THE MALDEN ADVOCATE–Friday, May 21, 2021 Page 11 7th Annual Christie Serino Baseball Classic set for Saturday Field includes host Malden HS, Somerville, Salem Academy and Winthrop T It is said in Malden... hat it is great to see Mystic Station back up and running again in the heart of Malden Square, after being idle for a couple of months due to renovations. *** That a hearty crew of Malden Youth Baseball volunteers, led by President Felice D’Anna, did yeoman’s work over four hours last week in clearing the puddles from two parks so that the city’s Major Division games could be played. *** That for the first time in 430 days the entire student body of just over 1,700 Malden High School students in grades 9-12 was welcomed back on Monday, May 17 to full-time, in-person learning with five days of classes from 8:15 a.m. to 2:15 p.m., Monday through Friday. *** That the number of street projects involving digging and the closure (or limiting access) around the community, particularly in the downtown area and its outskirts, is multiplying and seems a bit unprecedented, with so many going on at once, in seemingly every neighborhood in the city. *** That Monday was Opening Night for Malden Babe Ruth BaseBy Jason Mazzilli C hristie Serino is one of the most influential and most revered coaches and mentors in the region's history on the high school and college sports scene. He coached hockey at Saugus High, Malden Catholic, UNH and Merrimack College, as well baseball for many of his five sons' teams as well as at University of New Hampshire. On Saturday, for the seventh time, the late Coach Serino's legacy will be honored again with the playing of the 7th Annual Christie Serino Baseball Classic, where four teams will compete for the 2021 Championship. This will be the first time since the 2019 season the Classic will be held, having been sidelined along with the entire rest of the high school season in 2020. Malden High School Head Coach Steve Freker and the Golden Tornado baseball squad will host the Doubleheader action on two adjoining Malden fields, Maplewood Park and Rotondi Field, beginning at 11:00 a.m. with firstround action. The Championship Game is set for 1:30 p.m. at Maplewood Park featuring the two first-round winners, with a Consolation Game on the adjacent field. Malden High will play Salem Academy at 11:00 a.m. at Maplewood Park in one firstround matchup, while Somerville High and Winthrop High will face off at 11:00 a.m. at Rotondi Field at Howard Park. Coach Freker said it has been an honor to memorialize Coach Serino all of these years. "He was a leader and mentor to hundreds of athletes and coaches. There is really no one in this region who has made such an impact on so many lives in the high school and college ranks," said Coach Freker, who is now in his fifth year at Malden High, returning after an 18-year absence. He was the head baseball coach at Saugus High from 2014-2016 and head baseball coach at Malden Catholic from 2000-2012. He coached baseball at Malden High from 1985-1999 previously. While at Malden Catholic, Freker served under Serino who was athletic director at the time, and also coached two of Coach Serino's sons, Nick and Anthony. Both of the sons were D-1 scholarship baseball players at UMass-Amherst. Nick Serino went on to the professional ranks with the Toronto Blue Jays organization, one of 8 professional MLB baseball players from Malden Catholic from 2006-2012. "We started the Serino Classic in 2014 at Saugus High and it was such a big success we brought it to Malden High when we returned here," Freker said. Tony Serino was an assistant coach at Malden High and Saugus High while the athletic director at Winthrop High now is Matt Serino, another Chris Serino son, to keep the ties going. It will be the season opener for Malden and Coach Freker said the Tornado team is excited about it. "What a way to open the season! Hopefully we can bring the title back to Malden!," he added. *** SERINO CLASSIC WINNERS 2014 Saugus 2015 Saugus 2016 Saugus 2017 Malden HS 2018 Malden HS 2019 East Boston 2020 No classic-COVID-19 2021 ????? ball, and it is the 63rd “first pitch” in league history, with the opening game between the Knights and “Day One” Manager from the 1960s – Bob Rotondi – and Flames; its nearly 30-year manager and BRL Field Director is Deano Summers. *** That people are still marveling at the fact that no one was seriously injured (or worse) when a large sign plummeted to the ground recently – while the place was still open – at John’s Gas Station on Beach Street in the Linden neighborhood near the Malden-Revere city line. *** That word has been received that former longtime Malden Public Schools teacher Bob Guidi, who retired in the early 2000s after nearly 40 years of service, is serving as the head baseball coach at Mystic Valley Regional Charter School this spring, and that he has coached high school sports well over 50 years now, since the early 1970s. Go get ‘em, Coach! J& • Reliable Mowing Service • Spring & Fall Cleanups • Mulch & Edging • Sod or Seed Lawns • Shrub Planting & Trimming • Water & Sewer Repairs Joe Pierotti, Jr. S LANDSCAPE & MASONRY CO. Masonry - Asphalt • Brick or Block Steps • Brick or Block Walls • Concrete or Brick Paver Patios & Walkways • Brick Re-Pointing • Asphalt Paving www.JandSlandscape-masonry.com • Senior Discount • Free Estimates • Licensed & Insured 617-389-1490 Designing and Constructing Ideas that are “Grounds for Success” Landscaping
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