Mike McCaffrey wasn’t just good this year, he flat out dominated.
The left-hander served as the ace of the state’s most potent pitching staff at Bishop Hendricken, going unbeaten …
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Mike McCaffrey wasn’t just good this year, he flat out dominated.
The left-hander served as the ace of the state’s most potent pitching staff at Bishop Hendricken, going unbeaten for the season.
He also concluded his four-year career in a Hawks’ uniform with an unblemished 34-0 record, as he was an instrumental piece of three varsity state championship teams.
“McCaffrey had a great career – he never lost a game,” Hendricken head coach Ed Holloway said. “He improved so much in his senior year and I think he was the most dominant pitcher in the state.”
There’s no denying that.
And when the stakes rose, McCaffrey just seemed to elevate his game.
In the playoffs, the southpaw turned in two performances for the record books down the stretch.
The first came in game one of the Final Four against Moses Brown.
In a game that was decided in 12 innings, McCaffrey gave his team a chance to win, tossing 10 shutout innings while striking out 10 and allowing just two hits.
Additionally, he took a perfect game into the seventh and a no-hitter into the ninth.
That’s a tough performance to top, but McCaffrey nearly did in the state title series.
Hendricken dropped its first game of the season in game one, 3-1, but its confidence didn’t dwindle because it knew that McCaffrey was taking the mound for game two.
There was no way that McCaffrey was going to go out with his first loss of his high school career – and he didn’t.
In another outstanding performance, McCaffrey hurled a complete-game shutout, again yielding just two hits to tie the series before Hendricken edged the Clippers in an extra innings affair in the decisive third game at McCoy Stadium.
“Every time he went out and took the ball, we knew that we were going to win, there was no doubt,” Holloway said. “In that second game after we lost the first one, we knew he was going to stop it right there. He just had so much confidence this year and it was fun to watch him mature as a pitcher and as a person.”
Holloway has had some of the top pitchers in the state over the years, but he believes that the year that McCaffrey had may have been the best that he’s seen.
“His senior year was probably as good as any pitcher we’ve had here,” Holloway said.
- M.M.
ALL CITY TEAM
Matt Kennedy, Hendricken, Pitcher
Elijah Dressel, Pilgrim, Pitcher
Shane Kittila, Warwick Vets, Pitcher
Anthony Cofone, Hendricken, Pitcher
James Meizoso, Toll Gate, Pitcher
Gian Martellini, Hendricken, Catcher
Evan Broccoli, Pilgrim, Catcher
Austin Lamaire, Warwick Vets, First Base
Chris Reid, Warwick Vets, Second Base
John Willette, Hendricken, Shortstop
John Toppa, Hendricken, Third Base
Dante Baldelli, Hendricken, Outfield
Elvis Pimental, Toll Gate, Outfield
Jason Comeau, Hendricken, Outfield
David Defusco, Warwick Vets, Utility
HONORABLE MENTION
Kevin Sutyla, Hendricken
Mike Broccoli, Pilgrim
Tyler DiPetrillo, Warwick Vets
Chris Duchesneau, Pilgrim
David Simmons, Warwick Vets
Jeremy Batista, Warwick Vets
COACH OF THE YEAR
Ed Holloway, Hendricken
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