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07/12/2021 12:00 AMThe Hand baseball team put together its best season in program history this spring, but Head Coach Travis LaPointe would argue that the 2021 edition of the Tigers wasn’t even his most talented squad. What Hand relied upon was a group of athletes who wanted to win more than any other club, and that work ethic that paid dividends when the Tigers claimed their first state title.
Hand didn’t make a single error for the entire postseason and ultimately took the state crown with a 3-0 win versus Berlin in the final of the Class L State Tournament. LaPointe’s squad finished the campaign with an overall record of 21-2.
“This season was great, the best season in the history of our high school,” said LaPointe. “More than anything, this season was about bringing home a championship to our community. There’s hundreds of people that have helped along the way. It just a meant a lot to be able to give the championship to the entire community.”
Senior captain Anthony DePino was at the forefront of the Tigers’ attack this year. DePino, a third baseman, led Hand with a .405 batting average and drove in a team-best 20 runs on his way to earning All-State and All-SCC First Team honors. DePino also walked 20 times, helping him post an astounding .643 on-base percentage, to go with five home runs on the campaign.
“Anthony was easily one of our best players this year, especially at the plate,” Coach LaPointe said. “He always came up with big hits when we needed him most, and he was just a great overall player for this program.”
Along with DePino, Coach LaPointe described senior captain shortstop Jack Pireaux as a linchpin for the Tigers, calling him the anchor of the team’s defense. Pireaux batted .319 with 25 runs scored and 15 RBI on the year.
Senior first baseman Danny Weinstein made the All-SCC First Team for Hand this season. Senior left fielder Eli Davies and fellow senior Matt Carone, a pitcher, both garnered All-SCC Second Team honors for a Tigers’ squad that had a ton of depth and was led by an excellent cast of veterans. Hand’s senior class also featured Chris Engelhart, Mike Engelhart, Giovanni Roman, Colin Telford, and James Arida.
“The thing about our seniors this year is they did a great job of holding everyone accountable,” said LaPointe. “We preached defense at practices this season. Playing defense is about playing confidently and without fear. If we made an error in practice, it was always addressed and everyone was open to constructive criticism. It’s what made us so successful.”
Hand only lost one contest during the regular season with a 2-0 defeat at Shelton. The Tigers’ other defeat came with a 3-1 loss against North Haven in the quarters of the SCC Tournament.
After that, Hand competed in the Class L State Tournament as the top seed and notched victories over Bunnell (13-2), Bristol Central (9-3), and Bethel (5-1) to advance to the semifinals, where the Tigers earned a 2-1, walk-off win versus Avon on a single by Pireaux in the bottom of the 10th inning.
Hand went on to face Berlin in the Class L championship game. Junior David Antonetti pitched a one-hitter to lead Tigers to a 3-0 victory for their first state crown.
“There was never a doubt in my mind with how good we were. In the two games that we lost, they were both by two runs. We were in both of those contests,” Coach LaPointe said. “The biggest thing for us once we got into the State Tournament was just trusting each other. It was like a brotherhood this year. They were like a family. They critiqued each other without there being any hard feelings. That’s a necessary ingredient in any championship team.”
Coach LaPointe credited his assistant coaches for their effort and dedication throughout the season. Hand’s assistant coaches were Kyle Heins, Justin Kaeser, and Bill Daunais. Without their help, LaPointe feels that the Tigers wouldn’t have jelled as well as they did.
“The other coaches are such a great support system for me,” said LaPointe. “Being a coach is about getting better every day. There are so many ways to improve, including the way I communicate with players and game-plan against other teams. My assistant coaches make all of those aspects of the game that much easier.”
In addition to Antonetti, Hand’s junior class included Ryan Knight, Andrew Earl, Jeff Pinover, Evan Mastrobattisto, William Kranzler, Jack Kayal, Connor Powell, William Bazenas, Axl Pildner, and Ben Lyons. Hudson Geremia was a member of the team as a sophomore. Ben Kuja and Johnny Reh were two freshmen on the squad.
Even with the graduation of an outstanding class of seniors, Coach LaPointe believes that the Tigers will still be among Connecticut’s state title contenders in 2022.
“There was not one negative situation that we had this year. No one complained about anything, and this team did it the right way,” LaPointe said. “I’m hopeful that our rising seniors will follow in their predecessors’ footsteps. I know this will be a motivated group, and I’m excited to see what we can accomplish.”
Coach LaPointe was thrilled the Tigers finished a full season without many hindrances from the COVID-19 pandemic. The fact that Hand didn’t get its chance to go all the way last year made the team’s 2021 journey all the more memorable.
“It was a lot more nerve-wracking in March and April, when everything was still up in the air. Toward the middle of May, we got a little more comfortable,” said LaPointe. “Just the fact that we got to complete a full season this year was really meaningful. I really felt like our 2020 seniors would have had the chance to win a title, so winning this year was kind of like winning for them.”