Bravehearts Announce First Wave of Signings for 2023 Season
Worcester - The Worcester Bravehearts announced their first nine player signings on Monday, highlighted by six returners. All nine players have local ties to Central Massachusetts, either attending school or growing up in the area.
The Bravehearts welcome back three Assumption University Pitchers in Austin Stone, Griffin O’Connor and Evan McCarthy. Boylston-Native and Tahanto High School Graduate Stone will return to the Bravehearts bullpen after his 2022 season was cut short due to a shoulder injury. The ‘Hearts will get a key piece of their 2021 bullpen back in O’Connor, who had the lowest ERA in the Bravehearts pen among qualified pitchers (20+ innings minimum) at 0.76. The team will also return Leominster Legion standout McCarthy. A late-signing in 2022, McCarthy helped to strengthen a depleted Bravehearts bullpen towards the end of the season. McCarthy notably hurled a perfect game for Leominster with 15 strikeouts against North County in 2021.
Worcester will continue its connection with Anna Maria with two more returning players. 2022 Starting Shortstop Kosta Drosidis will be making his return to Fitton Field. Drosidis is the all-time Home Run leader at Anna Maria, and was the GNAC Player of the Year as a Junior. The Holden-native was also a two-time Division 1 Champion in High School with Saint Peter Marian. Joining Drosidis is his Anna Maria teammate Nick Choate. The 6’ 5” righty was signed mid-season in 2022 and provided depth in the Bravehearts pitching staff. Choate held a 3.29 ERA at Anna Maria last season with 64 strikeouts in 41 innings pitched. Choate’s brother Jack, played with the Bravehearts in 2021 and was drafted in 2022 by the San Francisco Giants.
The final returning local Braveheart is Axel Johnson. The lefty out of Stevens Institute of Technology held a 3.57 ERA for the Bravehearts in 2022. Johnson is also a Saint John’s High School Graduate and Grafton, MA- native.
There will be three players on the 2023 roster who will be new faces to the Bravehearts, but not to Central Massachusetts.
Vinnie Purpura, a 6’ 7” freshman left-handed pitcher for Bryant University will be an exciting arm in the Bravehearts bullpen. The Hopkinton-native was sidelined during his senior high school season with a leg-injury. Now healthy, he is looking to put together a strong summer with the ‘Hearts.
The Bravehearts will have a towering set of arms out of the pen in 2023 as 6’ 5” Tade Riordan will join the staff. The Northbridge-native will come to the Bravehearts after finishing his senior season at Blackstone Valley Tech. A Division-I commit for New Jersey Institute of Technology, Riordan will be one of the youngest players on the Bravehearts, but has the talent to make an immediate impact.
Rounding off the list of local player announcements is Southborough’s James Clark. A Freshman at Babson College, Clark will join the Bravehearts’ revamped starting rotation. Clark graduated from Algonquin High School in 2022 where he shined for the Titans.
The Worcester Bravehearts will start the season on May 24th with an “Opening Morning” Baseball in Education Day. The team’s Home Opening Night will be on Friday, May 26th. To purchase tickets, visit www.WorcesterBravehearts.com or call the office at 508-438-3773.
What else is happening in and around Worcester? Click here or keep scrolling ⤵️
In The News
>WEATHER: Mark Rosenthal's 7-day forecast (:37). High of 64 today in Worcester
>TOP OF THE NEWS
+8:00: Worcester woman arrested after multi-agency investigation
+8:00: Northbridge company settles wage violations for $190,000
+8:00: The “210 Awards” for the Worcester Railers 2023-2024 season (Part 1)
+Noon: Worcester Art Museum discrimination lawsuit has been dismissed
+Noon: Singer Cara Brindisi wants to talk
+Noon: Screen Time: Remembering Clinton's Bewitching star, Agnes Moorehead
+Noon: Sarah Connell Sanders: A few spring things to fling yourself into family fun
+Noon: Jazzed Up Wednesdays at 961 (Union Station)
+Noon: Last Call: Fred Gerhard, poet
-Constant disturbances at house full of squatters has Worcester neighbors on edge (1:20)
-Planned Downtown Worcester restaurant may lose licenses
-See Worcester job, income, population changes over 30 years
-Judge orders prosecutor to turn over documents in Turtleboy case
-Ride-share drivers rally in Worcester to support contractor work, benefits
-Rep. Mary Keefe on revising policies to upgrade Worcester schools
-Sean Rose on getting Mass. migrants into workforce
-Worcester Housing Authority working with Lakeside Apartments residents on relocation to ready for major overhaul
-Here’s why Worcester wants to plant 2 new forests. And it wants your help
-Channel 5 Wake Up Call from Eisenberg Assisted Living in Worcester (:52)
-Radio Worcester Roundtable (45:58): City violence and upcoming State of the City address
-Unsolved: Worcester — The Gardner Fugitive and the Murder of Breanne Pennington. Video (13:59). Audio (13:58)
>SHOPPING: Birch Alley leaves Canal District, moves to Manchaug
-ICYMI: Piccadilly Plaza in Worcester saved from wrecking ball as developer bring in new tenants
-In Worcester, barber offers free haircuts to help boost confidence ahead of M.C.A.S. tests (1:55). Article
-3 in custody after chase on I-290 ends in crash in Northborough (2:17)
-Related: Aerial footage of crash (:50)
-Judge upholds prison sentence of Kevin Perry, former Worcester restaurant owner
-See the rest of the day's Worcester news
>HOLDEN (brought to you by Lamoureux Ford): Wachusett names new principal
-Lamoureux Ford salutes the UConn Huskies (:54)
>THE BURBS (brought to you by North End Motor Sales): Applications open for Shrewsbury Youth Police Academy
-Paxton getting override info to voters
-Longtime Sterling volunteer honored
-Grafton candidates night April 28th
-Lancaster's Simon receives Pillar Award
-Tahanto coach announces retirement
-Nashoba Music Department earns national recognition
-Field of 4 vie to fill Bolton post
>BARS & BANDS: The Mayor's Live Music List for Wednesday
-100FM The Pike Adventures with Mike Hsu (5:35): Line dancing at Off the Rails
>SHOWTIME: Richard Thomas in "To Kill a Mockingbird" at The Hanover
-Radio Worcester (15:44): Korey’s Courage — Inspiring stories at Mass. Film Fest
-Worcester Art Museum updates plans for showcasing Higgins Armory Collection
-Daikaiju Pro to mix wrestling, martial arts, theater at White Eagle
-Listen Up: Ghost of the Machine, Weapon E.S.P. get "Savage" again
-Unity Radio (55:12): Standups and Standouts
-Unity Radio (1:00:35): Unity In The Community
-WCCA-TV's This Is Worcester No. 200 (27:20): Peter Panagiotou, Pay It Forward Card Shows
>OBITUARIES: Tribute to man who dedicated 60 years of his life to Notre Dame Cemetery and Mausoleum
>SPORTS: Red Sox lose to Cleveland, 4-1
-8 athletes, 2 teams to be inducted into Worcester Public Schools Athletic Hall of Fame
-This week in Holy Cross Athletics
-Worcester Railers 2023-24 season recap
-WooSox Rewind: WooSox take 4 of 6 against Durham
>CARS: Bertera has the all-star team to help you find your next Nissan car or truck (:39)
-U.S. News & World Report lists its best electric and hybrid vehicles for 2024
-Tragic: Woman at risk of losing her arm after being attacked by dog her son rescued
>NEW ENGLAND: Mass. sees drastic increase in gas prices (1:29)
-34 Mass. high schools among nation's best, U.S. News says
>COLLEGES: 2 WPI student teams develop apps for the visually impaired (3:27)
-Anna Maria AMCAST (28:35): Revive, a recovery community outreach program
-Holy Cross Brooks Scholars showcase musical talent at concert
>TRAVEL (brought to you by Fuller RV & Rental): 7 historic U.S. restaurants worth the reservation
>BUSINESS: Hospital for Behavioral Medicine brings on third C.E.O. since 202
-LPL Research: The ever-changing market narrative
-Proposed changes in Massachusetts would bar use of credit reports by employers
>HOMES: Condominium sells in Boston for $5.3 million
>HEALTH: Preventing and educating kids about cyberbullying
-Exercise could help reduce aging by lowering fat buildup (:52)
>FOOD: The Goods Bakery & Café is thriving in Spencer
>TV/STREAMING: Netflix is the dominant streaming service. So why is it changing its model?
>MOVIES: All "The Omen" movies in order to watch
>CELEBRITY: Grammy-winning gospel singer, former "American Idol" contestant Mandisa, dies at 47
>ANIMALS: Dog found tied to bench with note asking someone to adopt him (3:39)
>HISTORY: Franklin Building, Downtown Worcester, 1898
>GOOD NEWS (brought to you by Bertera Nissan): Mystery good Samaritan pulls woman from morning house fire (1:39)
-Meanwhile, in Tewksbury, cake goes viral for mistake (:37)
Latest obituaries | | Tuesday's highlights | | Today's horoscope | | Local Sports
Classifieds
+Kitchen help at deadhorse hill
+Food runner at White Eagle
+Bussers, Food Runners & Hostesses at Holden diner
See all Help Wanteds | | Job opening? Post it here for FREE today
Quick Links: Personalize your news | | Browse members | | Advertise | | Blogs | | Invite friends | | Videos
Animals | | Boston Sports | | Business | | Cars | | Celebrity | | Colleges | | Commute & Travel | | Crime | | Faith | | Food | | Good News | | Health | | History | | Homes | | Local Sports | | Lottery | | Movies | | National | | New England | | Politics | | Shopping & Deals | | SHOWTIME! | | TV & Streaming | | Weather