KP Baseball Looking to Bounce Back

It was only two seasons ago that King Philip captured the Hockomock League Championship and earned themselves the 2nd seed in the Division 1 South Tournament. Entering the post-season with a 15-5 record, the Warriors found themselves quickly headed back to Wrentham as 15th seeded Catholic Memorial upset them 4-3 in the first round. Last spring the Warriors didn’t even get an invitation to the tournament.
First year KP coach Greg Kessler is looking to get the Warriors back on the right track once again.
“I’m looking to establish a team focus here at King Philip through effort and competitiveness,” the new coach said. “We are absolutely looking to once again capture the Hockomock League, but with so many new coaches and philosophies in the league this year there could be a bunch of teams battling for the title.”
Helping the coach will be the Warriors’ three captains: catcher Nolan Bradley, closer and centerfielder Patrick Limerick (committed to Saint Joseph’s College of Maine), and outfielder Ben Furfari. Kessler is hoping that the trio’s experience and enthusiasm for the game will translate to the other athletes. The captains, he said, should be able to set the tone for the team by emulating the coaches’ expectations.
On the mound, the KP skipper will have seniors Jeremy Rhines and Liam Rohan, as well as junior David Morganelli, throwing the ball. Rhines (committed to Worcester Polytechnic Institute) will be the team’s number one hurler and Kessler expects him to be the leader of the staff.
Rohan (committed to Wesleyan) will also see time at third. One of the hardest throwers in the league, Kessler also believes that his second hurler will be a consistent presence on the mound and a dominant force in the Hockomock. Morganelli, who has played in both of the football team’s Super Bowl victories, brings a big-game mentality as the third starter.
At the plate, Furfari will lead the Warriors with his consistent hitting. “Ben had the team’s highest batting average last season and I am looking for him to take batting to the next level,” the coach said. “I would like him to develop into a power hitter and take a more aggressive approach to the plate.”
While Furfari leads the Warriors in batting average, Limerick will be the team’s leadoff hitter and set the tone on the base paths for the Warriors.
Junior Ian Zimmerman will play second base and sophomore Robbie Jarest will anchor the infield defense at shortstop. Kessler sees Jarest as not only having the best hands and footwork for a shortstop that he has ever seen, but also feels the underclassman is stepping right into his first varsity role without any problems.
As the Warriors take to the field under their new coach, they are once again hoping for the chance to be able to compete for the league title.
“We need to stay focused and engaged in each and every game,” Kessler said. “And opportunities will come our way.”