Bravehearts name new hitting, pitching coaches

• Posted by Local sports (Sponsor: Worcester Bravehearts) February 5, 2022 - Filed in Sports - 1,374 views

  Team adds coaches with prior experience within organization & FCBL

  Worcester - The Worcester Bravehearts have announced today two new additions to their 2022 coaching staff. Kyle Bouchard will be the Bravehearts new hitting coach, while Greg Stagani will be the team’s pitching coach. Bouchard, who currently is the assistant coach at Nichols College played two years in the FCBL including stints with the Martha’s Vineyard Sharks in 2018 and the Nashua Silver Knights in 2020 while Greg Stagani was a member of the 2015 Worcester Bravehearts Championship team and an FCBL all-star in 2016.

  

  As a member of the Nichols College Baseball team, Bouchard finished his career as the all-time team leader in games played, doubles, RBI, total bases, and fielding pct. He also finished second all-time in hits and home runs, finishing his senior season as the Commonwealth Coast Conference Player of the Year. With the Sharks in 2018, Bouchard hit .328 and helped Martha’s Vineyard to reach the FCBL Championship series, coincidentally against Worcester. As a late season addition for Nashua in 2020, Bouchard hit .353 to finish off the regular season, helping Nashua win the FCBL Championship. There, he was named FCBL Championship series MVP after hitting .455 in the series.

   

  “I was able to see first-hand the type of player Kyle was in this league from his time on the Vineyard and with Nashua,” said Bravehearts manager Alex Dion, who was the hitting coach for Worcester during Bouchard’s time with the Sharks. “He is an intelligent, motivated, young coach that has a bright future in the game.”

   

  “It’s an honor to be a part of this organization,” said newly-hired hitting coach Bouchard. “Worcester has a long standing tradition of winning and I hope to keep that great tradition going. Go ‘Hearts."

   

  
  
  

   

  The Bravehearts will bring in a pitching coach in Stagani who is familiar with both the Bravehearts and FCBL championships. As a member of the 2015 championship team, he posted a 2.47 regular season ERA in 8 starts, and held the Bristol Blues to one run through five innings in the FCBL Semi-Finals. As a returning member in 2016, Stagani was named an FCBL All-Star, playing in front of the hometown crowd in Worcester.

   

  “Greg is passionate about the Bravehearts, having played here for two summers,” said Dion. “He is detail-oriented, shares a similar philosophy with me in regards to developing pitchers through summer ball, and is an effective communicator. Our pitching staff is in good hands.”

   

  “I’m very excited to be coming back to Worcester to join the coaching staff this summer,” said Stagani. “I’m looking forward to working with the coaches and players to have another successful summer season”.

   

  The first chance to see the Bravehearts new coaches in action will be on the home opener May 27 against the Nashua Silver Knights.