Angelini slowed by back injury
Former Braintree High star Nick Angelini was on a hot streak in this, his final season for Worcester Polytechnic Institute. The long-ball-hitting outfielder led NCAA Division 3 in home runs per game with 8 in 18 games for the Engineers before going down with a back injury.
''Nick Angelini is the type of player that every coach would love to have," said WPI baseball coach Mike Callahan. ''He is the heart of our offense, as well as our defense. He is a leader on our team, and our players follow his lead. This year he is two shy of his single-season record of 10 [home runs], and his 28 career home runs are believed to be the career record."
Angelini hopes to be back in the lineup before the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference playoffs begin in two weeks.
''Aside from his baseball ability he is an intelligent kid who is an even better person than he is a baseball player," said Callahan.
Joseph Paolucci, general manager of the Weymouth Phillies of the Cranberry League, is counting on Angelini this summer. The Phillies have a star-studded lineup that includes several top college players from the region. Their season begins Memorial Day weekend.
Hitchcock starts fast at Bentley
Former Abington High School softball star Alex Hitchcock is off to a terrific start in her college career. The Bentley College freshman etched her name into the school's record book for the longest hitting streak in school history.
Hitchcock hit in 16 consecutive games for the Falcons, raising her batting average to a team-leading .412. Her streak ended April 13 in a 3-1 loss to the University of Massachusetts at Lowell in Waltham. Hitchcock was 0 for 2 with a pair of walks.
''Alex is a very young, gifted student-athlete. She has a lot of raw talent and with plenty of grooming, teaching, learning, and maturing, I feel Alex has all the tools to become All-Conference, All-New England, and, yes, even an All-American," said Bentley first-year softball coach Michelle DeGregorio.
''It is going to take hard work, but with her positive attitude and work ethic I think anything is possible."
Hitchcock was not recruited by DeGregorio, who took over the program this year after 15 years as head coach at Merrimack College. But Hitchcock is playing a key role, playing shortstop and hitting cleanup for the Falcons. ''As she gains more experience at the college level, she will only continue to get better," said DeGregorio.
Cox selected to all-star team
One-time Norwell High School superstar Sarah Cox has been selected to the 2006 New England Small College Athletic Conference women's basketball all-star team.
The Trinity College junior led the conference in scoring at 18.6 points per game, finished second in the league in free-throw shooting at .814 (118-145), and 11th in rebounding with 6.7 per game.
''What makes her so special to deserve all-star honors? I could go on and on about her wonderful stats, but the better part of Sarah Cox is her personality and her love of life," said first-year Trinity coach Wendy Davis. ''She is just a great human being, and I'm so proud to have the opportunity to coach her for two years."
Cox transferred to Trinity before last season after a year at Assumption College and led Trinity to the NESCAC quarterfinals, despite finishing with an 8-15 record. What is impressive about Trinity's finish is that there were only eight players on its roster, none taller than 5 feet 9.
''Sarah was not a captain last season, but she was the leader on the court," said Davis. ''Next year she will be a cocaptain . . . Sarah will have a tough job next year, as I'm bringing in a very large freshmen class. She will be expected to lead this team on the court, as well as off the court. She will need to set the tone for the newcomers, both how we operate on the basketball court, discipline in running our plays, encouraging teammates, being vocal all the time. She will also show them how we expect student-athletes to act off the court. I know she can handle it."
''Cox," which is what she likes to be called, ''is a one-of-a-kind kid," added Davis. ''She is very driven to be the best she can be, but she also is the type of person that you can joke around with and have fun with. I'm so happy I have her around for one more year."
