Sports

Same Bases, New Faces: 2016 New Canaan Rams Baseball Preview

By |

In 2015, New Canaan Rams Baseball had a crop of senior talent that could be argued as the best in the program’s past decade, with the possible exception of 2007’s class headlined by now Tampa Bay Rays catcher, Curt Casali and the 2013 state championship-winning team led by Andrew Casali and Casey Ouellette. 11 seniors suited up for the Rams last year (15-5, 14-4 FCIAC; made FCIAC and CIAC Class L Playoffs), including regular starters Alex LaPolice (OF/P), David Giusti (P/OF), Brandon Abate (SS), Zack Smith (C), Kyle Levasseur (3B), and Kane Curtin (RF), as well as the oft-called-upon-pitcher, Clark Newlove. And having that amount of veteran leadership allowed the Rams to erase late-game deficits on several occasions, pulling out classic win after classic win — certainly making the 2015 squad one of the more thrilling baseball teams of recent memory. Even so, the byproduct of having such a large, vital senior class one year is that it means the next year will be filled with a lot of fresh faces. Enter the 2016 Rams of New Canaan Baseball.

Around Town

New Canaan Boys Basketball Routs Bridgeport Central 80-34

By |

With a winter weather warning forecast for the area Monday night, tipoff for the New Canaan-Bridgeport Central boys basketball game was changed twice, moving from 7 p.m. to 4, then ultimately to 2:30. By the time the game ended, the Hilltoppers were probably wishing it had been cancelled altogether. In perhaps their most impressive performance in years the Rams blew out Central 80-34 in front of a shell-shocked home crowd, unused to such domination in recent memory. “I’ve never seen that in my time here,” New Canaan head coach Mike Evans told NewCanaanite.com. “With the last three games against all against legitimate opponents [Wilton, Danbury and Greenwich], this is the best way it could have gone.”

For New Canaan (4-13, 3-10 FCIAC) the scoring output was the highest non-OT total since March 3rd, 2008 when a great Will Hanley-led squad knocked off East Lyme 92-42 in the first round of the Class L playoffs.

Sports

New Canaan Baseball Tops Stratford 11-2 in Class L Opener

By |

With rain pushing the opening game of the CIAC Class L playoffs from Monday to Wednesday—with a potential second round game to follow on Thursday—New Canaan Rams head coach Mitch Hoffman knew pitching would be at a premium. A best-case scenario for New Canaan would be to open up a big lead for pitcher David Giusti, allowing Hoffman to get his ace some much-needed rest for the road ahead. Thankfully for the Rams, Hoffman could not have written a better script himself Wednesday afternoon at Mead Park. Tenth-seeded New Canaan scored five runs in the first inning and added three more in the second en route to an 11-2 win over No. 23 Stratford.

Sports

New Canaan Baseball Rallies Twice for Senior Day Win Over St. Joe’s

By |

The afternoon started with a pregame ceremony honoring the 11-member New Canaan Baseball senior class that has accomplished so much over the last four years, highlighted by the program capturing its first state championship since 1950, back during their sophomore campaign in 2013. Before all was said and done though, it was two underclassmen—sophomore Mike Pelli and junior Thomas Williams—who were put into high-pressure situations on the mound and delivered. Their performances, sandwiched around a 2-RBI single from senior co-captain Brandon Abate in the bottom of the 6th that put the Rams ahead for good, led New Canaan to a 10-9 victory over the St. Joe’s Cadets. “You’re asking a young kid [Pelli] to come in, who pitched in the JV game on Monday, and I asked him today how his arm felt, and I said we might need you for one inning,” New Canaan Head Coach Mitch Hoffman told NewCanaanite.com. “This is how it’s going to be.