Gloucester's top dirt dog

"After a game, it looks like he's been through five games," Orlando said.

It's something people around the senior second baseman have come to expect.

Whenever Cusick's name comes up, it's more than likely followed by words like scrappy, gritty, tough, battler. They're characteristics that the Fishermen were able to feed off during their run to a Division 1 North title.

"It's contagious," Orlando said. "Seeing the way he plays, they want to match his intensity."

They're also the traits that University of Massachusetts at Amherst baseball coach Mike Stone fell in love with after seeing him play in last year's Lynn Invitational.

"He's a battler," Stone said. "Loves the game. He's a scrappy-type guy. He hits the ball to the opposite field. He runs. He works the count. He makes things happen. He's just the kind of guy that you want to get things started."

Cusick's the type of player to go 3 for 5 at the plate and say he had a bad day. He beats himself up for popping up with the bases loaded. He's the type that sees an opportunity in every at-bat.

"It seems like every time he gets up we're in that situation we need for him to get a run or a hit and he hasn't disappointed us too many times," Orlando said. "He's without a doubt one of the scrappiest players I've ever coached in my lifetime. He has that never-quit attitude. He's been so clutch so many times for us this year. He's just a tremendous leader."

When injuries kept him from playing the field, he earned Northeastern Conference all-star honors as a designated hitter.

He had one of the best set of hands Orlando had ever seen, which is why the coach instantly pegged Cusick as Gloucester's shortstop of the future. But the first game of Cusick's freshman season, a pop fly changed things for Cusick and Orlando.

Cusick drifted back on the ball. His leftfielder charged in for it and they collided.

"His mouth was bleeding, I thought he lost a tooth or something and he goes. 'Coach, my hand's killing me,' " recalled Orlando.

Cusick had broken his wrist. As a sophomore, he tore his labrum playing football. After having surgery, he rejoined the baseball team last spring, but only as a designated hitter. He hit .520 in the leadoff spot.

He hit .536 out of the third spot in the order this season. But getting the chance to play the field again, he made his presence felt beyond the batter's box.

"He covers a lot of ground at second base," Orlando said. "Deep into right field, behind the first baseman. He's behind the bag all the time. He loves the pickoff. He's really involved in everything that we do. He's our catalyst up the middle."

His style of play earned him respect from coaches and players around the league, including Marblehead coach Jason Tarasuik, a former second baseman who sees a little of himself in Cusick.

"He's like a dirt dog," said Tarasuik. "He's very scrappy, and he swings the bat really well and he plays the game hard."

Gloucester won 20 games this season before falling to BC High in the Division 1 state semifinals on Wednesday night. Lynn English athletic director Gary Molea said Gloucester's Division 1 North final win over St. John's Prep was "a big win for the Northeastern Conference."

From Amherst, Cusick's coach-to-be admired as well.

"It's gratifying to us to know that we've recruited people that can go deep into the tournament," Stone said. "It kind of reaffirms that you're recruiting the right guys.

"He's a leader. Just nonstop, his motor just never stops.

For the guy who sees Cusick's dirty uniform every game, that was never a question.

"If you didn't know who he was and you were looking for the best Gloucester player," Orlando said, "right away you'd go there he is, that's Ryan Cusick."

►Chris Carmain, pitcher, and Peter Castoldi, infielder, St, John's Prep: Considered by some to be among the top 15 players in the state, Carmain went 7-1 with a 1.66 ERA (and hit .419 with two homers and 24 RBIs) for the Prep and will take his near 90-m.p.h. fastball to Northeastern next year. Castoldi will join him on the Huskies roster, after putting together a solid stretch of hitting during the state tournament.

►Hunter Gordon, pitcher, Swampscott: While he was willing his team to the Division 3 North semifinals, his future squad, Boston College, was playing a 25-inning NCAA tournament ironman match with Texas. Gordon was possibly the NEC's most dominant player this year (5-1, 0.59 ERA while hitting 10 home runs), and should contribute immediately for the Eagles.

►Darren Hartwell, centerfielder, North Reading: North Reading head coach Frank Carey called Hartwell "Jacoby" when he was a freshman, and Hartwell had no idea who he was talking about. Four years later, with Jacoby Ellsbury emerging for the Red Sox and Hartwell coming into his own for North Reading, he understood. Hartwell's .354 average was a drop from his .470 clip a year ago, and below his .408 lifetime average. But his defense should put him in line to compete for a job next year when he goes to Williams College.

►Anthony Serino, centerfield, Malden Catholic: Serino actually put in a word for Cusick and the two will be roommates at UMass. Serino is the only athlete in Malden Catholic history to be named all-Catholic Conference three times. This season he hit close to .430, with 28 steals 23 RBIs.

►Jordan Silva, shortstop, Pentucket: A .452 batting average, 19 RBIs and 17 runs scored earned Silva MVP honors in the Cape Ann League's large division. After pushing the Sachems to an 11-9 season he'll head to UMass-Lowell.

►Mike Yastrzemski, centerfielder, St. John's Prep: The grandson of former Red Sox legend Carl Yastrzemski said the only way he'd back out of his commitment to Vanderbilt was if he was drafted in the first round. The 5-foot-11, 185-pound Yastrzemski didn't go in the first round or on Day 1, but the Red Sox did select him in the 36th round on Thursday. Will that change his thinking?

Julian Benbow can be reached at jbenbow@globe.com.