THE MALDEN ADVOCATE–Friday, June 24, 2022 Page 11 Hometown players shine as Mass. Baseball Coaches’ State All-Star Games held in Malden MHS’s McMahon throws zeroes in Junior All-Star Game; Tornados Coggswell, Simpson, Noelsaint look solid for Sophomore All-Stars; Norales named MVP for Team Ebbett; Revere’s Mikey Popp dazzles on the basepaths for Junior All-Stars open with a bases-clearing triple in the top of the fifth inning as Team Lombard won the 2022 Sophomore Select All-Star Game with a 7-3 victory. Team Lombard scored in the By Jason Mazzilli M alden was the epicenter of high school baseball for a day on Monday as it once again hosted the Massachusetts Baseball Coaches Association (MBCA) State Select Junior and State Select Sophomore All-Star Games on Monday. The games were held at the City of Malden’s Bob Rotondi Field/Richard Howard Park. This is the second consecutive year the state AllStar Games were held in Malden. The games were originally scheduled for Sunday, but a morning rainstorm and unseasonably cold and windy weather forced a postponement of the two-game slate to Monday. Fittingly, being held in Malden, the All-Star Games had a local flair. All told, six Malden natives were on the rosters of the games, and a number of local residents served as coaches for the teams. Malden High assistant varsity baseball coach Phil Cook served as head coach for the Team Ebbett squad in the 2022 4th MBCA Sophomore All-Star Game and was assisted by Malden Catholic junior varsity coach Shawn Nice. Both are Malden natives and Malden High School graduates. Four Malden residents played for Team Ebbett in the Sophomore Select State AllStar Team: Malden High School 10th-graders Ryan Coggswell, Zeke Noelsaint and Jake Simpson, along with Jackson Norales of Malden Catholic. From left to right: Malden Catholic assistant coach Shawn Nice, Team Ebbett Most Valuable Pitcher David Tracy (Lynnfield), MVP Jackson Norales (Malden Catholic), Malden High assistant varsity coach Phil Cook. (Courtesy Photo/MBCA) top of the second as Billerica’s Gus O’Gara connected for an RBI single to make it 1-0. Team Ebbett answered in the bottom half as Jackson Norales of Malden Catholic connected for an RBI single. Another run crossed off a wild throw to give Team Ebbett a 2-1 lead. With the score tied 2-2 in the top of the fifth, Magill came up with the bases-loaded and delivered the game-breaking hit. By the time the ball landed by the right field fence, Magill was rounding second, and three runs were in for Team Lombard (5-2). Team Lombard tacked on two more runs in the frame and coasted to the finish from there. Braintree’s Sean O’Rourke was selected as the Player of the Game for Team Lombard (two hits), while Amesbury star Aidan Donovan was named the Pitcher of the Game after hurling two shutout innings. “It feels awesome. Amazing Malden High sophomore Ryan Coggswell takes a batting stance at the plate on Monday. (Courtesy/MBCA) Norales, a catcher for the The Head Coach for Team Ebbett in the MBCA Sophomore Select All-Star Team was Phil Cook of Malden High. (Courtesy Photo/MBCA) Lancers, captured the Most Valuable Player Award for Team Ebbett, after collecting a tworun single at the plate and also throwing out two Team Lombard runners attempting to steal second. “It was an incredible experience to play in a game like this, in my hometown and on my school’s home field,” said Norales, who is a second-year varsity player this year, making the team as a freshman in the spring of 2021. Malden High second baseman Ryan Coggswell and shortstop Jake Simpson comprised the starting middle infield duo. A third Tornado, sophomore Ezekiel “Zeke” Noelsaint, joined his teammates in the starting lineup as Team Ebbett’s centerfielder. Noelsaint, whom organizers said was the first player of Haitian-American descent to ever appear in any MBCA State All-Star Game, made several outstanding catches in centerfield on Monday. Simpson and Noelsaint were varsity starters for MHS Baseball as freshmen in 2021 and both had strong seasons for the Tornados this past spring. Coggswell led the Tornado varsity team in hitting this past spring (.346) and started every game at second base. Blackstone Valley’s Magill leads Team Lombard to 7-3 win in Soph All-Star Game Blackstone Valley Tech sophomore Cory Magill broke things Malden High junior righthander Brandon McMahon fires away for the MBCA Junior All-Stars. (Courtesy/MBCA) day for baseball, good weather and to know that I had essentially the game-winning hit is an honor,” Blackstone Valley’s Magill said in an online report. “It’s an honor to play at this beautiful field, and it was a great day.” BASEBALL | SEE PAGE 12
12 Publizr Home