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Tai Nuzzi will serve as a center fielder and a senior captain for the Hand baseball team this year, as the Tigers look to use a great depth at every tier of the field to advance further in the postseason. Photo courtesy of Meaghan Durkin

Senior captain and second baseman Ben Kuja will also head off the batting lineup for the Tigers’ baseball team this spring. Photo courtesy of Meaghan Durkin

The Hand baseball team is ready to take things one step further this spring by going deeper in the state tournament and making it back to the league draw. Yet more importantly, the team will look inward to accomplish those feats with a collection of well-rounded, mentally, and physically sound athletes that are role models.

Head Coach Travis LaPointe and the Tigers wrung out nine victories for their 20-game regular season run in 2023–missing qualification for the Southern Connecticut Conference Tournament, yet earning a bid into the Class L State Tournament. Once there, Hand suffered a hard-fought 5-4 defeat to No. 8 Bristol Central in the opening round as the 25th seed to conclude all 2023 affairs at 9-12 overall.

Hand’s skipper detailed that the true tell-tale sign is not so much about final scores and division standings. It is related more closely to the approach and discipline towards harvesting good vices that lead to mirroring good vibes on the field.

“We really just try to focus more on our development as people and athletes, and less on winning and losing,” said LaPointe. “We trust that if we have great habits, energy, and control only the things that are within our grasp, then we have a much better chance of winning. This is the best group of guys I have ever been around.”

Leading the Tigers on the basepaths this spring are senior captains Ben Kuja and Tai Nuzzi. Kuja will play at Brandeis University. He is moving from the heart of the outfield in center to the center of the infield at second base for 2024. On the opposite end, Nuzzi is completing the switch between the two stewards in moving from second to center.

“Ben excels in the classroom, in the community, and on the field. He is a dynamic athlete who can change the game with his offense, defense, speed, intelligence, and leadership. He is our leadoff hitter and is the engine that makes our team go. Without question, he is a top player in the SCC and throughout the state of CT,” LaPointe said. “Similarly to Ben, Tai excels in every part of this community. He is such a great person who is a role model to everyone in the community and someone that younger players can look up to. Tai brings a positive energy that is unmatched. Tai is just as dynamic of an athlete as Ben. He is an excellent defender, base runner, offensive threat, and has great instincts for the game. Tai will be featured at the top of our lineup this year.”

The mound is also a quite deep section of turf on the field for Hand this year, with several arms scattered throughout the upperclassmen ranks. The Tigers’ senior pitchers include Payton Powell, Brandon SanMarco, Owen Scarice, Johnny Reh, and Nick Earl. The junior pitchers include Sam Markovitz, Paul Calandrelli, Shailen Pathy, and Griffin Byrne. Sophomore pitchers that might impact Hand’s staff include Clay Cosgriff, Gavin Scarice, Drew Horn, and Bobby Reh. Freshman left-hander Hayden Whitcher also has a chance to earn some varsity innings this year, as well.

“We have more depth on the mound than we have ever had in my coaching career here at Hand,” said LaPointe. “We have at least 10 plus pitchers that could have a significant role on the varsity mound this year.”

They will certainly have their selection of battery mates, as well. Senior catcher Vinny Benevento will see significant time at first base as well as behind the plate. He will also be featured in the middle of the batting order. Calandrelli will also double behind the dish. And despite losing junior Cooper Burke for the campaign due to an arm injury, sophomore Jack Tanner will look to fill the void.

“Vinny is a returning All-SCC player from last year and is a problem for opposing pitchers at the plate. Paul Calandrelli will be one of the top catchers in the SCC and throughout the state. He has an incredibly strong arm that will also be tough on opposing hitters when we put him on the mound. We expect to use him as our closer for tight games throughout the year,” said LaPointe. “Jack Tanner will be a key piece to add depth to our team behind the plate.”

Benevento will be helping out at first base, as well. Moving around the horn in the infield, Kuja will be joined in the middle of the infield by Nick Antonetti. The hot corner of third base will be shared by platooning players of Derek Piascik and David Quoka, along with several underclassmen who will see defensive shifts on the bags.

“Vinny Benevento will see many innings at first base. Ben Kuja and Nick Antonetti will spend lots of time in the middle of our infield. Derek Piascik and David Quoka will be depth pieces that will help us at second and third base,” said LaPointe. “Sadly, a big piece of our infield is out for the year, as Braeden Simmons suffered an arm injury during wrestling this winter. In the junior class, Griffin Byrne and Sam Markovitz will compete for time at first base. In the sophomore class, Nick Maynard and Clay Cosgriff will see some significant innings at third base. Reh will also add depth to our middle infield.”

Joining Nuzzi in the outfield will be another classmate in senior Will Patla–occupying right field. Several junior outfielders will have a chance to earn significant innings this year: Sam Markovitz, Alex Modica, Rocco Zagami, and Robbie Marchese.

“Sam and Alex will spend time in left, and Zagami is a very fast player that can add depth to any outfield position, “ LaPointe said. “Freshman Lucca Boyce will also be a factor in our outfield this season. Arguably, he is the fastest player in our program who has a bright baseball career ahead of him. At the very least, he will be a difference maker on the bases for us this year.”

As always, Hand will have to traverse back to states by way of a challenging and deep SCC schedule during the regular season. The Tigers will entertain two games a piece versus Guilford, East Haven, Hamden, Xavier, Shelton, Law, Notre Dame-West Haven, and North Haven. Hand also added three games against other SCC teams that will count towards its overall record, but not for its SCC record versus Cross, Cheshire, and Branford.

With Hand starting to dive full-on into the season, the enthusiasm around the clubhouse is quite contagious. The entire program is quite thankful for the support of the local Madison community, and they are ready to repay the favor with the best product possible on and off the field.

“The energy and electricity around our team right now is palpable, infectious, and contagious,” said LaPointe. “They are just such good kids and impossible not to root for. We have a wonderful community of parents, alumni, administrators, and neighbors that are supporting us, and we just want to make them all proud of our conduct and the product we put on the field.”

The Hand baseball team’s 2024 roster is comprised of seniors Simmons, Quoka, Nicholas Earl, Kuja, Johnny Reh, Piascik, Nuzzi, Scarice, Antonetti, SanMarco, Payton Powell, Benevento, Patla, Christian Kells, David Powell; juniors Calandrelli, Zagami, Samuel Markovitz, Modica, Byrne, Burke, Rob Marchese, Shailen Pathy; sophomores Nicholas Maynard, Cosgriff, Ayden Brennan, Drew Catala, Drew Horn, Alex Khacherian, Jonas Markovitz, Colin Menard, Robert Reh, Brendan Riordan, Gavin Scarice, Finn Strabley, Jack Tanner; plus freshmen Boyce, Vladimir Coric III, Brayden Dempsey, William Emerson, Thomas Fahy, Connor Francisco, Brendan Keating, Luke Medeiros, Luciano Pesce, Tyler Steinhardt, and Whitcher.

LaPointe has been at the helm for Hand since the 2012 season. His assistants for 2024 are Kyle Heins (Assistant Varsity Coach in his 9th year), Tyler Michaud (4th season), and Mike Spadaro (2nd year).