Published July 3, 2019

By STEPHEN MARTELLUCCI

NORTH READING — Last summer, the North Reading Northeast League (ages 15-18) baseball team won the championship beating Woburn in the finals. This season, the team will try to defend its title although they lost six players who aged out.

Marco Vittozzi is back for his 21st season as manager.

He welcomes back seven players that were on last year’s roster: Mike Vittozzi (second base), Joey Frammartino (center field), Jack Keller (first base/pitcher), Demitri Boulas (pitcher/utility), Cam Randazzo (right field), Jimmy Currier (pitcher/utility) and Joe Giacalone (outfielder).

JIMMY CURRIER is one of many returning players to this summer’s Northeast baseball team who won the championship last year. (Dan Pawlowski File Photo)

All of those players, with the exception of Giacalone, played on the North Reading High varsity team this season. Giacalone was on the Hornets’ junior varsity team this spring.

The new players on the team are Ryan Baker (pitcher/first base/third base), Sean Brown (pitcher/outfielder), Frank Cassarino (shortstop), Nick Ciardiello (catcher), Jack Fischer (third base), Dylan Griffin (outfielder), Chris Gwozdz (catcher/outfielder), Tim McCarthy (pitcher/infielder), Mario Perrone (third base/first base), Matt Ryan (outfielder), and Rob Tammaro (pitcher/outfielder).

Cassarino, Gwozdz and Perrone, were all on the North Reading varsity team this season. Brown and Tammaro were both junior varsity players while Baker, Ciardiello, Fischer, Griffin, McCarthy and Ryan were all on the Hornets freshman team this season.

After five games, North Reading’s record sits at 3-2 as they are in second place behind Wilmington in the South Division.

On Sunday night, they edged Dracut 5-4 at North Reading High. On June 28, they lost 4-2 at Lowell. They won by forfeit over Lowell Catholic on June 26.

On June 23, they beat Wilmington 7-2 at home. In the opener on June 22, they were nipped at Westford 6-5.

The next game for the team will be at 6 p.m. on July 8 as they host Billerica. They then visit Woburn on July 10 and that game will also start at 6 p.m.

“I think that we have a good chance to repeat,” said Marco Vittozzi. “We are starting to hit the ball well and we have had some decent pitching performances.”