The New Haven Register All-Area Baseball Team. Compiled by Derek Turner. Photos by Peter Hvizdak unless noted.
Most Valuable Player
Eli Oliphant
Amity, Sr., P/OF
Photo Catherine Avalone
Stats: Went 9-0 with three saves and allowed four earned runs in 69 innings to post a 0.40 ERA. Struck out 83 batters. Also had six doubles and 16 RBIs. Was the winning pitcher in the Class LL state championship game to cap his postseason career with an 8-0 record and a save.
Honors: All-SCC, CT Senior All Star Team and coaches all-state selection.
Off the field: Relay for Life, Milford Hospital Volunteer, Midnight Run, Orange Fireman’s Carnival Volunteer.
Up next: Will play baseball at Fairfield.
Coach of the Year
Sal Coppola
Amity
Photo Catherine Avalone
Stats: Led the Spartans to their fourth straight Class LL state championship and the No. 1 spot in the final Register/GameTimeCT Top 10 poll, a spot the team occupied all season long. Won sixth Class LL title and SCC championship overall. Team set a SCC record with 17 runs in the tournament final.
Honors: Previous Area and State Coach of the Year in 2005, 2006 and 2013. National Coach of the Year finalist.
Off the field: Teaches at Wolcott High School.
Zach Ardito
Notre Dame-WH, Sr., SS/P
Stats: Went 6-1 with a 1.08 ERA for the Class L state champions. Struck out 45 batters. At the plate hit .315 with nine doubles. Was a part of two state championship teams in 2014 and 2016.
Honors: All-SCC and state all-star game selection.
Off the field: Member of school’s bass fishing club, intramural basketball team and archery team.
Up next: Will play baseball at Hartford.
Trevor Brandi
Hamden, Jr., 2B/SS
Stats: Batted .500 for the Green Dragons as they set the record for most wins in school history. Had 11 multi-hit games and 28 hits overall, scored 15 runs and had a 1.095 on-base plus slugging percentage.
Honors: All-SCC selection.
Off the field: Honors student, member of basketball team.
Matt Chamberlain
North Branford, Sr., CF
Stats: Career .438 batting average for the Thunderbirds. Had 89 hits, 28 doubles, five triples, four home runs and 56 RBIs.
Honors: First Team All-Shoreline Conference, Shoreline Conference Player of the Year, CHSCA Class M All-State, No “I” in Team Award, Most Outstanding Athlete Award at the school.
Up next: Will play baseball at Eastern Connecticut State.
Ben DeLaubell
Cheshire, So., P/3B
Stats: Had a 1.02 ERA, allowing just eight earned runs in 54 innings and struck out 49. At the plate had a .316 average with 24 hits and 15 RBIs. Threw a five-hit shutout against eventual Class L state champion Notre Dame-West Haven while also going 3-for-3 in the game with a double and a triple.
Honors: Team MVP.
Off the field: SCC All-Academic Team, honors student, Link Crew Leader, Symphonic Band, varsity basketball team member.
Paul Gozzo
Sheehan, Sr., DH
File photo
Stats: Hit a team-high .393 for the Titans in 2016. Drove in 25 runs and had 11 doubles for the Class M state semifinalist.
Honors: All-SCC and coaches all-state selection. Two-time All-Area selection.
Off the field: CHSCA All-Academic team, varsity scholar.
Up next: Will play baseball at Tulane.
Sal Gozzo
Sheehan, Sr., SS
Stats: Hit .384 for the Titans in 2016. Scored 24 runs and stole 11 bases.
Honors: Two-time All-Area pick. Coaches all-state and All-SCC Housatonic selection, Team MVP.
Off the field: Varsity scholar, Coaches All-Academic team selection.
Up next: Will play baseball at Tulane.
Ron Grant
Hamden, Sr., P/1B
Stats: Went 7-1, struck out 80 batters and allowed just 14 hits all season. Had a 0.15 ERA and 0.652 WHIP while holding opponents to a .090 batting average. Set the school records for ERA, WHIP, hits allowed and strikeouts for a single season. Threw a no-hitter on April 14 vs. Guilford.
Honors: CHSCA First Team All-State, Southern Connecticut Conference Player of the Year.
Up next: Will play baseball at Central Connecticut State.
Rob Griswold
Law, Sr., SS
submitted photo
Stats: Batted .314 with 13 runs, six RBIs, seven stolen bases and a .368 on-base prcentage. Had a .914 fielding percentage and went 7-for-7 in save situations striking out 12 and posting a spotless 0.00 ERA in seven innings.
Honors: Two-time All-SCC Hammonnasset Division pick and a 2016 Senior All-Star Game selection.
Up next: Will play baseball at Long Island University.
Chris Kanios
Shelton, Sr., CF
Stats: Batted .411 with 26 hits, 23 runs, five triples and 12 stolen bases.
Honors: Two-time coaches all-state and All-SCC selection.
Up next: Will play baseball at Central Connecticut State.
Dylan Ketch
Morgan Sr., C
Stats: Had a .377 batting average and .526 on-base percentage for the Class S finalist Huskies. Had 37 hits, 17 walks and 19 RBIs while striking out just four times. Finished career with 94 hits.
Honors: Two-time All-Shoreline Conference selection, 2016 CHSCA First Team All-State selection.
Off the field: Honor roll student, 1,000 point scorer for basketball team, volunteer for Clinton baseball club.
Up next: Will play baseball at Salve Regina.
Nick Kraszewski
East Haven, Jr., 1B
Stats: Batted .545 with 23 singles, nine doubles, 22 RBIs. Only made two errors all season.
Honors: All-SCC Oronoque Division and coaches all state selection. Team MVP.
Off the field: Received honors every quarter since the start of high school.
Dylan Reynolds
Notre Dame-West Haven, Sr., OF/P
Stats: Had a .468 batting average for the Class L state champions. Had 37 hits, 20 RBIs, 23 runs and 18 walks for a .560 on-base percentage. Struck out just twice in 100 plate appearances and stole 21 bases. On the mound, compiled a 6-2 record with a 2.71 ERA.
Honors: Two-time All-SCC and coaches all-state selection
Off the field: Spanish Honor Society, Peer counselor, member of basketball team.
Up next: Will play baseball at Fairfield.
Brian Ronai
Amity, Sr., SS/P
Stats: Hit .375 for the Class LL state champions. Had three home runs, 25 RBIs and 26 runs with a .462 on-base percentage. Had a 2-0 pitching record with a 1.27 ERA.
Honors: All-SCC Housatonic and coaches all-state selection,
Off the field: National Honor Society, SCC Scholar Leader Award, Amity High School Scholar Athlete Award, CHSCA Academic All-State.
Up next: Will play baseball at Yale.
John Yish
Oxford, Sr., P/1B
Stats: Batted .407 and set the Oxford single season home run record with six. On the mound had a 0.82 ERA while going 4-0, including two complete game shutouts. Hit three home runs in the postseason to set the school record and was named the first NVL tournament MVP in school history.
Honors: NVL All-Copper Division Team.
Off the field: Co-Captain Oxford Unified Sports team, NSDC Academic Growth and Student Leadership Award Recipient.
Up next: Will play baseball at Wheaton.
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