As the 2025 season closed during the first week of August, with the oldest three Ruffnecks teams participating in local events. Among those events the Prospect Select Boston Classic and the Perfect Game “Best of the Best” were highly competitive. College coaches have been a steady presence at Ruffnecks games. The focus has been primarily on the 17u Ruffnecks and 16u Ruffnecks where 2026 and 2027 high school grads play. The 15u Ruffnecks made themselves into a good squad in their own right, challenging themselves against older opponents in several 16u events. All the while games are played, the process of development and exposure help to build self-awareness.
The 17u “Senior” Ruffnecks finished the long 2026 summer with strong showings. The team has bonded well and competed hard during the challenging and hot weather of July behind the solid coaching of Kevin Casey, John Brickley, and Ace Adams. Nuri Gutman has been the stopper on the mound, delivering poised and masterful outings each time he starts. Tucker Bliss and Marco Sullivan have also shown promise on the mound with both pitchers holding down the #2 and #3 starting slots. Boone Fahey, Cole Defina, Jon Condlin, Almany Santana, and Alistair Cooper have all contributed valuable innings out of the bullpen and in spot starts. Unfortunately, Carter Hoganson was lost for the summer to injury. It has been an unselfish pitching staff, reflective of the character of the team as a whole. Tremendous credit goes to Ace Adams, who works tireless to support the pitchers.
Joe Mayo and Owen Callahan have anchored the catching duties with fine performances. The outfield has been consistent and steady with Braeden Homer, Ryan Ruggiero, and Jack Weierman the regulars. The verstile Michael Fiengo has also contributed to outfield play. The infield has been outstanding with William Goggin estabilishing himself as a fine defender along with Garrett Falahee in the middle. Boone Fahey worked his way into the 3B spot with Fiengo contributing as well. 1B has been manned by Callahan and Mayo, with Cole Defina contributions as well. Owen Callahan, Ryan Ruggiero, Jack Weierman, William Goggin, Boone Fahey and Garrett Falahee have led the way for a balanced offense. Weierman has 6 home runs for the summer season, while Ruggiero’s on base percentage has been a staggering .590! Braeden Homer had a hot last few weeks with the bat as well. Most importantly, the team has come together well and performed with success in their final several events.
The Northeastern University Team Camp provided an opportunity for the 16u and 15u Ruffnecks to participate in a pro-style workout in front of college coaches from 8-10 different schools . The Northeastern camp provide close scrutiny of skill work, performance, and measurable metrics. It is a time for players to be evaluated and to evaluate themselves. In addition to the workout day, there were two days of games against other clubs.
Despite challenges, the 16u Ruffnecks finished their final tournament with impressive success. Coaches Jon Beverly, Jack Beverly, Dirk Baker, and Michael O’Brien were joined the last three weeks by Mike Lyon. All provided a sound instructive experience. The season was marked by an undermanned pitching staff. Sam Carbeau was unable to pitch in 2025, while the impressive Patrick Hunt had to shut it down midway through the summer. Leo Sacerdote was effective, particularly so in Georgia where he stymied a formidable opponent in the 17u WWBA National Championships. He too had to shut down toward the last part of the season. Angus Mckenna competed well on the mound and demontrated durabilily and determination. Jackson Shusda also proved a reliable starter and contributor on the mound with his steady presence. Nick O’Neil continued to show himself well on the mound and was always competitive. Albin Valdez, Drew Palmer, Matthew Howell, and Kaden McNeice contributed important innings to the cause of the 16u pitching staff.
The catching duo of Logan Katz and Andrew Plante bore the burden of some heavy duty catching time. Both performed well defensively and contributed to the offense with their bats. The outfield was manned by the steady presence of Matthew Pazak who showed speed and range. Pazak’s bat was also impressive. Matthew Howell, Albin Valdez, the versatile Peyton Shusda, and Nick O’Neil were all important to the flow of outfield play during the season. Meanwhile, the infield was anchored by Devin Constantino, Peyton Shusda, Jackson Shusda, Bubba Bryan, and Andrew Palmer. 1B was manned by the platoon of Angus McKenna, Kaden McNeice, and others.
Offensively, Devin Constantino led the way. Devin’s explosiveness on the bases and his consistent hitting provided a spark, especially in the second half of the summer. Peyton Shusda, Andrew Plante, Nick O’Neil, Matthew Pazak, and Logan Katz all showed extra base power. Matthew Howell, Andrew Palmer, Angus McKenna, Bubba Bryan, and Albin Valdez contributed timely hits.
The 15u Ruffnecks enjoyed considerable success as a team. The 15u year is not for the cautious player! It is a time where Ruffnecks coaches challenge the players to step up against older competition knowing it will be difficult at times. The 2025 edition of the 15u Ruffnecks did just that. Despite a thin pitching staff, the team found ways to compete and win. The offense was characterized by the consistency of several hitters who showed an ability to piece together quality at-bats and an approach at the plate that generated baserunners. Max Fukudome, Nathan Bills, Jack Fiengo, and Liam Eder-Linell were all tremendous catalysts to an aggressive offense and baserunning scheme employed by Coach KG. Their ability to set the table, create havoc on the bases, and generate offense were critical to the success of the team. Nate Dubuc showed great promise as a potential power bat. Trevor Smith, Dylan Crean, Cam Baldwin, Crosby Callahan, and Max Ruggiero were all integral to the offensive output. Dariel Espinosa showed some extra base power, delivering a number of big hits. Quinn Healey, John MacLean, Tucker Hunt, and Griff Ciongoli were also intrumental in the offensive success.
Catchers Max Fukudome and Nathan Bills were outstanding. Their experience at the varsity level during the spring served them and the pitchers well. Nate Dubuc developed well and contributed several outstanding efforts as the backstop. Fukudome and Bills were the versatile mainstays of the team, playing infield and outfield in addition to their catcher duties. The infield was anchored by the steady work of Cam Baldwin, primarily at SS. Max Ruggiero, Crosby Callahan, and Dariel Espinosa provided consistent efforts at 2B and 3B. Sound outfield play was established by the two most consistent outfielders, Dylan Crean and Jack Fiengo. Their outfield play was steady and grew increasingly proficient. They were joined by Quinn Healey, John MacLean, Tucker Hunt, and outfield convert, Trevor Smith. First Base was anchored by Liam Eder-Linell whose bat was difficult to take out of the lineup. Griff Ciongoli also contributed at 1B prior to a knee injury that ended his summer.
The pitching staff got the most out of themselves, thanks largely to the quiet and steady guidance of Coach Tommy Leimkuhler. Fletcher Parkinson proved to be a steady strike thrower and had several strong outings. Griff Ciongoli was outstanding prior to his knee injury, The loss of Ciongoli hampered the staff considerably. John MacLean provided his usual, steady, consistent, competitive outings as a starter. Left hander Alex Iihara was a strong addition once he was able to pitch in mid-summer. Dariel Espinosa showed great promise on the mound, contributing several important outings as the summer progressed. Max Ruggiero was a steady, willing, competitive pitcher out of the pen or in spot starts. Tucker Hunt provided similar efforts along with Quinn Healey. Dylan Crean contributed to the pitching staff, as did Eder-Linell, Trevor Smith, and Matthew Lupacyzk.
As usual, the coaching of Kevin Graber, Bryan Muenzner, and Tommy Leimkuhler provided steady guidance, firm boundaries, and sound, intructive information for young players wishing to elevate their game to the next level. There are some bright futures in the class of 2028.
Despite travel problems, the 13u and 14u Ruffnecks finished their seasons in Cincinnati, Ohio at the CABA World Series. The 13’s played in the 14u Division, while the 14’s played “up” in the 15u Division. The 13u Ruffnecks did very well as they earned a spot in the top playoff bracket, an achievement worthy of their hard work all season long. Both teams enjoyed the trip and even took in a Cincinnati Reds game.
Summer has begun. And with the calendar comes the heat! With the heat comes travel for the oldest Ruffnecks teams as they challenge themselves against some of the top competition in New England, the Mid- Atlantic, and in the Nation. The 16u and 17u Ruffnecks traveled to Flemington, New Jersey June 16-19 to participate in the Super17 at Diamond Nation. Both teams earned 2-2 records at the event. It is a time to sort our lineups, recalibrate pitchers for the summer season, and to compete. The Super17 serves its purpose.
On June 24th the 16u team boarded a flight for a week long trip to Marietta, Georgia. The 16’s are entered in the 17u Perfect Game WWBA Nationals. This is arguably the most competitive event of the summer in the Nation. The 16’s will be tested. Coach Jon Beverly guides the 16u Ruffnecks in 2025 as they navigate a summer of serious competition, player development, and the acquisition of personal self-awareness, and self advocacy skills. The recruiting landscape continues to evolve. Our goal is to play good baseball and to improve each day.
Meanwhile, on June 24th, both the 15u and 17u squads traveled to Nashville, Tennessee to participate in the Music City Classic. While Nashville is a fun trip, it is also defined by challenging competition. Both teams play 5 games in less than a week at the event. The 15’s play in the 16u Division of the Classic. Coach “KG” Graber is tasked with developing our youngest of our “oldest” teams. It is a journey marked by playing against more experienced and physical opponents. The goal is to understand preparation, and what it takes to move personal and team goals to a level that is expected from players aspiring to play college baseball.
The 17’s use the Music City trip to build a team character and to perform in a manner that underscores their individual and team goals. Coaches Kevin Casey, John Brickley, and Ace Adams provide one of the most experienced coaching staffs in the Northeast (perhaps the country). It is a professional/collegiate approach to playing “every day” baseball.
The long, cold, lonely winter has morphed into cold spring weather for the 13u and 14u Ruffnecks teams. Nevertheless, both sqauds are off to a good start. Great effort has been made to play our games, and the Ruffnecks have been dogged in their determination to do so. This is not to say weather has not taken away field time. It has. But New England is our home, and we play in tough conditions.
The weekend of March 28-30 saw the 13u Ruffnecks get off to a strong start in the 13u Perfect Game Invitational at the NEBC in Northborough. A solid performance in pool play earned the team the #1 seed in bracket play. Although the squad lost in the semi-finals, the coaches and players felt good about the early season success. The tournament provided a solid, competitive, format to learn to play together, teach, and to perform in game situations. Mission accomplished, with much success. The team batting average was an impressive .425 over the course of three games. Jack Freyermuth, Colin Paddock, Sam Vogel, and Ryan Cullen led the way with their bats. Caden Healey, Henry McGeough, Gus Colangelo, Trent Siegal, and Cullen were stalwarts on the mound. Leo de Llano, and Micah Goddess shared catching duties. April’s schedule includes participation in the Ocean State Classic along with independent games and doubleheaders. Ruffnecks 13u players have an opportunity to join the 14’s in several combined roster contests against prep school Frosh and JV opponents.
Weather has affected the 14u schedule more than the 13’s. After getting “weathered out” against the Deerfield Academy JV’s, the 14’s settled for several games against local opponents. This included a single game loss and a doubleheader sweep on consecutive Sundays, March 23 and March 30. With high hopes and great anticipation, the 14’s entered the 14u Perfect Game Invitational at the NEBC April 4-6. Alas, weather again proved the Ruffnecks most formidable foe. The team slogged through two rain soaked games on Saturday, April 5th, earning two ties. James Hamlin, Tyler Mock, Jacob Malin, and Johnny Dickie led the way in the hitting and RBI departments. Buster Heller and Mock pitched well for the Ruffnecks under challenging conditions. The 14’s look forward to gaining some much needed game experience against prep JV opponents in April and May. They participate in the Ocean State Classic April 12-13.
The “Off Season” is a time to prepare. Winter Workouts provide Ruffnecks with ample opportunities to work on the things that will advance their personal development. Over the years, we have learned that “less can be more,” with proper intent and approach. The quality of winter work is more important than compulsory practices that create tiresome obligations and conflicts. We continue to tweak our approach. Winter workouts are, after all, preparation for the rigors of spring and summer baseball. New England weather presents its distinctive set of challenges. Fortunately, between the Facility and our use of the Boston College “Bubble” we are able to provide a vibrant off season program
The FACILITY hosted Pro Scout Hitting Clinics in December. These informative, instructive, and active sessions have been a mainstay for the past three winters. Matt Hyde (NY Yankees), Jim Bretz (Detroit Tigers), and Ron Vaughn (Oakland A’s), lend their time and expertise. The high repetition sessions are exclusively for Ruffnecks and well attended. In addition to the Pro Scout Hitting Clinics, the scouts attended the individual Team Hitting sessions in January for the 15u, 16u, and 17u position players. Several college coaches also stopped by to watch. The Rich Gedman Catchers Clinics spanned 6 sessions from late November to the first week of January. Geddy is an amazing instructor who provides valuable drill work, insight, and knowledge to the skills for catchers.
It is a credit to our players that the Pro Scouts voluntarilty return to the Ruffnecks each year to instruct and actually “follow” some of our players they consider “prospects.” And while that does not necessarily mean hitters will be drafted out of high school, the scouts are sincerely generous in their willingness to provide players with evaluations.
Of course our young players are not ignored. For the 13’s and the 14’s Winter Work is a more frequent occurance on the schedule. With weekly Team Hitting sessions at The Facility, the 13’s and 14’s prepare for the spring. Many of the 13’s and 14’s can be found hitting on their own during the week along with a number of older players. These players are learning that getting better is not a function of scheduling, lessons, or clinics, but rather a commitment to work on your own and enjoying the investment of effort and time. It is growing up as a ballplayer.
Winter Workouts transition to high repetition positional work in sessions (Spring Training style) at Boston College. These are early morning workouts that begin at 6:00am in “The Bubble” at Boston College. Workouts include positional work for all players in the program. Among the features is the opportunity for our youngest players to learn the drills and to take reps right along with the older players. And again, pro scouts are in attendance both as instructors and evaluators. Why? Because they want to be here, working hands on with players who care to get better. On Sunday, February 2nd, 80 players gathered in the early dawn of winter and participated in a brisk two hour workout. Positional stations were manned by professional scouts along with Ruffnecks coaches. Infielders did bucket work and low impact throwing. First basemen conducted a range of footwork and receiving drills. Outfielders practice drop steps, conducted angle work, and took fly balls. Rich Gedman prepped the catchers with blocking and receiving drills. And of course, pitchers listened to Ace and conducted flat ground throwing.
The 15th Annual Ruffnecks Banquet was held Thursday, December 19th at the Needham VFW Hall with a happy, festive, packed house in attendance. The 2024 Yearbook was available and, as usual, it was the conversation starter at the dinner tables. A sumptuous pasta dinner was catered with everyone getting plenty to eat. The evening program featured two guest speakers. Matt Hyde, long time Area Scout for the New York Yankees spoke. He emphasize the theme of TEAM in the game of baseball and how the Ruffnecks stand out among club travel programs with their emphasis on team development and team play. Rich Gedman, a 13 year MLB veteran, two-time All Star, and Red Sox Hall of Fame catcher, spoke as well. He shared several thoughts on his career and how baseball has been a teaching tool for life. He also shared a taped tribute from former Red Sox great, Roger Clemens, on the retirment of Steve August as Director of the Ruffnecks. The evening concluded with the Johnny Pesky Teammate Awards. Nate Dubuc earned the 13u Award. Max Fukudome was recognized for the 14u Teammate Award. Angus McKenna garnered the 15u Pesky Award. Barrett “Bear” Adam, was the 16u Teammate winner. Five year veteran Tommy Hennessey, committed to play college ball at UMass Amherst, won the 17u Johnny Pesky Award. It was another great banquet that entertained everyone with three videos capturing the action, a few laughs, and memories of the 2024 season.
The Facility is a busy place during the holiday break. Numerous Ruffnecks alums who are curruently playing in college drop in to hit at the Facility. It is a great opportunity for younger Ruffnecks to meet those who have gone before and to see how players grow and develop. The Facility is also host to the Pro Scout Hitting Clinic and the Gedman Catcher’s Clinic. Both offerings are intended for current Ruffnecks players. These are focused clinics run by professional MLB scouts and instructors. The Facility continues to be a unique training home for Ruffnecks to use. It provides nearly unrestricted access for Ruffnecks players.
As 2024 draws to a close, it is worth a moment to look back on the first year of our third decade. The players and coaches in the Ruffnecks program devote hours and hours to baseball.
The experience is difficult to explain to those outside our circle and culture. But for those of us fortunate to be a part of this program, we are grateful for the moments we share and the memories we build. We see our success in the smiles of new 13u players, not quite knowing what to expect, but forging new friendships that go beyond wins, losses, or moments of doubt. Coaches demand the confidence of 14u players who must mentor the newest class as they were mentored. Then there is the hot summer, looked forward to all winter long. Once the heat arrives, the daily grind is a new experience for the 15u Ruffnecks who play “up” for two months of every-day baseball, measuring success in small moments, hard-earned wins, and tough losses. For the 16’s there is a certain readiness for what lies ahead. Players compete to win every day. They are in search of success and expect much from themselves. And for the 17u/Seniors we revel in the final stages of our Ruffnecks days, hoping to extend our playing careers at the next level while enjoying the experience, bonds, and joys of playing together for five years (or more!).
This past year is like many others in our 22 year history. But what endures are the memories. We are a program in continual growth, with contributions from all who pass through our dugouts. We travel together, eat together, live together, and spend more time together than with any other subset of teammates in our lives to date. This is the essence of the Ruffnecks experience. We welcome our next class of 13u Ruffnecks, selected from a competitive and earnest Fall Baseball program that begins the process all over again. May 2024 be an inspiration for 2025, making memories once again in this most difficult, yet exhilarating, team sport… Baseball.
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