By John Orrell, Contributing Writer
Hudson – Sometimes it’s a waiting game that percolates for what may be years until all the tea leaves fall in just the right direction and success finally arrives. Patience and tenacity are the qualities such teams adopt on the way to that magic season and perhaps no team knows this better than the 2017 Hudson U17 American Legion baseball team.
“We’ve paid our dues. This is the fifth year with the junior program,” said head coach Nelly Ahearn of his team that sits at 8-2 on the season following some rocky campaigns in the past. “We were really young in our infancy and this is the first year that we’re one of the older teams in the league. Having a lot of 17 year-olds helps as does the fact that they’re talented. We have the talent and the maturity so that when they all get along and pull for each other it just makes it that much easier.”
The U17 squad is a member of Zone 6 which consists of teams from Franklin, Norwood, Newton, Westwood, and Hudson so that travel is a must. No one is complaining as the camaraderie and chemistry is strong on this 2017 squad despite players being opponents in high school one moment and Legion teammates the next.
“Without a doubt, in the four years I’ve been here this is the best team we’ve had,” echoed starting shortstop Sam Stout who knows this program quite well. “The first year I was one of the younger kids and it was really beneficial to learn from the older kids. I didn’t play a lot but I took in a lot about what the team was all about and that’s helped.”
“We started clicking within the first week. There’s a lot of camaraderie, a lot of talent and a lot of good coaching,” said right fielder Carter Dummett. “At AMSA (Advanced Math and Science Academy) you have to be pretty much laser-focused 24/7. This is more of the same but it’s a bit more laid back in a sense of being one of the better teams in our division.”
“This is a very confident team. They gelled real quickly,” Ahearn explained. “We have kids from six schools playing together (Hudson High, AMSA, Bromfield, Clinton, Acton-Boxborough, Nashoba Regional). This team has developed a personality as a team that the kids have bought right into.
“These are all good ballplayers in this league. They’re all high school players and many of them are varsity starters. These are very talented players. We have a very strong and a very deep roster.”
Just a handful of contests remain for this Hudson team and with playoffs looming, there is a growing sense of optimism that this could finally be the year for a deeper advancement than in the past. Players are overtly loose yet focused, encouraged but not over-confident and a positive outlook has never been more present.
“We’re in the playoffs now and playing for seedings,” Ahearn explained. “Where we finish up will determine where and who we play but we’re still in the regular season and are taking it one game at a time. If we respect the game and play it the way it’s supposed to be played, I like our chances.”
Members of the 2017 U17 Hudson American legion baseball team are Mike Chaves (3B), Matt Delgenio (P/SS), Chris Lenox (2B/3B), Lance Jarosz (2B/SS), Ben Chase (OF), Thomas Battista ((OF), Anthony Buonomo (2B), Yohansi Asencio (3B), Sam Person (C), Tom Hydro (OF/P), Noah Stuart (1B/P), Sam Stout (SS), Alex Magan (C), Conner Ojerholm (P/1B), Kevin MacAuley (P/1B), Aaron Cornwell (C/3B), Carter Dummett (1B/OF) and Jayden Dummett (P/3B).