ATHOL — It’s that time of the year again, where dreams come true right on the baseball diamond and the youth have a chance to represent its country on a national level. Yes, we are talking about the pursuit to the Little League World Series which begins today at 5:30 p.m. for the Chuck Stone Little League of Athol.
Fourteen kids will represent the area as the Chuck Stone Little League all-stars in an attempt to make it to the Williamsport. This year’s team is coached by Matt Bonenfant and assisted by Tony Vitello and Chris Vezina.
Before we introduce each player, it’s best to first introduce the tournament format to lay out the path Chuck Stone will need to take to reach Williamsport.
Chuck Stone is part of Massachusetts District 3, which consists of six teams: Chuck Stone, Leominster American, Leominster National, Leominster North, Lunenburg and Quabbin. Each team will play each other once for a total of five games played per team. From there, the top four teams with the best records will advance to a double-elimination bracketed tournament. If teams have the same record, the tie-break is the head-to-head record followed by runs against if the head-to-head record is also a tie. One winner will advance to the sectionals tournament as the District 3 representative. From there, the winner of sectionals will move on to a regional tournament and so on until one team is left to represent the region at the Little League World Series.
The Chuck Stone all-stars have 14 players on this year’s roster. Twelve is the required number, but the coaches decided to include two extra members in case kids cannot make the games for various reasons. This year’s team is built upon its defense and pitching. Some of Chuck Stone’s best pitchers will represent the area while coach Matt Bonenfant believes he has several athletes that will provide the defense. The following is a brief description of each player on this year’s roster.
Barrieau pitched for the Legion during the regular season and saw time in center field in games he did not pitch. Barrieau throws strikes, which puts him part of the group of pitchers that will come in situationally for the all-stars. During the regular season, Barrieau hit .450 and provided the Legion with solid defense. He brings all three aspects to this year’s all-star squad.
Bonenfant comes from the VFW as a pitcher, shortstop and second baseman. She dominated the mound during game one of the Championship series and saved game two to bring home the title for her team. Bonenfant will be the team’s No. 1 pitcher and will mainly play shortstop when she is not on the mound. Bonenfant his seven home runs during the regular season.
Nicknames “Brando,” Engelke-Aiken comes from the Rotary Club. As an 11-year-old, Engelke-Aiken will provide the team with a solid utility player. He can play several positions and play them well. He can pitch if needed too. Engelke-Aiken is fast and will provide the all-star team with above average defense at multiple positions.
Erickson batted leadoff for the VFW, playing a combination of shortstop and second base. He will play second base for the all-stars. Erickson hit five home runs during the regular season and was a hard out, especially on the base paths. Erickson provides speed and smart base running instincts to the all-stars along with a little pop.
Gauthier is a first baseman’s specialty. He plays the position so well defensively that it will be tough on any team to put a ball past him. Gauthier hit six home runs for the VFW during the regular season out of the cleanup spot. Gauthier will play first base for the all-star team.
Goodwin is fast, hitting out of the two spot for the Legion during the regular season. Goodwin played shortstop for the Legion and will be used to pitch as a reliever. He has worked to throw hard in preparation of the all-star team according to his coaches. Expect to see Goodwin used in relief during the pursuit to Williamsport.
Haggett comes to the all-star team after spending the regular season in center field for the VFW. Haggett is fast and will provide a threat as a pinch runner for the all-stars. Haggett can also bunt well and maneuvers through the bases well. He will play in the outfield if he does not come in as a pinch runner or courtesy runner.
Johnson is a sneakily good athlete, playing mostly first base for the Lions and was the team’s No. 2 pitcher. Johnson provides above average defense for the all-star team and will be involved on the mound if the situation calls for it. Johnson will move over to third base for the all-star squad and will see time in the outfield as well.
LaFosse was the Lions’ No. 1 pitcher during the regular season. He’s a strike thrower and pitches with a calm and collective approach. LaFosse is part of a trio of players that will be called upon to pitch situationally and will start in the outfield for the all-stars. LaFosse will use his strong arm to provide defense in the outfield.
Mack will be the team’s No. 3 starter. Mack was the No. 2 starter for the VFW and has the mindset to become an ace at some point in his lifetime. He pitches throw situations with poise and a calmness, making him a good fit as the team’s No. 3 starter. Mack will move to the outfield when he doesn’t pitch.
Smith will be the team’s primary catcher after catching for the VFW this season. Smith provides a strong sense of calling a game after spending a lot of time catching during the regular season.
After holding the the ace role for the Rotary Club, Vezina comes to the all-star team as its No. 2 starter. Vezina is a powerful pitcher and can strike out anybody. He’s more of a contact hitter, hitting for doubles than anything else. When not pitching, Vezina will play in center field.
Vitello was a jack of all trades for the Lions and comes to the all-star team as one of the best defensive players of Chuck Stone. Vitello was the leadoff hitter for the Lions and played a combination of shortstop, second base and outfield and he even put the catcher’s equipment on for a couple of innings during the regular season. Vitello will split time between third base and outfield but will move around as needed.
Young caught for the Lions and will catch for the all-stars. Young was the Lions’ cleanup hitter and hit the only home run all season for the team. Young brings a powerful bat to the all-stars’ lineup.