Opening day for high school baseball draws nearer and nearer, and with it returns the Concord Monitor’s four things series.
Much like the series did ahead of the winter schedule, we’ll take a look at four games to rid you of your cabin fever and get you into the stands.
Tryouts and practices have already begun, and the Monitor’s comprehensive baseball preview will come out soon, but until then check out these four games to get you excited for the season:
Bedford at Concord, April 15: Is it safe to say these two schools have a budding rivalry? With their frequency of running into each other in postseason play in various sports — each having their fair share of wins and losses — it seems safe to call it so.
In pursuit of the program’s fifth championship, the Crimson Tide beat the Bulldogs, 3-1, in last season’s quarterfinals. Concord will look a little different this season without ace Jonah Wachter and offensive guru Ryan Philbrick, but it retains key players from last season’s championship team, highlighted by shortstop Brooks Craigue.
Concord at Winnacunnet, April 20: Speaking of that state crown season, the title came at the expense of Winnacunnet in a 4-0 final. The aforementioned Wachter tossed a no-hitter in his final game for the Tide to cap off an incredible postseason performance. Winnacunnet has its own ace this season, however, in senior right-hander Joe Allen, who’s garnered national attention after playing for Team USA’s U18 squad. This regular-season matchup should prove to be a good one and certainly worth the drive out to the coast for it.
Souhegan at John Stark, May 2: John Stark will automatically start the season at the top of the Division II world as reigning state champions; one team it had to get through to reach championship Saturday last spring was Souhegan in the semis. While it was a dominant performance to the beat of an 11-5 victory, this season could provide a new challenge for the Generals, as they have some holes to fill after graduating a large senior class. Although come May, the Generals should have an identity formed and will face a good test against the Sabers.
Monadnock at Hopkinton, May 25: The final game in the four must-sees is another playoff rematch with Hopkinton looking to avenge last season’s 13-0 semifinal drubbing against Division III state champion Monadnock. The Hawks return a vast majority of their players from last season and can only improve upon a final four finish. The late regular-season matchup can serve as a nice tuneup before another potential playoff run.