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What's going on with the baseball championships this week? Here's everything you need to know

eric rueb and bill koch, the providence journal
·6 min read

The state's three high school baseball divisions will crown their champions this weekend, with two series being played at Rhode Island College, and Division III playing at McCarthy Field in West Warwick. Here's a look at who's playing, how they got to the finals and a little history on the teams.

State Championship Series

No. 1-D Cumberland vs. No. 1-B La Salle

Connor Allard, left, and the Cumberland baseball team eliminated Hendricken from the playoffs. Can the Clippers take down La Salle and win the state championship series?
Connor Allard, left, and the Cumberland baseball team eliminated Hendricken from the playoffs. Can the Clippers take down La Salle and win the state championship series?

WHERE: Rhode Island College

WHEN: Game 1 — Wednesday, 4:30 p.m.; Game 2 — Saturday, 1 p.m.; Game 3 (if necessary) — Sunday, 1 p.m.

REGULAR-SEASON RECORD: Cumberland 11-7, La Salle 14-4.

HOW THEY GOT HERE: In Pod 1, Cumberland opened with a 10-0 win over No. 2-A Portsmouth, then lost to No. 1-A Hendricken, 4-2, in the pod semifinals. The Clippers followed that with a 4-1 win over No. 3-A Central, then beat Hendricken 4-2 and won the if game over the Hawks, 8-6. In Pod 2, La Salle opened with a 15-0 win over No. 3-B Smithfield and followed it with a 2-1 win over No. 1-C North Kingstown in the pod semifinals before beating the Skippers, 4-3, in the pod final.

PREVIOUS MATCHUP: La Salle took to the road and defeated Cumberland, 9-5, on April 26.

Will La Salle be celebrating this week at Rhode Island College?
Will La Salle be celebrating this week at Rhode Island College?

TOTAL TITLES: Cumberland 8 (5 State, 1 Division II, 2 Division III); La Salle 8 (7 State, 1 Class A)

LAST CHAMPIONSHIP APPEARANCE: Cumberland lost in three games to Hendricken in the 2015 State Championship Series. La Salle was swept by Hendricken in the 2019 State Championship Series.

LAST CHAMPIONSHIP WIN: Cumberland beat St. Raphael, 2-1, to win the 1993 state championship. La Salle swept South Kingstown to win the 2017 State Championship Series.

BRIEFLY: La Salle knocked off two-time champion North Kingstown to reach its fourth finals series since 2014. Patrick Jones, Matt DeStefanis and Mike Mita front the rotation while Aidan Greene works in a bulk relief role. Michael Salzillo, Nate Bautista and Jamie Doyle are among the top bats in a dynamic, athletic lineup. ... Cumberland came out of the losers' bracket to eliminate Bishop Hendricken and seeks a first championship in 30 years. Michael Bradshaw represents a legitimate ace to start Game 1 after beating the Hawks with the season on the line. Scott Penney, Andrew Ray and Anthony Martin should all be considered dangerous at the plate.

Division II Championship Series

No. 1-A East Providence vs. No. 1-C East Greenwich

East Greenwich pitcher Michael Ucci delivers against Westerly on May 3.
East Greenwich pitcher Michael Ucci delivers against Westerly on May 3.

WHERE: Rhode Island College.

WHEN: Game 1 — Thursday, 4:30 p.m.; Game 2 — Saturday, 4 p.m.; Game 3 (if necessary) — Sunday, TBD.

REGULAR-SEASON RECORD: East Providence 12-6, East Greenwich 14-4.

HOW THEY GOT HERE: In Pod 1, East Providence opened with a 9-1 win over No. 3-A Ponaganset, then lost to No. 1-D Chariho, 5-3, in 11 innings. The Townies rebounded with a 6-1 win over No. 2 A Westerly, then beat the Chargers, 4-2, to force a deciding game for the pod title, which they won, 2-1. In Pod 2, East Greenwich opened with a 7-0 win over No. 2-B Narragansett, then beat No. 1-B Barrington, 6-2. The Avengers lost to the Eagles in the pod final, 5-4, but won the if game, 7-2, to earn their spot in the championship series.

PREVIOUS MATCHUPS: East Greenwich hosted East Providence and came away with a 7-6 win on April 27.

TOTAL TITLES: East Providence 1 (1 Division II), East Greenwich 4 (4 Division II)

LAST CHAMPIONSHIP APPEARANCE: East Providence swept North Smithfield in the 2014 Division II Championship Series. East Greenwich lost a three-game series to Portsmouth in the 2006 Division II Championship Series.

LAST CHAMPIONSHIP WIN: East Providence swept North Smithfield to win the 2014 Division II title. East Greenwich beat Barrington in three games to win the 1998 Division II title.

BRIEFLY: East Greenwich is led by a pair of veterans on the mound in Michael Ucci and Casey DeLorenzo. They're each a threat to fire a complete game every time they take the ball. Cade Thomas and Rob Brooks offer that senior duo some support atop the batting order and power an offense searching for a first title since 1998. ... East Providence is on the big stage perhaps a little earlier than expected. Sophomore right-handers Dylan Annicelli and Tim Robitaille came up clutch in a pair of elimination games against Chariho, allowing a combined total of three runs. Jack McKnight sparks the lineup from the top and looks to bring just a second baseball title to the Townies.

Division III Championship Series

No. 3 Mount Pleasant vs. No. 4 Exeter-West Greenwich

Edward Roquez and the Mount Pleasant baseball team will try to beat Exeter-West Greenwich and win the program's first title since 2018. The two teams will battle at McCarthy Field this weekend in the Division III baseball championship series.
Edward Roquez and the Mount Pleasant baseball team will try to beat Exeter-West Greenwich and win the program's first title since 2018. The two teams will battle at McCarthy Field this weekend in the Division III baseball championship series.

WHERE: McCarthy Field, West Warwick

WHEN AND WHERE: Game 1 — Friday, 4:30 p.m.; Game 2 — Saturday, 5 p.m.; Game 3 (if necessary) — Sunday, 5 p.m.

REGULAR-SEASON RECORD: Mount Pleasant 13-3, Exeter-West Greenwich 13-3.

HOW THEY GOT HERE: In Pod 1, Exeter-West Greenwich lost to No. 5 Rogers, 5-1, then bounced back with an 11-1 win over No. 8 Classical. The Scarlet Knights then beat the Vikings, 13-7 to earn a spot in the pod final, where they beat No. 1 West Warwick, 2-1, to force the if necessary game, where they beat West Warwick again, 2-1, to earn their spot in the championship series. In Pod 2, Mount Pleasant opened with a loss to No. 2 North Smithfield, 6-5, then came back with a 10-5 win over No. 6 Pawtucket. The Kilties beat the Northmen, 6-2, in the pod final, forcing the if game that they won, 8-3.

PREVIOUS MATCHUPS: The teams both defended their home turf in the regular season with Mount Pleasant beating EWG, 6-1, on April 7 and the Scarlet Knights pulling out a 5-3 win over the Kilties on May 15.

TOTAL TITLES: Mount Pleasant 1, Exeter-West Greenwich 0.

LAST CHAMPIONSHIP APPEARANCE: Mount Pleasant swept North Smithfield in the 2018 Division III Championship Series. Exeter-West Greenwich lost a three-game series to Hope in the 2021 Division III Championship Series.

LAST CHAMPIONSHIP WIN: Mount Pleasant swept North Smithfield to win the 2018 Division III title. Exeter-West Greenwich has never won a championship.

BRIEFLY: Exeter-West Greenwich should be comfortable under pressure. The Scarlet Knights won four straight elimination games to reach a fourth title series since 2016. Whether or not EWG can win a first championship since founding its program in 1991 likely depends on two-way threat Aidan Powers and senior left-hander Josh Savino. ... Mount Pleasant won three straight elimination games to reach the title round, including a pair against defending champion North Smithfield. The Kilties went nearly eight decades without a championship and could now win a second since 2018. Carlos Roquez, Edward Roquez and Leo Nunez could play for any team in the state.

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Providence Journal preview of 2023 RIIL baseball championship series