All three of the oldest Ruffnecks teams, the 15u, 16u, and 17u Ruffnecks jumped into summer with an extended road trip. For the 17u Ruffnecks the journey began on Monday, June 17th in Flemington, NJ at Super17 with four games in the well attended Mid-Atlantic event. On Friday, June 21 the 17’s boarded a flight for Atlanta, Georgia and the 17u PG WWBA. After long delays, the squad found themselves missing their connection, stranded in Nashville. A bus, sent from Goergia at midnight, retrieved the 17u team and delivered them to the hotel in Kennesaw at 5:00am. Eleven hours later, they were playing their first game in Georgia heat.
The 17s struggled to find their rhythm in Georgia going 1-4 in pool play. As they boarded the bus for Nashville on June 26, they faced three more consecutive days of baseball in 90-plus weather. 12 games in 12 days is a challenge at any level. Coaches Casey (Kevin), Brickley, and Ace Adams continued to plan, play, develop, and teach a willing 17u team. The sqaud responded, taking two out of three in Nashville, barely missing an opportunity to sweep in the final game with a 6-5 loss.
The 16u Ruffnecks had a less eventful travel day on Wednesday, June 19 as they also flew to Atlanta to attend the 16u PBR National Championship at Lakepoint in Emerson, GA. These were the first games of the season for the 16u team. In their initial outing the 16’s found themselves on the short end of a 12-1 decision. The next day they rebounded with a convincing 15-0 win! As the trip progressed, Coaches Casey(s) and Novio guided the sqaud in a process of steady growth and improvement. The team went 2-3 at the PBR event before heading to Nashville on June 26 where they took two out of three games against 17u opponents, including a resounding 7-3 win at Vanderbilt University. The 16’s were not immune to travel woes however. They and the 17’s were on another delayed flight on June 29th. They returned to their own homes at 2:30am Sunday, June 30 and bounced back at 1:00pm with a gritty 3-2 win in the first game of the Firecracker July 4th Classic.
The 15u Ruffnecks had a shorter road trip while learning the challenges of “every day” baseball. The 15’s played in two events i nthe New England region before boarding their flight to Nashville on June 25. While in Music City, the 15’s played five games in three days in the same 90-plus weather. The experience provided a good platform for learning how to prepare, manage self-preparation, and competitive expectations against older opponents. The 15’s went 1-4 in Nashville before returning to Boston on June 28. They continued their daily baseball with games on June 29 and June 30 at the Firecracker July 4th Classic.
Wednesday, June 12 provided perfect weather and the attendance of nearly 50 college coaches and professional scouts for the 4th consecutive Ruffnecks Scout Day. The day began at 8:30am and continued to 1:30pm. Ruffnecks players in the classes of 2025, 2026, and 2027 took full batting practice, infield/outfield, and played in a 7 inning Red vs. Blue game that featured 14 Ruffnecks pitchers throwing one inning each. Scout Day is the culmination of two weeks or “Pre-Season” summer workouts at the NEBC for players who have finished their high school and prep seasons. It is a time to recharge, prepare, get some reps in, and to ready ourselves for the intensive two-month schedule of Ruffnecks Summer Baseball.
Players Present Themselves WellProfessional scouts from the Detroit Tigers, New York Yankees, and Oakland A’s were on hand as well. The pro scouts graded out the players and pitchers during the day’s activities. “We love being here,” said Jim Bretz of the Tigers. “Our time is valuable at this time of year, and we go where players are focused and talented. Ruffnecks Scout Day is great for us and a good use of our time.” Indeed, the 33 position players and 14 pitchers who participated during the day were all worthy of the time and attention of college coaches and scouts. The format was decidedly not a “Showcase.” It was a professional scouting opportunity with a comfortable format that makes it easy to cover Ruffnecks players. Scout Day is also a day of practice with tons of hitting, a real infield, and a spirited game. Players present themselves best when they are loose and having fun. Scout Day 2024 was an opportunity to spend five hours on a baseball field with energy. For the younger players in the class of 2027, Scout Day is an opportunity to experience the scene for the first time.
The Red v. Blue game is an opportunity for pitchers to pitch an inning and for position players to play at game-speed. The Red v. Blue game saw some excellent action, good pitching, good at-bats, and presented the players in the oldest two classes to college coaches. Playing the game, in real time, is always a valuable evaluation tool for those who want to see talented players. Scout Day delivered. Summer has begun!
The Ruffnecks program has certainly not cornered the market on good ballplayers in our region, but talented Ruffnecks populate several of the most competitive prep rosters in New England. As spring rolls into summer, it is appropriate to give a shout out to Ruffnecks players who have contributed to successful prep seasons, including several championships that were crowned the weekend of May 17-19.
Aiden Barclay Leads St. Sebastian’s to Championship
Approximately 1,500 students, fans, and interested bystanders crowded St. Sebastian’s Seidl Family Field on Sunday, May 19 to witness the first ever ISL Division I Championship Tournament Game between St. Sebastian’s and Lawrence Academy. St. Seb’s emerged the victor in a 2-0 game that saw Ty Ciongoli ’25 drive in one of the two runs. St. Sebastian’s was captained by Aiden Barclay (headed to Deerfield Academy for a post grad year prior to a commitment at Cornell University for baseball). Speaking of Deerfield Academy… Deerfield won the Central New England Prep championship. Bear Adams ’27 was the only freshman on the Deerfield championship roster. Central New England semi-finalists Dexter and Phillips Andover also featured a number of Ruffnecks. Dexter captain, Eddie Morrissey ’24 (St. Lawrence University) led Dexter to a memorable season. Lorcan Lee ’25 and Jett Little ’26 were instrumental pitchers on the Dexter squad. At Phillips Andover, Isaac Lamson ’24 (Princeton University) captained the Andover squad that lost to Deerfield in the semis. Owen Callahan ’26 and Matthew deBenedictis ’25 also played for Andover.
Back to the ISL, St. Mark’s won the Division II Championship. Pitchers John Hegarty ’24 (Cornell); Oisin Lee ’24 (Notre Dame), and Jeremy Krendel ’25 led a strong St. Mark’s pitching staff. Max Dushney ’24 (Bates College) caught for the Lions. Belmont Hill lost an exciting semi-final to St. Sebastian’s. Bel Hill was led by Nick Andersen ’24 (Holy Cross) and Nolan Bibbo ’24 (Bates College). Rivers School played in the other semi-final. Sophomore Garett Falahee ’26 anchored 3B for Rivers for their entire season.
In the New England Small School Division, Ryan Ruggiero ’26 has stood out all season for The Winchendon School. He has led his team to the Championship game scheduled for May 24th. Ruggiero has been a standout in the outfield, at the plate, and even on the mound. Logan Katz ’26 has done an admirable job at catcher for Winch.
Massachusetts public schools and New Hampshire school tournaments are coming soon as well. Several strong contenders in public school division races are influenced by Ruffnecks as well. Out in Uxbridge, Talen Rosborough ’25, Liam Kaferlein ’25, and Grady Walsh ’26 make up a third of the Uxbridge lineup. They are strong contenders to take their conference title. In Wellesley, long-time Ruffnecks Coach Ted Novio is in his first year as skipper of the Red Raiders. He has changed the culture at Wellesley where left hander Lincoln Loftus ’25 has emerged as a successful pitcher. Up in New Hampshire, five Ruffnecks populate the roster of Souhegan High School. Nolan Colby ’24 (Fairfield University) is the captain of the team. Drew Reagan ’25, Matt Silk ’25, Michael Fiengo ’25, and Joe Mayo ’25 are all factors in Souhegan’s success.
In less than a month, the oldest three Ruffnecks rosters will reassemble and begin an intensive 2 month summer season. Scout Day takes place on Wednesday, June 12th at the NEBC. Scout Day follows a week of pre-season, daily, workouts that run in the mornings. Scout Day is a valuable experience, particularly for players in the next two recruiting classes of 2025 and 2026. Travel, every-day baseball, and the challenges of tournament play continue to define the experience for focused and passionate ballplayers who devote themselves to a summer of baseball. Most of all, players benefit from the camaraderie and exhilaration of competing together. This is what makes it so important that Ruffnecks populate successful prep and HS programs, and go on to colleges where they compete with the same values. They are supported by a devoted staff of coaches who love what they do and help develop the kinds of athletes who have contributed so well to their school seasons. Congrats to all… Summer is here!
The 13u and 14u Ruffnecks traveled to Diamond Nation in Flemington, New Jersey March 16-17 to open the 2024 season. Both teams competed in the 14u Spring Invitational. The 14u squad went 2-1 at the event, while the 13’s used an 0-3 tournament to gain valuable experience against older competition. The trip has been a traditional starting point for the Ruffnecks season for many years. It gives the players, coaches, and the families an opportunity to be together at the start of four months of Ruffnecks baseball. For two days, players room together, eat together, and play baseball… just enough to get started after a long winter. This year the weather was terrific with temperatures in the 60’s.
The 13u experience during Opening Weekend is one of learning by doing. It takes some resilience to put oneself to the test against older competition in the first games as a team on the big diamond. Mistakes are made, but with the correct approach, those mistakes are opportuniities to build from the game situations that present themselves. Time spent together, as a team, is just as valuable as the on-field playing time. The team enjoyed an outstanding team dinner in the hotel, followed by team meetings to review the day’s activity and talk baseball and have some laughs. Baseball-wise, the 13’s played a typical first game in which they were somewhat overpowered by the experience of a 14u opponent. In the second game, the 13u Ruffnecks found themselves in a 3-3 tie in the top of the 7th inning. Despite enduring a 5 run scoring spree by the opponents to fall behind 8-3, the young ‘Necks rallied for 2 impressive runs in the bottom of the 7th before being retired with runners on 2nd and 3rd to end the game. In the final game, the 13’s responded with rallies twice to hold off a more experienced opponent.
Meanwhile, the 14u Ruffnecks showed some real promise. The 14’s brought a year of experience and confidence to their three games. The team displayed solid firepower with the bats while playing sound defense in the first two games. The pitching was kept on a short leash, but was generally effective. The first game 5-1 win was a cleanly played game. The second win was an 8-7 contest in which the Ruffnecks were in control despite the closeness of the score. In the final game the team did not play its best defense against a worthy opponent. Overall, the take away from the weekend was positive as the 14u Ruffnecks look at a long season ahead of them. Within several weeks, the 14’s will face prep JV opponents in addition to weekend 14u competition.
The “Off Season” is a time to retool and recharge. 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 more tiresome obligations and conflicts than opportunities for development.
On Sunday, January 28th both the 16u and 17u Ruffnecks had their only “team” hitting sessions of the winter. Position players hit for 90 minutes (each group). The 15u hitters gathered on January 21st. What defined these sessions was the information, personal instruction, and attentive feedback hitters received from an extraordinary gathering of baseball “lifers.” The January 28th session was particularly good… and special.
NY Yankees Major League Pitching Coach, Matt Blake stopped into the January 28th sessions. He addressed the group and mingled. Blake began his coaching career with the Ruffnecks and at Lincoln-Sudbury HS under longtime Ruffnecks coach Kirk Fredericks (recently inducted into the Massachusetts Baseball Coaches Hall of Fame). Blake openly credits being around the very scouts who attend our workouts with building his career. Now in his fifth season in the dugout with Aaron Boone and the Yankees, Matt Blake coached seven years in the Ruffnecks program and was the last pitching coordinator until Ace Adams arrived in 2020. Innovative, yet traditional, Blake has earned the respect of pitchers at all levels.
Winter Workouts begin in late November with a smattering of optional developmental opportunities for Ruffnecks players. Three Pro Scout Hitting Clinics from the Sunday after Thanksgiving to the Wednesday after Christmas gave hitters an opportunity to work in small groups with scouts from the NY Yankees, Oakland A’s, and Detroit Tigers. A five week Catcher Clinic was conducted for Ruffnecks catchers by Rich Gedman. As the adage goes, “You never know who may be watching,” the Scouting Director for the New York Yankees attended one of the sessions, while several high academic Division III college coaches also dropped in to watch. Instruction in the Pro Scout Hitting Clinics is a team effort among core Ruffnecks coaches and the scouts. Indeed, we let the scouts lead the way. Why not? Both Ron Vaughn of the Oakland A’s and Jim Bretz of the Tigers have extensive coaching credentials to go with respected scout careers. Matt Hyde of the NY Yankees is one of the most highly regarded scouts in the Northeast. The quality of information is remarkable. Rich Gedman, Red Sox Hall of Fame catcher and current Triple A hitting coach also attended several sessions, adding instruction, and for those who listened, valuable psychological insights.
It is a credit to our players that the Pro Scouts voluntarilty return to the Team Sessions in January to instruct, follow up, and actually “follow” some of our hitters they consider “prospects.” And while that does not necessarily mean hitters will be drafted out of high school, the scouts have been sincerely generous in their willingness to provide players with evaluations.
Roger Clemens joins Pitching Zoom January 1oth
Pitchers are not ignored. A Zoom session on January 10th featured Major League pitcher Rich Hill and MLB Legend Roger Clemens. These two men engaged in a discussion, Q&A, and presentation. The topic was “Chasing Velocity – What Can I Do?” Well… both men were on the same page in emphasizing the simplicity of core strength training, long toss, and the avoidance of gimmick clinics and tools. It was an informative, enlightening session… a perfect complement to the January 28th Ruffnecks Pitchers Meeting at the Facility held with Ace Adams. Rich Gedman joined that as well, adding the perspective of a catcher to the equation. The “workout” was not even a physical throwing workout! It was a gathering; a discussion; a review of what is truly important for pitcher preparation in advance of high school seasons and a long summer.
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, always confined to week Team Hitting sessions at The Facility. We get our work done in the three hitting tunnls plus the classroom work where we spend quality time on specific topics, video work, and preparation. 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 two high repetition sessions (Spring Training style) at Boston College. These are early morning workouts that begin at 6:00am in “The Bubble” at Boston College. These 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 4th, 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.
Ruffnecks Announcements
Week of July 22-28
Friday, July 26
OFF DAY
Saturday, July 27
US9 Prospects
Round Robin
8:00 16u vs. US9 Doubleheader
Noon 15u vs. US9 Doubleheader
4:00 17u vs. US9 Doubleheader
July 19-22| Monday | +55° | +42° | |
| Tuesday | +51° | +39° | |
| Wednesday | +50° | +35° | |
| Thursday | +48° | +32° | |
| Friday | +49° | +32° | |
| Saturday | +52° | +32° |
Link Above to Tri-Valley Sports!
Order by May 15th for Summer (June) Delivery
Sweatshirts & Other Items available at Facility
Ruffnecks Footwear Available
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