeld612)

For the second straight season, SuiteSports is excited to unveil our only bi-weekly Super Eight projection of the season. 

Our top five teams remain the same from Sunday, albeit in a different order. There are changes amongst the final three teams in our projection as well as those we see just outside on the "bubble."

We have also added two new characteristics for teams - "games vs. teams above .500" and "record vs. teams in consideration." At this point we believe that the following teams are under some level of consideration: Wachusett, BC High, St. John's Prep, Mansfield, Central Catholic, Austin Prep, St. John's Shrewsbury, Franklin, Lexington, Belmont, Catholic Memorial, Xaverian, St. Peter-Marian, Walpole, Andover, and Masconomet. 

This, of course, could change over the final three days of the season with a number of teams looking to put the finishing touches on their resume with big non-league games on the docket. 

With just over three days to go, here is SuiteSports’ MIAA Baseball Super Eight Projection 4.0. We will release our final projection on Sunday June 3rd, with the meeting set to take place on Sunday night at 6pm.

MIAA Baseball Top 25 Poll: Week 9

By Matt Feld (@Mattyfeld612)

The MIAA baseball regular season has officially reached its final week and with it a number of teams find themselves locked in high profile games.

This week sees Mansfield creep into the top five, Franklin climb back into the top 10, and St. Peter-Marian charge into the top 20. With a number of teams vying for Super Eight consideration as well as positioning in their respective sectionals the final week of the season is sure to be exciting.

For now, courtesy of SuiteSports’ panel of correspondents, writers, and editors here is our updated MIAA Baseball Top 25 Poll. Check back in next Tuesday when we unveil our final top 25 poll of the regular season.

1. Wachusett (18-1; Last Week: 1) Wachusett continues to pile up the runs as they put up eight against Algonquin and 15 more on Grafton. They have all but locked up a top three spot in this year’s Super Eight tournament but games this week versus St. Peter-Marian and St. John’s Shrewsbury will give them a chance to secure the top seed.