14

Page 14 THE EVERETT ADVOCATE – FRiDAy, OCTObER 9, 2026 New wave in town: introducing the Mystic River Rapids F or more than 130 years, the late summer and early fall seasons have only meant one thing in Everett: football season. But this fall, there is a different type of wave flowing down Tileston Street — known as the Mystic River Rapids. The Mystic River Rapids are a brand-new travel AAU baseball organization based in the Everett area, calling Sacramone Park home for its inaugural season. As of now, the Rapids consist of one 10U team playing out of the Firecracker Sports organization, a Saturday doubleheader league that gives young players the opportunity to travel throughout New England and compete against some of the best teams in their age group. And while the Rapids may be new, the people behind the organization certainly aren’t. Ten of the team’s 12 players come from the Everett Little League organization, making the Rapids a true continuation of the baseball community that has been growing in Everett for generations. The entire Mystic River Rapids coaching staff is made up of Everett Little League coaches and volunteers, with more than 35 combined years of volunteer service in Everett baseball alone. That number doesn’t even include the countless hours many of these coaches have dedicated to other youth sports throughout the city. The goal is simple: give local players an opportunity to continue playing competitive baseball, travel, experience new competition and, most importantly, develop as ballplayers and teammates. And through the first two weeks of the season, the Rapids are showing that they aren’t just here to participate. As of September 22, the Rapids are 3-1. A strong start on the road T he Rapids opened their inaugural season on the road in Warwick, Rhode Island, taking on the Red Bandits Baseball Club. Opening day brought a split in the doubleheader, with the Rapids taking Game One by a convincing 6-1 score before dropping Game Two, 7-4. Two players immediately made their presence felt and were named the first-ever Rapids “Wave Makers of the Week”: JJ Marchese and Angel Rodriguez. Marchese was on an absolute tear at the plate, going fourfor-five on the day with two singles, a double and a triple. He also drew a walk, drove in two runs and crossed the plate three times. As if his offensive performance wasn’t enough, Marchese also recorded a combined six defensive outs while playing both shortstop and second base. Rodriguez was equally impressive on the mound. Starting Game One, Rodriguez worked five full innings, facing 17 batters while allowing just two hits. He struck out an impressive 10 batters and didn’t issue a single walk. He returned to the mound in Game Two, throwing another scoreless inning while facing three batters, allowing no hits and recording another strikeout. For a team playing its first games together under the Rapids name, it was an encouraging opening weekend. Sacramone Park comes alive O ne week later, the Rapids finally got to take the field at their new home. On Saturday, September 19, Ocean State Outlaws of Pawtucket, Rhode Island, came to Sacramone Park for the first-ever home series in Mystic River Rapids history. And the park was rocking. The atmosphere had everything you would hope for from a youth baseball Saturday: families along the fence, walk-up music, PA announcer Mike Reyes making sure the vibe never shifted, teammates cheering from the dugout, coaches working between innings and young players feeding off the energy around them. The Rapids responded by putting on a show. In Game One, Rodriguez picked up right where he left off in Warwick. The righthander went five full innings, striking out seven and once again walking nobody. The RapThe Mystic River Rapids, from left to right: Top row: Hudson Reyes, Giovanni Capurso, James Oliveira, Jaxon Allen and Jonathan McGowan; bottom row: Jameson (J-Roc) Savage, Jameson (J-Mo) Murray, Brayden Menjivar, Angel Rodriguez, Lorenzo Teixeira, JJ Marchese and Sebastian Heard. ids’ offense gave him plenty of support, and the home team cruised to a 12-2 victory in five innings under the slaughter rule. But the Rapids weren’t finished. Game Two saw left-handed pitcher Jameson Savage take the mound. Savage turned in another outstanding performance, throwing five full innings and striking out nine. Jonathan McGowan came in to close the door in the sixth inning, helping secure the Rapids’ first home sweep as they defeated the Outlaws 113. The victory also gave the Rapids their first winning streak — and their first taste of what Sacramone Park could become for this young organization. The power of “Renzo” W hile the pitching staff dominated much of the weekend, Lorenzo “Renzo” Teixeira provided plenty of thunder at the plate. Teixeira went twofor-four, drove in three runs and scored another. He also reached base a third time after reaching on an error. But his impact wasn’t limited to the batter’s box. At first base, Teixeira was flawless, making the difficult plays look routine and showing exactly why he has earned a reputation as one of the team’s defensive anchors. For his complete performance, Teixeira joined Savage as the Rapids’ second pair of “Wave Makers of the Week.” The guys behind the gear Of course, baseball is never just about the players putting up numbers in the box score. Behind every successful travel team is a group of players willing to embrace different roles — and the Rapids have already begun developing that identity. Behind the plate, Hudson Reyes has been a br ick wal l. Through the team’s first four games, Reyes has caught all but two innings, handling a demanding position that requires concentration, toughness and leadership every pitch of the game. For a young team with several pitchers finding their rhythm, having a dependable catcher behind the plate has been invaluable. Then there’s Jaxon Allen, the team’s version of a baseball Swiss Army knife. Need someone in the infield? Jaxon is ready. Need someone in the outfield? He’s there. Need a pitcher? Hand him the ball. Need an at-bat? He’s ready to compete. Allen has embraced the idea that sometimes the most valuable player isn’t necessarily the player who stays in one position all game. He’s willing to move around the diamond and do whatever is needed to help the team win — the kind of attitude every successful baseball team needs. That’s also part of what makes travel baseball special. Players learn that baseball isn’t always about where you want to play. Sometimes it’s about where your team needs you. RAPIDS | SEE PAGE 20

15 Publizr Home