Vasil Does One Better, Throws Complete Game to Lead BC High to Super Eight Semifinal

Sean O'Connell (pictured) scampers home on a Dave Driscoll RBI single 

Photo by Eamon Convey (@ConveyWEEI)

By Matt Feld (@Mattyfeld612)

Brockton, Mass. – One week after throwing seven shutout innings, Mike Vasil managed to be better.

On Thursday afternoon, Vasil fired a complete game shutout, striking out 13 and throwing 30 of 33 first pitch strikes as No. 1 BC High defeated eight-seeded Walpole, 9-0, to advance to the Super Eight Semifinal at Campanelli Stadium.

BC High (18-6) will face Central Catholic on Saturday at 1 p.m. for the right to play Franklin in the Super Eight Final.

In all, Vasil threw 109 pitches featuring predominantly a two-seam fastball that hovered between 91 and 92 miles per hour and a sharp breaking ball. Vasil has struck out 26 hitters and fallen behind in the count 2-0 twice over his last 17 innings.

Vasil Finishes the Job to Keep BC High Alive in Super Eight Play

By Matt Feld (@Mattyfeld612)

Brockton, Mass. – BC High coach Norm Walsh had no plans of using Mike Vasil, but once into the game the Eagles' ace ended it in a hurry.

With BC High seeing a 6-0 lead dwindle to a mere run with two outs in the top of the eighth, Walsh turned to his star right-hander to close the door. Vasil came on and did just that striking out four consecutive hitters on 14 pitches as No. 1 BC High defeated No. 2 Wachusett, 6-5, to advance to the Super Eight Quarterfinals on Tuesday night at Campanelli Stadium.

BC High will face Walpole on Wedensday afternoon at 4pm with a trip to the semifinals on the line. Wachusett, meanwhile, finishes the season with a 21-4 record.

MIAA Baseball: Top Performances From the Opening Round of the Super Eight

Cam Schlittler threw six innings of three-run ball to keep eighth-seeded Walpole in the game.

By Matt Feld (@Mattyfeld612)

The first round of the Division 1A Super Eight brought with it plenty of big-time performances and surprises.

Mike Vasil outlasted Walpole ace Cam Schlittler as No. 1 BC High topped No. 8 Walpole, 4-0. Third-seeded St. John’s Prep received eight strong innings from Jake Sanderson and a pair of RBI hits from Sean Lang en route to a 7-3 win over No. 6 Lexington. 

Central Catholic took advantage of a couple of Mansfield mistakes and got six innings from Nate Carpenter in an 8-3 win to set up a quarterfinal bout with BC High. In the only upset of the day, No. 7 Franklin a run in the top of the eighth and three in the ninth to break a 4-4 tie and knockoff No. 2 Wachusett, 8-5.

Here are our top performances from the first round of the Super Eight.

Vasil Super Again as BC High Blanks Walpole in Super Eight Opener

By Matt Feld (@Mattyfeld612)

Dorchester, Mass. – Pitching in a familiar setting, Mike Vasil refused to be phased. 

In the sixth Super Eight start of his career, Vasil threw seven scoreless innings allowing six hits while striking out nine as top-seeded BC High defeated No. 8 Walpole, 4-0, in the opening round of the Division 1A Tournament on Wednesday afternoon at Monan Park in Dorchester.

The win moves BC High into the winners bracket where they will take on Central Catholic on Saturday afternoon. Walpole moves to the one-loss bracket where they will face-off versus Mansfield on Friday.

MIAA Baseball: Super Eight Primer and Predictions

Franklin ace Jake Noviello hopes to lead Franklin on a deep Super Eight run.

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

By Matt Feld (@Mattyfeld612)

This year’s Super Eight certainly is not lacking in star power.

Lexington’s entrance into the tournament brings with it arguably the top player in the Bay State in Sal Frelick. Frelick, the Co-MVP of the Middlesex League, is hitting over .500 with five home runs and 22 RBIs. Along with the future Boston College infielder, the Minutemen pitching staff is led by UMass Amherst bound left-hander Jack Pawlowski. Madison Dina follows Pawlowski in the rotation.

Lexington’s candidacy was bolstered by a non-conference win over BC High and will now look to knock off their second Catholic Conference team in St. John’s Prep in the opening round. 

Vasil Shines in First Start Back As BC High Edges St. John's

By Matt Feld (@Mattyfeld612)

The weather may have been grim, but what transpired on the field was picture perfect for BC High.

Making his first start in over a month on Tuesday, Eagles’ ace Mike Vasil fired four shutout innings allowing just one hit and striking out six while Sean O’Connell went 2-for-3 with an RBI as BC High defeated St. John’s Shrewsbury at BC High’s Monan Park.

Vasil, a potential first round pick in this year’s MLB Draft, finished with 50 pitches, a limit that was decided pregame. Out of those 50 pitches, 36 were strikes. In all Vasil threw 40 fastballs, 31 of which found the zone.

McCormack's Clutch Knock, Vasil's Heat Gets BC High past Braintree

By Matt Feld (@MattyFeld612)

Braintree, Mass. – The final moments mirrored a Super Eight classic.

Down 2-1 to BC High in the bottom half of the seventh, Braintree loaded the bases with two outs off Eagles’ ace Mike Vasil. 

Vasil, however, bore down and fired four straight fastballs, the last one generating a strikeout to give BC High a 2-1 win over the host Wamps on Saturday afternoon at Braintree High School. 

PHOTO GALLERY: BC High edges St. John's Prep behind Mike Vasil

Dorchester, Mass. -- Yesterday afternoon, BC High squeaked past St. John's Prep, 1-0, behind a complete game one-hitter from ace Mike Vasil.

You can read up on Vasil's pitching performance and BC High's win here, but continue below for a photo gallery from our own Eamon Convey (@ConveyWEEI). Note that you can click any photo to enlarge and launch a slideshow.

Vasil Proves Nearly Perfect In Catholic Conference Gem

Photo by Eamon Convey (@ConveyWEEI)

By Matt Feld (@MattyFeld612)

Dorchester, Mass. – For Mike Vasil, the day could not have been much more perfect.

In front of nearly 70 MLB scouts, Vasil threw a complete game one-hitter, striking out 13 and walking none as BC High defeated Catholic Conference rival St. John’s Prep, 1-0, on Wednesday afternoon at Monan Park.

MIAA Baseball: 2018 Preseason All-State Team

Belmont ace Nate Espelin is looking to build off a strong 2017 campaign.

By SuiteSports Staff 

Suite Sports is ready to unveil its Preseason MIAA Baseball All-State Team as selected by our team of contributors and editors.

As the season unfolds, we will release our Midseason All-State Team, before releasing our 2018 All-State Team at season's end.

SuiteSports' 2017 MIAA Baseball Player of the Year

By SuiteSports Staff

SuiteSports.com and its panel of high school sports correspondents are pleased to announce today that Mike Vasil, a junior right-handed pitcher out of Boston College High School, is the recipient of the first ever “SuiteSports MIAA Baseball Player of the Year” award, given to the top high school baseball player in Massachusetts.

Vasil was selected among a number of candidates for the award who showcased their talents both during the regular season and in the state tournament.

The Eagle ace joins Cambridge center Dimon Carrigan (basketball) and Duxbury quarterback Bobby Maimaron (football) as other SuiteSports Player of the Year award winners during this high school sports year. As our Player of the Year, Vasil is the first member of our 2017 MIAA Baseball All-State team, which will be released later today in its entirety.

Super 8 Semifinals Preview

By Matt Feld (@mattyfeld612)

On Thursday evening, Braintree joined St. John’s Prep and St. John’s Shrewsbury as three of the four teams who will be a member of this year’s Division 1A Super Eight “final four”.

The Wamps, who won consecutive games against eight seeded Belmont and three seeded Central Catholic facing elimination, now await the winner of BC High and Xaverian to see who they will play on Sunday.

The Eagles and Hawks are set to faceoff Saturday morning at Campanelli Stadium with each looking to make their second trip in three years to the Super Eight quarterfinals.

In the afternoon, meanwhile, the two remaining undefeated teams in the field will go head-to-head with top seeded St. John’s Shrewsbury taking on familiar foe St. John’s Prep.

Here is how we expect the two games to unfold.

Vasil Pitches a Gem as BC High Tops Braintree in Super 8 Opener

Mike Vasil opened this year's Super 8 with a dominant performance against Braintree.   Photo by Christian Davis.

By Matt Feld (@mattyfeld612)

BOSTON - BC High ace Mike Vasil made sure the Eagles' entrance into the postseason was simply super.

Behind Vasil’s complete game four-hitter on Wednesday afternoon, No. 4 BC High defeated No. 5 Braintree, 3-2, in the first round of the Division 1A Super Eight tournament on Wednesday afternoon at Monan Park on the campus of Boston College High School.

Vasil (CG, 1 ER, 4 H, 0 BB, 8 K) was on his game from the opening pitch, firing 23 of 30 first pitch strikes, and throwing 81 of his 107 total pitches for strikes.

The tall right hander, who was measured by a handful of scouts in attendance to be throwing somewhere between 91 and 94 miles per hour for most of the afternoon, saved his best for last, retiring the Wamps 1-2-3 in the top of the ninth to finish off the win.

BC High coach Norm Walsh said his three-year starter just knows how to get the job done.