By Christopher Tremblay, Staff Sports Writer

 

            Entering his thirteenth season as the Oxford baseball Coach, Justin Richards is hoping that this season isn’t based on superstition, but instead a season of success. It’s not as though Richards has anything to worry about on the diamond, through his Oxford career the team has not only had 10 straight tournament appearances but has also collected 5 Southern Worcester County League (SWCL) Titles, 5 Central Mass Championships and 2 State Finals.

            “We have a very good feeder program with the little league and have gotten a lot of kids who love the game of baseball play for the high school,” The Pirates Coach said. “We lose some of those kids to other sports, but our numbers for baseball are high. If we continue to win, I’m sure we’ll continue to see an interest in the sport.”

            Oxford posted an 11-3 regular season record and made a run through the Division 4 Central Mass Tournament before falling to Tahanto, the eventual champion, in the Semi-Finals. Although the Pirates didn’t make it to the Championship game the squad will be returning seven starts this spring from last year’s team.

            There will be four pitchers amongst the seven returners. Senior Evan Brindisi and junior Evan Remington will be the team’s top two hurlers and will play shortstop when not on the mound. Brindisi, who will be heading to Johnson and Wales next fall to pitch for the Wildcats, is a hard thrower off the rubber and a perfectionist with the strikeout; while Remington throws more of a fast curve causing batters to hit to contact.

            Two other hurlers throwing for the Pirates will be Connor Fantasia, who is also a very flexible athlete that can play anywhere on the field and with skill, and junior Lucas Lambert, the team’s quarterback on the football field.

            “Having four returning pitchers is nice. We like when this happens as it gives us the opportunity to carry things forward into the next season,” the Coach said. “In 2018 we went 19-1 winning the Division 4 Central with a big group of seniors and the following year we had to completely start over. However, while still having a young tram were able to go 11-9 and eventually lost to Hopedale in the Quarter Finals.”

            Oxford seemed to grow though some growing pains in 2019 but are now ready to reap the benefits of that year.

            Offensively junior Zak Parmenter, who has hit in the cleanup role before, will bat somewhere in the middle of the lineup with his bat. According to the Pirate skipper, the third baseman has great hand and eye coordination and although a power hitter, he can go to the opposite field really well.

            Senior Antoine Lacourt, a first baseman, will also find his bat in the middle of the Pirate lineup, while sophomore Jordan Deleon, who can basically play anywhere on the field, will find himself behind the plate on a regular basis.

            “We lost our catcher and Jordan took over the position and has run with it in a short period of time. He’s a three-sport athlete (running back in football and a guard on the court for the basketball team) so he’ll be ok back there,” Richards said.

            Every time that the seven returners take to the field, Richards knows that he has a group of talented individuals that have been playing the game together while having success for years and is hoping that they continue to move forward.

            “The potential with these guys is sky high,” he said. “If they take on the task at hand and apply what they have learned while not getting too high or too low ten they’ll be fine. They are a mature group with a great work ethic and the ability to succeed.”

            The squad’s goals continue to be exactly the same since day one when Richards took over the program 13 years ago; win the SWCL, qualify for States and compete in the Central Mass and State Tournaments for Championships. If the team runs the course, as they have in the past, then come June the Pirates will once again be in the tournament with the older players showing the younger guys the ropes.

            “This 14-man roster has a lot of up-and-coming talent and if they show that talent, we will still be standing at the end,” Richards said. ‘My overall philosophy is if I am not pushing the kids then I am not giving enough. We as coaches demand a lot, but the kids definitely see the benefits it brings.”

            Richards and the Pirates are looking forward to year 13 being one of luck in which they ride the wave all the way into the State Finals.