2020 Scout Day Spotlight: Massachusetts Hurricanes
February 10, 2020
2020 Scout Day Spotlight: Massachusetts Hurricanes
This is part of a series of stories on summer baseball organizations that "partner" with Prep Baseball Report. The PBR Scout Day is scheduled for Feb. 29.
Organization Name: Massachusetts Hurricanes
Year organization started: 2012 with 15 9u players from Medfield led by Mark Nickerson. A year later Mike Martin from Mansfield came on board and we increased to three teams (one 9u and two 10u teams). Word spread about our program and teams, as our 10u team won the EBL D2 championship. The following year, we had seven teams (including two 12u, two 11u, two 10u and one 9u). This year we have 10 teams (one 10u, one 11u, one 12u, one 13u, two 14u, two 15u, one 16u and one 17u). We have yet to graduate anyone from our program, as this is our first year with a 17u team.
How many current teams and what levels (15u, 16u, etc): We have teams from 11U through 17U plus a College Summer Team that plays under the Northern Michigan Dogmen Organization.
Influential coaches past and present: Mike Martin has been with his team since 2013 and grew into a very successful group. Mike was an outstanding player at Boston College, where he was an all-American and is a BC Hall of Famer. He was drafted by the Detroit Tigers and played a couple of years in their organization. Mike was just hired as the head baseball coach at Durfee HS, which is also where he attended high school. Mark Nickerson is an assistant varsity coach at Medfield HS, where he went to high school. He went on to Gettysburg College and played in the Boston Park League and Boston Yawkey League. He is in the Yawkey League Hall of Fame. Others of influence: coach John Bush Jr., coach Joe Williams, coach Brian Stinger, coach Scott Hewitt, coach Al Aown.
Top Prospects
- Shawn Legere - 2022, King Philip High School
- Dawson Bryce - 2023, Taunton (Home Schooled)
- Seamus Marshall - 2022, Bishop Stang
- Sam Palmer - 2021, Medfield High School
- Colby Decouta - 2022, Taunton High School
- Matt Donahue - 2022, Medfield High School
- Thomas Shurtleff - 2022, Medfield High School
- Brett Nickerson - 2022, Medfield High School
- Sam Kornet - 2021, Medfield High School
- Anthony Sacchetti - 2022, Mansfield High School
Notable Alumni
Goals/Philosophy
The goal of our program is to get players ready for high school baseball and then develop their skills so that they can challenge themselves to play at the highest level possible.
Key accomplishments
Over the past several years, we have won a number of championships:
- 2013 - 10u EBL Division 2 Champions, coach Mark Nickerson
- 2016 - 13u Ripken Summer Breeze Tournament Champions, coach Mark Nickerson
- 2017 - 14u Omaha Slumpbusters Champions, coach Mark Nickerson
- 2017 - 14u Runner up in the PG Super 25 New England Regionals, coach Mark Nickerson
- 2018 - 15u NEBC Summer Solstice Tournament Champions, coach Mark Nickerson
- 2018 - 14u Firecracker 4th of July Tournament Champions, coach Mike Martin
- In addition, the Medfield 11u team won the state championship in 2014.
Plans ahead
This summer we have teams going to Nashville, Louisville, Saratoga and a number of local New England tournaments. We are trying to get our players involved in high-profile tournaments to have them seen and hopefully recruited. This is our first experience with PBR and we are excited to grow our relationship with the company. Our program also just formed the Premier Baseball Conference with 19 of the top programs in the New England Region.