WAKEFIELD — The Middlesex League’s baseball coaches recently voted on All-Stars for the 2022 season.
Three members of the Wakefield High baseball team were named league All-Stars: Senior captain Zack Kent, senior Evan Simoneau and junior Matt Elwell.
Kent, who was also named to the nine-man All-Conference team, earned his second All-Star award. Kent was the league MVP last season. This season, he hit .446 with a .587 on-base percentage and a .714 slugging percentage. Kent hit 3 home runs, 2 doubles, 2 triples and 18 singles. He was walked a team-high 16 times and also set the pace for steals (20) and runs scored (30). The shortstop, who has been a starter since his freshman season, was invited to the Senior Mass. All-Star game and will be playing baseball at Wagner College next year.
“Kent obviously had stats worthy of a league MVP,” said Wakefield head coach Kevin Canty. “In my 10-plus years of coaching, he is one of the most talented guys I have had.”
Simoneau, Wakefield’s centerfielder and lead-off hitter, hit .338 with an OBP of .419. He had 8 walks, 9 steals, 17 runs scored and 22 hits including 19 singles, 2 doubles and a triple. He will be attending UNH in the fall.
“Simoneau grinded out more two-strike hits for us than any guy in my time in Wakefield,” said Canty. “His play in the outfield was superb – there was no question when balls went up in center or in the gaps that he would get to them. He made lots of tough plays look easy.”
Elwell, a catcher/second baseman, led the team in hits with 27 (25 singles and 2 doubles). He hit .429 with an OBP of .520 and had 12 walks, 6 steals and 23 runs scored.
“Elwell battled through a shoulder issue all year that limited his catching role but did not affect his at-bats,” said Canty. “He does an outstanding job at the plate working counts and making pitchers pay when they fall behind.”
The Warriors finished the regular season at 10-10. They won four of their final six games to qualify for the Div. 2 state tournament, including a thrilling, 5-4 walk-off win over Div. 1 Andover to punch their ticket.
Wakefield fell to rival Melrose in the preliminary round, 5-3.
Freedom champion Stoneham led the balloting with five All-Stars. Melrose had four. Wakefield and Wilmington each had three. Burlington and Watertown each had one.
In the Liberty Division, league champ Arlington had five All-Stars followed by four from Reading, three from Woburn and Lexington and one from Winchester and Belmont.
2022 MIDDLESEX LEAGUE BASEBALL ALL-STARS
Freedom Division
Name School
Tom O’Grady Stoneham – MVP
Pat McNamara Stoneham
Danny Storella Stoneham
Matt Donovan Stoneham
Joseph Celli Stoneham
Malcolm Whitfield Melrose
Rowan Smith Melrose
Matt Whelan Melrose
Dom Lamentea Melrose
Zack Kent Wakefield
Matt Elwell Wakefield
Evan Simoneau Wakefield
Matt Vinal Wilmington
Joe Dynan Wilmington
Austin Harper Wilmington
Ronan Noke Burlington
Casey Williams Watertown
Liberty Division
Evan O’Rourke Arlington – MVP
Brendan Flynn Arlington
Josh Garner Arlington
Max Garner Arlington
Dylan Walsh Arlington
Colin Ensminger Reading
Mike Fabiano Reading
Ben Wright Reading
Jacob Carter Reading
Owen Ackerman Woburn
Mike Arsenault Woburn
Jackson Powers Woburn
Matt Favazzo Lexington
Drew Crowley Lexington
Francis Liu Lexington
Michael Cashell Winchester
Nick Gingregorio Belmont