Aces and hard hitters: Our 2023 Baseball Super Team and All-Stars
Six of the SouthCoast's nine baseball teams finished the regular season with .500 records or better. Bishop Stang and Old Colony won their respective conference titles. The Spartans had the deepest tournament run among local teams, reaching the Div. 3 Final 4.
Here's a look at the top baseball players on the SouthCoast in 2023:
SUPER TEAM
Luke Aaronson, Dartmouth, Senior
Aaronson enjoyed a strong year on the mound, helping Dartmouth capture 14 wins and a berth in the Div. 2 state tournament. Aaron only walked 17 batters and finished with a 2.02 ERA and 6-2 record. He was named a Southeast Conference All-Star. “He was just solid,” said Dartmouth head coach Mike Frates. “I had a feeling he could have a decent year. We weren’t big strikeout guys. We pitched to contact and played defense behind him.”
Donovan Burgo, Dartmouth, Junior
A South Coast Conference All-Star, Burgo enjoyed a breakthrough season on offense. The junior catcher led Dartmouth in hitting with .395. He had five doubles, a triple and 15 RBIs, helping his team capture 14 wins and secure a spot in the Div. 2 state playoffs. “We were waiting for him to do what he did. The last half of the season, he was probably our best hitter. He came up with some big hits and key hits in games,” said Dartmouth head coach Mike Frates, adding that Burgo was also impressive behind the plate. “He only had 10 stolen base attempts against him and he caught four of them. He could control the running game.”
Cam Cabral, GNB Voc-Tech, Junior
Cabral enjoyed a breakthrough campaign on the mound. The junior pitcher struck out 57 over 54 innings for a .91 ERA and 8-1 record on the mound. He batted .296 with one home run, five doubles and 19 RBIs, helping GNB Voc-Tech capture 14 wins and a berth in the Div. 3 state tournament. “He would face the better competition in the area so for him to be 8-1, that’s impressive,” said GNB Voc-Tech head coach Matt Semiao. “He’s just a horse. If you’re going to get him, you have to get him early.” Cabral’s only loss was to eventual Div. 4 state champion Seekonk 2-1.
Aiden Cardoza, Bishop Stang, Senior
Cardoza, a two-time Catholic Central League All-Star, capped off his impressive high school career with a strong senior season on the mound. He pitched a school-record 64 ⅔ innings, striking out a school-record 96 while allowing 47 hits, 16 runs (11 earned) with 16 walks for a 1.19 ERA. In 12 games, he went 8-3 with one save. “He pitched a lot of big games,” said Bishop Stang head coach Brian Rose. “He got a decision in almost every game he pitched in. The pitching stats for him are the deal.” Cardoza was instrumental in Stang reaching the Div. 3 Final 4. “He threw two games in the playoffs and we won both of those games,” Rose said. Cardoza also batted .212 and played first base and in the outfield.
Colby Correia, Fairhaven, Junior
Correia proved to be one of the hardest hitters on the SouthCoast, batting .465 with 30 hits, including 14 doubles, 15 RBIs, 18 runs scored and eight stolen bases. In 68 at bats, he only struck out four times. “We put him in the two hole as a guy to get the offense going,” said Fairhaven head coach Rudy Bulgar. “He can drive a guy in at the next at bat. You knew he was going to put the ball in play and put in play hard. He had hard line drives and ground balls in the gap.” The two-time South Coast Conference All-Star had three wins and three saves on the mound. He gave up 10 hits, eight earned runs while striking out 36 over 22 innings pitched for a 2.54 ERA. “He was the guy on the mound in the back end of our games,” Bulgar said. “He closed out both of our playoff wins.”
Luke Gomes, Fairhaven, Senior
A two-time South Coast Conference All-Star, Gomes did it all for Fairhaven this year, helping the Blue Devils capture 13 wins and reach the Div. 3 Sweet 16. As Fairhaven’s ace, he pitched 38 innings, allowing 12 earned runs with 16 walks and 46 strikeouts for a 2.21 ERA. “With his presence on the mound, we played with a lot of confidence,” said Fairhaven head coach Rudy Bulgar. “In two years, he probably had one bad outing. He really stepped into being our ace the last two seasons. When we needed those big-game moments, he was on the mound. He started both playoff games we were victorious in.” Gomes, who also played first base, battled .359 with 23 hits, including four doubles, 17 RBIs and 10 runs scored. “Hitting-wise, he was a plug in the middle,” Bulgar said.
Chase LaFountain, Old Colony, Sophomore
LaFountain delivered in big moments as the Cougars captured the Mayflower Athletic Conference and earned a spot in the Div. 5 State tournament. “A large part of what he did was help us get another league championship with wins against South Shore and Upper Cape,” said Old Colony head coach Craig Lincoln. “Any big-game situation, we would put the ball in his hands. His stuff was dynamic this year. He grew a lot from freshman year to sophomore year.” LaFountain pitched 42 ⅔ innings, allowing 43 hits 26 runs (16 earned) with 15 walks and 51 strikeouts for five wins. The MAC All-Star also batted .315 with a double, triple, 14 runs scored and 11 RBIs.
Nate Levesque, Apponequet, Junior
Levesque had quite the season on the mound for Apponequet as the junior ace threw a pair of no-hitters against Dartmouth and Dighton-Rehoboth and a one-hitter against GNB Voc-Tech. He pitched 59 ⅓ innings, striking out 74 while walking nine with an ERA of .47. He went 7-2. “On the mound, he had nine starts with eight complete games,” said Apponequet head coach Jim Cabucio. “He was so efficient. He had such command of the strike zone. He kept us in the games with his pitching. We defended so much better when he was on the mound.” When he wasn’t on the mound, Levesque would play shortstop. The South Coast Conference All-Star batted .306 with 18 RBIs.
Nate Roderiques, GNB Voc-Tech, Senior
As Voc-Tech’s solo captain, Roderiques provided leadership on and off the field as the Bears enjoyed quite the turnaround from winning seven games in 2022 to 14 in 2023. “The kid’s leadership is off the charts,” said GNB Voc-Tech head coach Matt Semiao. “He keeps the kids loose. He is a vocal leader and also one that leads by example.” Roderiques caught all but one inning and threw out 50% of baserunners attempting to steal. He also batted .300 and had just one strikeout in 50 at bats. “He’s doing all the right things all of the time,” Semiao said. “He’s going to be tough to replace.”
TOP HONOR Time injured, away from sport pushed this athlete to be our Girls Lacrosse Player of Year
ALL-STAR TEAM
Boston Bettencourt, GNB Voc-Tech, Sophomore
The sophomore center fielder had a big year at the plate for Voc-Tech, batting .404 with 18 runs scored, 10 RBIs and four stolen bases. “We weren’t sure what to expect from him this year,” said GNB Voc-Tech head coach Matt Semiao. “He took his game to a new level this year. Whatever you need, he gets it done.” Bettencourt was named a South Coast Conference All-Star.
Noah Borgiorno, Old Rochester, Junior
Borgiorno did a little bit of everything for Old Rochester. The South Coast Conference pitched in relief, played shortstop and batted .403 to lead the team. He finished with 22 hits on the season. “He was our anchor at shortstop,” said Old Rochester head coach Steve Carvalho. “He pitched in relief and he played good defense. He was hands down our best player.”
Matt Burt, Bishop Stang, Sophomore
Burt enjoyed a breakout season on the mound and at the plate, helping Bishop Stang capture a share of the Catholic Central League championship and reach the Div. 3 Final 4. He pitched 35 ⅔ innings, allowing 14 hits and four runs (two earned) with 13 walks and 35 strikeouts for an ERA of .393 and a 4-1 record. “He was very consistent for a young player,” said Bishop Stang head coach Brian Rose. Batting in the three hole, the CCL All-Star hit .381 with 24 hits, including eight doubles and one triple, 16 RBIs and 15 runs scored.
Joe Castelo, New Bedford, Sophomore
Despite missing the first few weeks with a hip injury, Castelo had a strong season on the mound and at the plate for the Whalers. He pitched 25 ⅓ innings, striking out 17 while walking seven for an ERA of 2.21. He battled .354 with 17 hits, including a team-high four doubles. The Southeast Conference All-Star also played the outfield. “He was my best hitter and my best everything,” said New Bedford head coach John Seed. “He’s a very good defensive outfielder and has a strong arm. He’s a really good baseball player. He’s probably the best young player I’ve had since Andrew Rapoza.”
High scorers and versatile midfielders: Our 2023 Girls Lacrosse Super Team and All-Stars
Cam Letourneau, Bishop Stang, Senior
Letourneau, a Catholic Central League All-Star, enjoyed some big moments for Bishop Stang, pitching the Spartans to wins over Arlington Catholic, St. Mary’s, Nauset and Old Rochester. He pitched 39 ⅔ innings, allowing 38 hits, 25 runs (16 earned) with 50 strikeouts and 19 walks for a 4-2 record and 2.82 ERA. As the No. 4 hitter, he batted .296 with 21 hits, including two doubles, 15 RBIs and eight runs scored.
Tyler Mahon, Fairhaven, Senior
Mahon came back from Tommy John surgery and had a strong finish to his senior year. “He had probably three hits in his first nine games and then he really lit it up in the second half. He probably hit .600 in the second half of the season.” Mahon finished .327 with 17 hits, including five doubles and one triple, 10 RBIs and 12 runs scored. He pitched 11 innings, striking out 24 while walking 10 and allowing three earned runs for a 3.18 ERA. “He was solid in every position,” Bulgar said, noting that he also played first base and the outfield.
Mason Santos, Old Colony, Senior
A three-year varsity player, Santos had a strong senior year at shortstop and at the plate. “In the middle of the infield, he was the guy we could always count on,” said Old Colony head coach Craig Lincoln. The Mayflower Athletic Conference All-Star batted .333 from the leadoff spot. He had four doubles, 24 runs scored and 18 RBIs as the Cougars captured the conference title. “He was the calming effect all season long,” Lincoln said. “He showed everyone how to do it the right way and how to put in the work every day.”
Austyn Travis, Apponequet, Senior
A senior catcher, Travis caught 20 out of Apponequet’s 22 games and also batted .294 with nine RBIs to earn a spot on the South Coast Conference All-Star team. “He was a great defensive catcher for us,” said Apponequet head coach Jim Cabucio. “He was just a rock defensively. He got hot late in the season and was our most consistent hitter.”
Brock Winslow, Bishop Stang, Freshman
An injury to a teammate opened up an opportunity for Winslow and the freshman second baseman ran with it. In 19 games, he batted a team-high .451 with 23 hits, including one double, nine RBIs, 13 runs scored and eight stolen bases to earn Catholic Central League All-Star honors. “He got a chance to play and never looked back,” said Bishop Stang head coach Brian rose. “As a young player, he’s very athletic and he’s able to play multiple positions. He got the job done defensively first and he got the chance to hit and never looked back.”
HONORABLE MENTION
Dylan Bradley, Apponequet, Junior; Caiden Cyr, Apponequet, Junior; Brody Joly, Apponequet, Sophomore; Matt DeRosa, Bishop Stang, Junior; Nicholas Nasiff, Bishop Stang, Junior; Drew Taylor, Bishop Stang, Sophomore; Jackson Tingley Prince, Bishop Stang, Senior; Chase Lackie, Dartmouth, Senior; Matt Lariviere, Dartmouth, Senior; Aiden Hassey, Fairhaven, Senior; Connor Sorelle, Fairhaven, Senior; Kolbey DesRoches, GNB Voc-Tech, Senior; Chase Lagoa, GNB Voc-Tech, Junior; Noah Mello, GNB Voc-Tech, Senior; Jhaden Reis, GNB Voc-Tech, Junior; Jarren Goodine, New Bedford, Sophomore; Aaron Pimental, New Bedford, Senior; Kyle Pisz, New Bedford, Senior; A’Jay Rivera, New Bedford, Junior; Aven Beauchemin, Old Colony, Junior; Owen Deree, Old Colony, Sophomore; Matt McGuiggan, Old Colony, Senior; Ryan Silva, Old Colony, Senior; Trevor Taveira, Old Colony, Senior; Aiden Lamontagne, Old Rochester, Senior; Alec Marsden, Old Rochester, Senior; Brayden Brophy, Wareham, Senior; Isaac Strawn, Wareham, Junior.
This article originally appeared on Standard-Times: 2023 Standard-Times Baseball Super Team and All-Stars
