Triple crown pursuit: With new coach, new players, Milton baseball aims for same result

MILTON – No one said pulling off a three-peat would be easy. And it probably won't be. But the Milton High baseball team took a small step in the right direction in Monday's home opener, rallying to beat Wellesley, 10-2, at Cunningham Park and hand new coach Greg Lannon his first victory at the helm.

The Wildcats (1-1) started slowly, with just two hits over the first four innings. But they erupted late with four runs in the fifth (to erase a 2-0 deficit) and six more in the sixth to make a winner of junior reliever James Burnes.

And Lannon, of course.

"Very nice to get that first win," said Lannon, a 2005 graduate of the school. "We had a tough game Friday; the bats were a little cold (in a 3-0 season-opening loss to St. Mary's-Lynn). I'm just happy for the guys. They compete every inning."

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Lannon is no stranger to the program, having served as JV coach the last five years. He attended varsity practices after his JV sessions wrapped up, and he was in the dugout for all the Wildcats' playoff runs. The last two of those ended with Division 2 state championships with Milton beating King Philip in both finals – 4-2 at Holy Cross in 2022 and 6-2 at Polar Park in Worcester last year. The Wildcats finished 22-3 each year.

"I learned so much in all my years here, but especially in the past two – how to handle the team and how to handle pressure situations," said Lannon, a special education teacher at North Quincy High. "I think that's helped me immensely."

Filling the shoes of former coach Brendan Morrissey (now at nearby Milton Academy) is a daunting task, one that is complicated by tremendous graduation losses that claimed four of Milton's five All-Scholastic selections a year ago. Gone are infielder Jimmy Fallon (.361, 24 runs scored), catcher Jack Finnegan (.480, 24 RBIs), first baseman K.J. Beckett (.377, 26 RBIs) and Owen McHugh, who went 3-0 on the mound in last year's playoff run while batting .426 with 27 runs as shortstop.

In fact, of the starting nine in last year's state final, only Scott Longo (also an All-Scholastic), Max Dunn, Reid Dexter and Harrison Hinckle are back.

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"Lot of star players (graduated)," Lannon acknowledged, "but (I like) the chemistry this team has; they pull for each other every day. That's (a culture that's) been built over the years. I credit Coach Morrissey for that."

"We've got a whole new infield and new coaches," senior shortstop Luke Naughton said. "But the seniors we had last year left us in a great spot. I spent a couple of years behind Owen McHugh on the bench; he probably taught me every single thing I know in the infield."

Naughton had the day's biggest hit – a two-run single to center that broke a 2-2 tie in the fifth. "I got down 0-2 and was just trying to throw my hands at it," he said. "Balls in play do jobs. I was just trying to get one in play and help the boys out a little bit."

Milton's top of the order had a fine day overall as leadoff hitter Hinckle was 3-for-4 with 2 runs and 2 RBIs, Longo was 2-for-3 with a run and 2 RBIs in the No. 2 hole, and Naughton was 2-for-4 with 3 RBIs batting third. Collectively they were 7-for-11 with 3 runs and 7 RBIs.

Milton wasn't overpowering at the plate, though. Longo had the long extra-base hit with a double, and five of the Wildcats' eight hits overall didn't leave the infield. But, hey, whatever works.

"We like to play small ball," Lannon said. "We lost a lot of bats from last year, so we're trying to see who's going to step up in those roles. Any way we can get runs across is good for me. And I know it's good for them. Keeping the pressure on on the bases (is crucial)."

Milton's pitching rotation should be strong, anchored by Longo, a junior left-hander who made an instant impact last season as a transfer from Catholic Memorial. He was 8-0 with a 1.71 ERA and hit .414 with 11 RBIs and 22 runs. Longo allowed just one earned run over 4⅓ innings against Wellesley (1-1), striking out 7 with a pair of walks.

"He's awesome," Naughton said of Longo. "I think we always play very confidently behind Longo."

Burnes, who figures to join Longo, junior Leo Lyons (he started the opener) and sophomore Ryan Kelly in the rotation, has sparkled in relief so far. The right-hander, a transfer from BC High, inherited a 2-0 deficit in the fifth and escaped a bases-loaded jam to keep the Wildcats close. He then threw a 1-2-3 sixth inning and retired the first two batters in the seventh before being lifted for senior Mark Michalski.

"It was unreal," Longo said of Burnes' clean 2⅓ innings of work. "He's a guy you have to watch all year. He'll have a very good season for us this year."

Asked how the Wildcats are approaching their quest for a third straight state title with so many new pieces, Longo said, "Same way as last year – keep the focus, keep the mentality. Every day at practice we have to work hard and get better. Obviously, we don't have the same core as last year, but we have to focus on having the same mentality as last year."

This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: Milton High baseball 2024 season preview: Can the Wildcats three-peat?