St. Mary’s Jack Lamirande, right), high fives teammate Quinn Powers (6) during a 2018 regular season contest. (THE WESTFIELD NEWS FILE PHOTO)
WESTFIELD – If anyone is hardwired to deal with this prolonged start to the 2020 season, it is St. Mary’s senior shortstop Jack Lamirande.
Lamirande and his fellow teammates have served as a beacon of hope for future student-athletes.
Three years ago, Lamirande and the St. Mary’s High School baseball team put forth a spirited run to a state championship title. Over the years that followed, the entire Saints community would band together to keep the school afloat amidst financial distress.
In his freshman season, Lamirande’s mates forged an unfathomable run for the ages, overcoming Tri-County ace Andre Roman and the Pathfinder Pioneers, upsetting Hopkins Academy and Granby (in the WMass finals) before stunning unbeaten Arch Bishop in the state championship game.
While that final victory catapulted St. Mary’s into the spotlight, it was a game-clinching 3-4-3 double play in the semifinals that Lamirande remembers most.
“Me and Matt (Masciadrelli) combined for like 50 double plays that year,” said Lamirande, who manned second base in the 2017 state semifinal game. Last fall, Lamirande celebrated his 100th career point for the boys soccer team.
Lamirande and the Saints have been faced with yet another challenge, overcoming this brief pause in our daily lives due to the spread of COVID-19.
“I’m just staying positive,” said Lamirande, who said he is staying in shape by routinely lifting weights, running, and doing sit-ups. “I’m making sure as a team we are healthy, checking up on each other.”
During his down time, Lamirande said he prefers to watch old college games or World Series highlights from years past.
If the season does finally lift off in the coming weeks, Lamirande will be joined by seniors Hayden Lussier (OF), Aiden Burke (3B/C), Jack Masciadrelli (P/OF) and Mark Nelson (OF). Transfers Colin Reed (sophomore infielder – WHS), Ty Leonard (junior IF – Granville), and Cam Cusack (sophomore IF/OF – WHS) were expected to provide a boost to the Saints as well.
St. Mary’s also has a new coaching staff in place led by Wheelmen Joe Hepworth (Saints head coach) and Dan Genovese (assistant), a noted local sports historian.
“It’s a really hard time,” Lamirande said, “but things happen for a reason. I know some how, some way we are going to get a season.”
St. Mary’s Jack Lamirande is all smiles after recording the 100th point of his high school career last fall. (THE WESTFIELD NEWS FILE PHOTO)
