By Hal Levy, Shore Line Newspapers
Special to MaxPreps.com
It's been a while since Connecticut had a high school baseball player go in the first round of the major league draft, but that might change this June.
Matt Harvey, a senior right-handed pitcher from Fitch-Groton has made most lists as one of the top prep pitchers in the country. Harvey, who has signed with North Carolina, is a second-generation Fitch star. His father, Ed Harvey, played for the Falcons before going on to an outstanding collegiate career at the University of Connecticut.
The elder Harvey returned to Groton as a teacher and when his own high school coach, Ray Portelance, turned to girls softball, Ed Harvey became the coach and thus mentors his son. He professes a certain amazement at how well Matt has progressed.
The last Connecticut schoolboy to go in the first round was Hamden's Scott Burrell, a right-handed pitcher and power-hitting outfielder who opted for college basketball at UConn before an NBA career which included a championship ring with the Chicago Bulls. Burrell remains the only scholastic player ever drafted in the first round in both baseball and NBA basketball.
Even all-star pitchers like Charles Nagy (Indians via Fairfield and the University of Connecticut) and Bill Dawley (Cincinnati, Houston, Griswold High) were not first-round picks.
Harvey's teammate, Jesse Hahn, also is getting some professional looks, but Fitch is no lock as the best team in its own league. Eastern Connecticut Conference foe Waterford boasts a half-dozen or so college prospects including UConn-bound Rob Bono a catcher who is used as well as a closer, slugging first baseman Pat Epps, and outfielder Ben Farina.
And both of those schools might take a back seat state-wide to Amity Regional-Woodbridge, the defending state CIAC Class LL state champ. Pitcher-outfielder Max Russell, the MVP in the greater New Haven area last spring and slugging third baseman Jason Esposito, still only a junior, lead the Spartans.
Those three schools topped the New Haven Register preseason poll of media and coaches. Others getting top recognition included Bunnell-Stratford, Southington, Masuk-Monroe, Shelton, Naugatuck, Cheshire and Plainville.
Seymour didn't get a lot of support in preseason polls, but the Wildcats made a winner of coach Bob Kelo. Now in his 22nd season at Seymour, Kelo got his 300th win, 5-1 over Wolcott as Chris Renzoni struck out seven in six innings and John Murphy got the save. Seymour is 2-0 and Kelo's career numbers are 300-167.
The 20th Annual Connecticut Women's Basketball Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will be Wednesday, April 25th at Cascade Banquet Facility in Hamden.
The Connecticut Women's Basketball Hall of Fame was the first organization of its kind in the country. It was created in 1987 by five professional and personal friends who strongly felt the need to honor outstanding basketball players, coaches, officials, and advocates. The Hall of Fame, located in the Brenda Reilly Gallery at Central Connecticut State University, honors those who have contributed to the enhancement of women's basketball in Connecticut - either through participation, through service, through support, or through achievement.
The 2007 Inductees include: Charlotte Gallagher an official from Brookfield; Laurie St. Jean Sevigny a high school standout at Putnam High School; Crystal Brown, also a high school star at Westhill-Stamford; Chris Webster, the coach and athletic director at North Branford High School; Kim Penwell Seymour, a scholastic standout at Maloney-Meriden and a top collegiate player at Bentley and historian John Molina of Rocky Hill.
Ticket information may be obtained from Executive Director Ann V. Fariss at (203) 378-6581 or avfariss@sbcglobal.net.
Connecticut will participate in a pair of field hockey regional tournaments and high school players are being sought to participate.
The Cape Cod Classic and Super-Sophs Plus tournaments will be in July. The Classic is July 21-22 and is for rising juniors and seniors while the other ebent is July 14-15 and is for rising freshmen and sophomores.
The tryout is on May 20th from 9-12 at Daniel Hand High School in Madison. Tryout fee is $35. The website for info is www.capecodclassic.tripod.com.
Darien is an early pick as the top high school lacrosse team in New England. Darien also tops the Connecticut state rankings according to laxpower.com.
The rest of the state's top 10 includes Fairfield Prep (third in New England), Weston (seventh in New England), Ridgefield (ninth in New England), Branford (tenth in New England), East Lyme, Fairfield-Ludlowe, New Fairfield, New Canaan and New Milford.
All but Branford and East Lyme are from Fairfield County and all 10 are from the southern tier of Connecticut.
Several will be featured on the MSG Network, where Mike Quick has organized a schedule of spring telecasts from the Tri-State region (Connecticut, New York, New Jersey). Quick has only one rule: schools must have rosters and statistics on MaxPreps to be eligible for a telecast.
