Meet the 2023 T&G Hometeam high school baseball Super Team

The following athletes were named to the T&G Hometeam baseball Super Team, as nominated by area coaches and selected by the T&G staff.

Player of the Year

Angel Baez

Leominster High

Junior, Pitcher/Second Base

This three-year varsity player was unbeatable and practically unhittable on the mound, displayed a deft glove in the field and was a threat every time he stepped into the batter’s box as the Blue Devils went 19-2 and advanced to the second round of the Division 2 state tournament. And for that he was honored as the Hometeam Player of the Year. The 5-foot-10, 170-pound right-hander went 7-0 with a 1.03 earned run average. Defensively, he posted a .964 fielding percentage and offensively hit .293 average with .470 on-base percentage to go with three doubles, a home run, 11 runs batted in and 13 runs. Baez was named the Mid-Wach A MVP after the first-place Blue Devils went 9-1 in league play and selected as Pitcher of the Game for his victorious squad in the Massachusetts Baseball Coaches Association’s Junior Select All-Star Game. In a season with multiple memorable moments, the Blue Devils capturing the CMADA Class A championship tops the list for Baez. He is the son of Dolores and Hector Mercado of Leominster.

Caleb Allen

Oakmont Regional

Junior, Pitcher/Shortstop

Allen starred on the mound and at the plate while leading the Spartans to a 23-3 record and the Division 3 state championship. The 5-foot-10, 170-pound right-hander went 7-1 with a 0.52 earned run average and a school-record 120 strikeouts against 14 walks in 67 innings. Offensively, Allen hit .361 with 10 of his 30 hits going for extra bases while driving in 20 runs and scoring 19. Allen’s most memorable moment of the season came in a 5-3 win over Medfield in 12 innings that delivered the first baseball state title in school history, as it came with teammates he has played with since they first stepped on a diamond. This captain, two-time Mid-Wach C MVP and two-time T&G divisional all-star aspires to become a major league baseball player. He is the son of Christy and Dan Allen of Ashburnham.

Noah Basgaard

St. John’s High

Junior, Pitcher/First Base

Basgaard was the ace of a deep and talented staff that led the way as the Pioneers advanced to the Division 1 state semifinals before falling to eventual, two-time champion Taunton to finish 19-5. The 6-foot-5, 220-pound right-hander went 7-1 with a 2.68 earned run average and 37 strikeouts in 43 innings. The clean-up hitter, he batted .317 with seven doubles, a home run, 18 runs batted in and 11 runs. Basgaard, who is also a standout basketball player, considers his most memorable moment of the season to be the Pioneers advancing to the Final Four, a playoff run he had a big hand in with a 2-1 win over Milford in the second round, during which he allowed three hits and didn’t walk a batter in a complete-game effort. He is the son of Jennifer and Erik Basgaard of Shrewsbury.

James Benestad

St. John’s High

Senior, Catcher

Benestad was the proverbial engine that drove the sixth-seeded Pioneers to their deepest postseason run in six years, one that ended in the Division 1 state semifinals to cap a 19-5 season that included a 7-3 mark in the Catholic Conference. The 5-foot-10, 165-pounder was a defensive dynamo behind the plate, displaying a proclivity for blocking balls, and set the tone offensively, batting .313 with 5 doubles, 3 triples, 2 home runs, 17 runs batted in and 19 runs out of the leadoff spot. Benestad, who started in goal as the Pioneers reached the D1 state semifinals in soccer, was the recipient of the Gary McNulty Outstanding Athlete Award as St. John’s athlete of the year. Benestad will continue his baseball career and major in criminal justice at Endicott College with a career goal of working for the FBI or Department of Homeland Security. He is the son of Kelly and Chris Benestad of Northborough.

Miles Blake

Tantasqua Regional

Sophomore, Pitcher

Blake displayed power, precision and poise as the staff ace while propelling the Warriors to the CMADA Class A final, the Division 3 state semifinals, where they were edged by eventual champion Oakmont, and a 20-4 record. The 5-foot-11, 170-pound left-hander went 9-2 with an 0.34 earned run average in 57-1/3 innings while racking up 87 strikeouts and allowing 26 walks, 21 hits and 11 earned runs. Blake’s most memorable moments of the season included having his brother, Henry, catch him for a final time this season, being teammates with his best friends, and sharing a seat on the bus for road games with fellow T&G Super Teamer Devin Krochmalnyckyj. Blake is committed to continue his baseball career at Northeastern University, where he plans to major in elementary or special education. He is the son of Jessica Garfield-Blake and Erik Blake of Brookfield.

Charlie Criscola

Uxbridge High

Sophomore, Pitcher/Shortstop

Success wasn’t scarce when it came to the winning combination of Criscola and the Spartans, who went 16-7 and advanced to the second round of the Division 4 state tournament. The 5-foot-11, 155-pound right-hander posted a 7-3 record that included wins over Grafton, Northbridge and, in the CMADA Class C championship, Millbury to go with a 1.67 earned run average and 67 strikeouts. The surehanded shortstop, who batted third, hit .414 while driving in 29 runs and scoring 18. Criscola, a T&G divisional all-star as a freshman, served as a team captain this season. His most memorable moment was celebrating the CMADA title with his teammates. Criscola aspires to continue his baseball career in college and to work in the sporting industry upon graduation. He is the son of Shannon and Bob Criscola of Uxbridge.

Jason Flaherty

Wachusett Regional

Junior, Outfielder

Flaherty generated power, speed and production out of the cleanup spot as the Mountaineers went 13-8 and earned the 16th seed in the Division 1 state tournament. The 5-foot-8, 170-pound left fielder batted a team-leading .403, with 11 of his 25 hits going for extra bases (6 doubles, 4 triples, home run). Flaherty drove in 17 runs and crossed home plate 25 times while stealing 18 bases. This first-team Mid-Wach A all-star aspires to continue his baseball career at the Division 1 level in college. Flaherty didn’t have a specific memorable moment of the season, but rather relished meeting new people and having fun each time he was on the diamond. He is the son of Christy and John Flaherty of Holden.

Ryan Garner

Leominster High

Senior, Pitcher

No matter if he came out of the bullpen to pitch in short or long relief, Garner got the job done while helping the Blue Devils go 19-2, finish atop the Mid-Wach A standings, capture the CMADA Class A championship, and earn the second seed in the Division 2 state tournament before advancing to the second round. The 6-foot-1, 200-pound left-hander went 7-1 and recorded four saves to go with a 2.31 earned run average while notching 39 strikeouts against 13 walks in 39-1/3 innings. Garner’s most memorable moments of the season came in back-to-back games in which he earned a pair of wins while pitching 9-2/3 innings in relief, versus St. Paul and Tantasqua in the CMADA semifinals and final. Garner will continue his baseball career and major in environmental science at Husson University. He is the son of Mary and Chad Garner of Leominster.

Cooper Hagen

Westborough High

Senior, Pitcher

Whether he was inducing ground balls, flyouts or swings-and-misses, Hagen consistently kept hitters off balance and guessing as the Rangers, who compete in the hyper-competitive Mid-Wach A, went 9-12 and earned the 18th seed in the Division 2 state tournament. The 6-foot-2, 160-pound left-hander racked up 75 strikeouts in 52-1/3 innings while posting a 1.61 earned run average and a 1.03 WHIP. A team captain and first-team Mid-Wach A all-star, Hagen’s most memorable moment of the season came in a 4-0 win over rival Algonquin in which he threw a complete-game one-hitter and went 2 for 2 with an RBI. Hagen will continue his baseball career at St. Anselm College. He is the son of Erin and Chris Hagen of Westborough.

Devin Krochmalnyckyj

Tantasqua Regional

Junior, Shortstop

Krochmalnyckyj was the player who made the Warriors go during a 20-4 campaign that included a 7-3 record against Division 1 and 2 opponents and trips to the CMADA Class A final and Division 3 state semifinals. The 6-foot-2, 186-pounder displayed remarkable range and an accurate arm at shortstop. Offensively, Krochmalnyckyj hit .402 — topping .400 for the second straight season — with a .495 on-base percentage and a .584 slugging percentage out of the third spot in the order. He belted four home runs, three of which were of the fence-clearing variety, and drove in 19 runs while scoring 26 times. There was no single memorable moment to the season, rather Krochmalnyckyj enjoyed the entire experience of the Warriors’ three-month run of success. He is the son of Elisa and Roman Krochmalnyckyj of Sturbridge.

Jake LeFrancois

St. Paul High

Junior, Pitcher/Second Base

Whether he was pitching, hitting or fielding, LeFrancois was efficient and effective while helping the Knights go 13-8 and advance to the Division 1 state tournament. The 6-foot, 190-pound right-hander was 5-3 with a 1.98 earned run average while striking out 81 batters in 46 innings. All eight starts he made were against teams that qualified for postseason play. Offensively, LeFrancois batted .435 and drove in 18 runs and defensively he displayed a gold glove on the mound and at second base. His most memorable moments of the season were posting a complete-game, one-hit victory against St. John’s Prep, and the bus ride home following a win over Malden Catholic. LeFrancois, a T&G divisional all-star in basketball this winter, is committed to continue his baseball career at UMass-Lowell. He is the son of Heidi and Eric LeFrancois of Worcester.

Evan Remington

Oxford High

Senior, Pitcher/Shortstop

In his third year as a captain, Remington again led the way as the Pirates went 15-8 and advanced to the second round of the Division 5 state tournament. The 6-foot-5, 193-pound right-hander posted an 8-2 record and a 1.69 earned run average while recording 107 strikeouts and issuing 18 walks in 62-1/3 innings. He batted .448 and hit five doubles, two triples and a home run. A Southern Worcester County League all-star in basketball as well as baseball, Remington’s most memorable moment of the season was pitching a 14-strikeout, no-hitter against Clinton in the CMADA Class C quarterfinals. Remington will continue his baseball career and major in education at Assumption University, with the career goal of becoming a teacher. He is the son of Maureen and Patrick Remington of Oxford.

Honorable Mention

Division 1

Joey Bazydlo, St. Paul

Nigel Cross, Doherty

Anthony Doe, Wachusett

Cam Early, Doherty

Nick Ermilio, South

Joey Guidotti, Shrewsbury

Jack Lizewski, St. Paul

Jimmy Mitchell, St. John's

Joseph Russell, Algonquin

Brady Shea, St. John's

Division 2

Chase Barrett, Nashoba

T.J. Cahill, Grafton

Owen Cooney, Burncoat

Jake Dapolite, Westborough

Ryan Dillon, Marlborough

Tyler Godin, Leominster

Tom Hennessey, Shepherd Hill

Brady Keeler, Grafton

Jack King, Burncoat

Nick Massa, Leominster

Nik Pavia, Nashoba

Peter Ward, Nashoba

Division 3

Jared Arsenault, Groton-Dunstable

Henry Blake, Tantasqua

Colin Bradford, Nipmuc

Nate Bushnell, Groton-Dunstable

Henry Bruun, Fitchburg

Ty Curtis, Oakmont

Jayden Downing, Oakmont

Jordan Febles, Worcester Tech

Ben Forbes, Oakmont

Colby Gouldrup, Oakmont

Colin Lake, North Middlesex

Bobby Long, Hudson

Tommy Lutz, Auburn

Connor Madden, Hudson

Colm McGrath, Tantasqua

Kyle Pernas, Monty Tech

Max Person, Hudson

Robert Reidy, Worcester Tech

Brady Reardon, North Middlesex

Anthony Ruggiero, Nipmuc

Division 4

Dylan Adamson, Lunenburg

Keegan Antelman, Assabet

Jimmer Donnelly, Millbury

Zack Fritze, Bay Path

Shea Gendron, Lunenburg

Aiden Green, Clinton

Matt Kelly, Millbury

Peter Lavache, Bartlett

Corey Magill, Valley Tech

Joey McKeown, Northbridge

Griffin Metcalf, Leicester

Tade Riordan, Valley Tech

Talen Rosborough, Uxbridge

Matt Rousakos, Bay Path

Brian Silvester, Clinton

Mikey Shufrin, Littleton

Calvin Thompson, AMSA

Matt Visbeek, Northbridge

Division 5

Kyle Bergeron, St. Bernard's

Ryan Bonin, Douglas

Leo Colena, Sutton

Nolan Currier, Maynard

Chase Donahue, Bromfield

Chase Falcon, Sutton

Cody Grossi, Narragansett

Brian Holmes, Ayer-Shirley

Josh Jenkins, Sutton

Tom Kursonis, West Boylston

Eli Labbe, Bromfield

Lucas Lambert, Oxford

Cam Marshall, Ayer-Shirley

Jamie McNamara, Tahanto

Dylan Monette, Murdock

Sam Oestreicher, Ayer-Shirley

Cole Patterson, Murdock

Ryan Reynolds, Hopedale

Jacob Smith, Hopedale

Andrew Talmo, Maynard

Tyler Wilke, Hopedale

This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Check out the 2023 T&G Hometeam high school baseball Super Team