By Roger Brown
MaxPreps.com
It appears that the state's four baseball championship games have found a permanent home.
The New Hampshire Interscholastic Athletic Association and the New Hampshire Fisher Cats, the Toronto Blue Jays Double-A affiliate, recently announced an agreement that will allow the Class L, Class I, Class M and Class S title games to be played at MerchantsAuto.com Stadium in Manchester for the next 10 seasons.
"We are honored to now be known as the home of the NHIAA baseball championships," Fisher Cats president Rick Brenner said. "The kids taking part in these games deserve to play on this major league-caliber field, and it is our pleasure to afford them this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."
In past years the state championship games were scattered throughout the state. Those games were played at places like Nashua's Holman Stadium, Manchester's Gill Stadium, Concord's Memorial Field, Spaulding High School in Rochester and Plymouth State University.
The NHIAA began to hold championship events at MerchantsAuto.com Stadium last year.
This year's championship games will be played over two days. The Class M and Class I championship games are scheduled for June 9, and the Class L and Class S title games will be held June 10.
"Last year's championship events that were held at MerchantsAuto.com Stadium with the support of the New Hampshire Fisher Cats went extremely well," NHIAA executive director Pat Corbin said. "I can't emphasize enough how impressed and pleased the student-athletes, coaches and fans were with the facility. It is truly a unique experience for the young people involved, and we greatly appreciate the willingness of the Fisher Cats to continue with this relationship."
MerchantsAuto.com Stadium was also the site for an all-star baseball game between high school players from New Hampshire and Maine last year.
Basketball: LaRosa Nets 1,000th Point
Winnacunnet's Abigail LaRosa became the sixth player in the program's history to reach the 1,000-point plateau when she tossed in 10 points during a 44-42 loss at Manchester Central earlier this month.
"I did have some friends make it to the game, so even though I didn't get to do it on our home court it was really special," LaRosa said.
Debbie McCaddin (1986), Maura Healey (1988), Mary Beth Chadwick (1992), Heidi Plencner (1998) and Taylor Gallo (2003) are the other Winnacunnet players who passed the 1,000-point mark.
Other basketball milestones that have been reached this year:
- Londonderry's Stephanie Murphy pulled down the 1,000th rebound of her career during a 62-32 victory over Salem. Murphy will play at Boston College next season.
- Kearsarge's Marilyn Ferreira scored her 1,000th point in a 62-53 triumph over Bishop Brady. Ferriera had 23 points in the game.
- Hollis-Brookline's Ben Etten collected his 1,000th point in a 60-53 victory over Merrimack Valley. Etten's 18-point performance pushed his career total to 1,008.
- Campbell's Robert Bellisle broke a school record when he grabbed 18 rebounds in a 53-46 win against Epping. Bellisle, who missed last season with an injury, set the previous record of 15 rebounds when he was a sophomore.
Hockey: Unbeaten List Down to Three
There are three undefeated hockey teams remaining in the state: Division I Bishop Guertin (8-0-0), Division II Spaulding (8-0-0) and Division III Somersworth (7-0-0).
All three teams will be tested this weekend. BG will face Bishop Brady (6-1-1) Saturday, Spaulding will meet Bow (4-2-1) Saturday, and Somersworth will skate against Portsmouth (4-1-2) Sunday.