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Date Posted: 08:23:57 06/04/04 Fri
Author: Another 65er
Subject: Recruit tosses a gem

Michael Thater from Immaculate HS in Danbury, CT hurled a no-hitter Thursday to lead his team to a 3-0 victory over St. Bernard's of Uncasville in the Class S (small schools) state tournament. According to the News-Times in Danbury, Thater's gem was witnessed by his soon-to-be college coach, Craig Najarian. Thater, whose team plays in the SouthWest Conference, struck out nine, walked one and his team played errorless defense behind him. Thater scored the Mustangs' first run and had two doubles and two walks in four appearances. The performance was even more remarkable because Immaculate had to travel more than 2 hours on a school bus to get to the game held in Montville. St. Bernard was the top seeded Class S team with a 16-4 record while Immaculate is now 12-7 and was seeded 17th. Despite the low seed, Immaculate plays in a league composed primarily of Class LL and L schools and has won two of the last three Class S state titles. Thater will be back at shortstop tomorrow when his team is scheduled to play in the quarterfinals at Bristol's Muzzy Field at 3:30 pm.

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[> Re: Recruit tosses a gem -- Another 65er, 19:56:47 06/05/04 Sat

Thater cracked three doubles and a triple in four at bats to lead his team to a quarterfinal victory in the Connecticut Class S tournament, 7-2 over Gilbert of Winsted. He likely will pitch the semifinal game Tuesday when he and his mates face Hale Ray of Moodus, a team on a Cinderella run in the tourney to date. Thater throws in the mid-80s, hits and fields well but needs work on his baserunning.

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[> [> Re: Recruit tosses a gem -- Another 65er, 11:15:24 06/09/04 Wed

What a day for Mike Thater yesterday; he hurled a 3-hit shutout at Hale Ray HS and delivered an RBI single to lead his team to the Class S state finals vs. Westbrook this Saturday at 3:30 at Yale Field. He also graduated last night and this am his picture appeared in The News-Times of Danbury as one of Immaculate's top ten academically, along with the notation that he will attend Holy Cross. He is the only one of the top ten to select HC. Two others of the top 10 chose BC. In his pitching performance, Thater struck out 10 and walked none. Immaculate is seeking its third state title in the last 4 years and was making its seventh consecutive appearance in the semifinals yesterday.

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[> [> Re: Recruit tosses a gem -- ball, 14:38:19 07/19/04 Mon


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[> Re: Recruit - 65er -- Rick, 09:45:06 06/10/04 Thu

Thanks for the info....couple questions,

1) Immaculate's record to date of 14-7 - 18 regular season games + 3 play-off games thus far is a light skid. Most teams in neighboring states play/have played 30-32 games ( 25-26 regular season + 4 play-off games ) by this time....is this typical of Connecticut HS play ?

2) What's Thater's season record ? By chance do you have some basic season stats on him - IP, ERA, BB & K's and maybe BA, RBI's ?

3) " hits and fields well but needs work on his baserunning. " What position does he play when not on the hill ? Baserunning ? I take this to mean he is slow of foot, yes ?

4) Did he play Varsity prior to this season ? Has he a resume' of being named All-State ( all groups ) or perhaps 1st Team All-Parochial in Connecticut last season ?

5) Who else was recruiting him ? Uconn or maybe some D-II/III clubs ?

6) Throwing his fastball consistantly in the mid-80's is good but fairly common at least in the Pa. & NJ schoolboy ranks. Does he have a good curve or more importantly, a very good change-up ?

Thanks.

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[> [> Re: Recruit - 65er -- Rick, 21:08:25 06/10/04 Thu

" Unlike most states,...."

I dunno about 'most' 65. I know NJ has a hard limit on # of regular season games plus county tourney/state play-off games per season....33 I believe....and that's plenty for a season the runs from early April till this week.

Weather is a factor in this. In states like California, Texas, Florida, etc., seasons start earlier than in the northeast and often more games per season are played.

" The CIAC in its arrogance believes it must protect student-athletes from too much emphasis on the athletic side of the coin. "

That's laudable IMO....that usually is boilerplate to their mission/existance.

If Immaculate started their season in early April and with some rainouts not being rescheduled only played 21-22 games, seems likely they had some gaps in between games till now. As such, assuming this kid is their ace and factoring in minimum 'rest period' rules, he could easily have started half of their games.

On stats....if you haven't already done so, Immaculate may have a website with a sub site for Varsity sports. It differs from school to school but they may have season game recaps/running stats for their baseball team. You may be able to glean some additional info on this youngster's progress to date.

Also, post season, keep an eye out for him playing either Senior AAU or in some advanced summer league. That may provide a better take on his ability versus better competition.

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[> Re: Recruit tosses a gem -- Another 65er, 15:16:20 06/10/04 Thu

Unlike most states, Connecticut severly limits the number of games its high schools athletes can play in virtually all sports where schools (both public and parochial) are members of the CIAC (Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Assn.) For example, baseball is limited to 20 regular season games plus league playoffs plus the state tournament so the most a team can play is 28 games. The CIAC in its arrogance believes it must protect student-athletes from too much emphasis on the athletic side of the coin. Immaculate had 20 regular season games on the sked but three weren't played because of weather; they lost in the first round of their league playoffs (LL and L schools comprise the majority of their conference). I have no stats on Thater but he has a decent curve ball and has an effective change. He mixes speeds reasonably well. He plays shortstop when not on the mound. He is, actually, reasonably fast but seems to lose focus on the bases. (Thus, the baserunning comment). He was recruited primarily by the Ivies (Yale, Princeton and Brown were the most interested). He chose HC because of Coach Najarian and he felt most comfortable at HC. Sorry I can't give you any more specifics.

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[> Re: Recruit tosses a gem -- Another 65er, 15:16:39 06/10/04 Thu

Unlike most states, Connecticut severly limits the number of games its high schools athletes can play in virtually all sports where schools (both public and parochial) are members of the CIAC (Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Assn.) For example, baseball is limited to 20 regular season games plus league playoffs plus the state tournament so the most a team can play is 28 games. The CIAC in its arrogance believes it must protect student-athletes from too much emphasis on the athletic side of the coin. Immaculate had 20 regular season games on the sked but three weren't played because of weather; they lost in the first round of their league playoffs (LL and L schools comprise the majority of their conference). I have no stats on Thater but he has a decent curve ball and has an effective change. He mixes speeds reasonably well. He plays shortstop when not on the mound. He is, actually, reasonably fast but seems to lose focus on the bases. (Thus, the baserunning comment). He was recruited primarily by the Ivies (Yale, Princeton and Brown were the most interested). He chose HC because of Coach Najarian and he felt most comfortable at HC. Sorry I can't give you any more specifics.

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[> [> Re: HC Recruit wins state title game -- Another 65er, 15:14:55 06/13/04 Sun

Michael Thater won his third game of the Class S state tournament to lead his Immaculate of Danbury, CT squad to its third state championship in the last 4 years with a 6-2 victory over Westbrook HS. Thater, working on three days' rest, surrendered three hits, one earned run (the first of the state tournament for him), struck out eight, walked two and hit three batters in winning his ninth game in 12 decisions this season. He also went 9 for 15 during the tournament, with 5 doubles and a triple. Danbury HS, the second largest school in the state, won the CT Class LL (largest) school title for the first time with a 2-1 victory over Norwich Free Academy, the state's largest school.

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[> [> [> Re: HC Recruit wins state title game -- Another 65er, 08:11:22 06/17/04 Thu

Thater is one of 18 Connecticut high school seniors selected to play a team of Massachusetts All-Stars Tuesday June 22 at 6 pm at Eastern Connecticut State University. He was chosen for the squad after leading his team to victory in a district all-star tournament featuring teams with seniors from Connecticut.

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[> [> [> [> Re: HC Recruit wins state title game -- free time, 15:06:32 06/21/04 Mon

dude, enough messages about your son...we get the idea...we'll see how he fares vs. next march vs. guys that have played 20 games before HC gets to practice outside...

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[> [> [> [> [> Re: HC Recruit wins state title game -- COMT Sader, 09:35:20 06/29/04 Tue

Seriously, everyone is a superstar in HS. Wait until this Fall to see if your son can get past the first inning of an intersquad game.

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[> Re: Recruit tosses a gem -- Another 65er, 12:54:16 06/29/04 Tue

FYI....he isn't my son, just a very bright kid who can play ball. As an alum, I thought most would be interested to learn something about an incoming recruit and his background. Obviously, it wasn't worth the effort, especially in light of the fact that Holy Cross baseball died in the mid-60's when the major league draft was instituted. The days of players like Hegan, Merullo, Joyce, Murtaugh, Malinowski, Peterman et al even considering Holy Cross ended 40 years ago.

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[> [> Re: Recruit tosses a gem -- kesiwick, 13:05:04 06/29/04 Tue

Another 65er, it was worth the effort. Just ignore the snotty comments by a small few and keep posting.

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[> [> [> Re: Recruit tosses a gem -- TS1970, 16:21:13 06/29/04 Tue

Yes. Kesiwick is right. Ignore them. Your posts were good and interesting.

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[> [> Re: Recruit tosses a gem -- sader1970, 17:26:45 06/29/04 Tue

It's nice to read positive comments and have folks with enthusiasm. Don't stop 65er.

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[> [> ditto -- hcsports, 18:40:45 06/29/04 Tue


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[> [> [> Re: ditto -- Saderalum, 21:53:57 06/29/04 Tue

Easy with the "death" of HC baseball. Last time I checked they had a couple players drafted in the last couple years and even had an All-American. Najarian will get a full complement of players not just one or two good players.

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[> [> Re: Recruit tosses a gem -- Sader Fan, 23:11:33 06/29/04 Tue

Thanks Another 65er. Keep posting!

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[> [> Re: Recruit tosses a gem -- Hoss, 15:43:25 06/30/04 Wed

How can you say HC baseball died in the 60's? We had Dale Johnson.

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[> [> [> Re: Recruit tosses a gem -- SOMC, 15:56:49 06/30/04 Wed

Yeah, Hoss! Will there be any new members to the Pimp Squad in incoming class?
Will there be another Billy Bombs?

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[> [> Re: Recruit tosses a gem -- baseball fan, 15:55:43 06/30/04 Wed

HC baseball has definitely been making some strides. While the record might not show it, the talent level is vastly improved from the Coach Whalen days. I think Coach Najarian is going to definitely give credibility to the program and help them get to the top of the Patriot League.

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[> [> [> Re: Recruit tosses a gem -- Baseball Alum, 22:20:19 06/30/04 Wed

Any more information on recruits? I think talking about the incoming class is a very healthy thing. To see these kids background and why they chose Holy Cross is a very interesting thing. I think I read something on this message board about the class of 08, but if someone could recap us on the incoming class that'd be great. Holy Cross baseball has never died, it's just on a respirator and hopefully some of these kids will bring some fresh air.

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[> [> [> Re: Recruit tosses a gem -- Clay and Boyden, 12:44:22 07/01/04 Thu

Hillyer, Abington, MA LHP
O'Brien, BC High, LHP
Thater, Immaculate CT, RHP
Thran, Durfee MA, RHP
A few other positional kids. A good class of accomplsihed HS players.

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[> [> [> [> Re: Recruit tosses a gem -- HC1965, 14:11:36 07/05/04 Mon

Brendan Akashian - Lowell High School - catcher

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[> [> [> Re: Recruit tosses a gem -- WORCFAN, 15:03:33 07/05/04 Mon

I have worked 3 games for Shrewsbury in the Central New England Baseball League, which has 2 Holy Cross players on the team. Brian Abraham, frosh, is playing third base well and swinging hard from the left side. John Glowik, incoming student from Worcester Academy, is the shortstop and has made every play during my games. He charges very well with accurate throws and turns the double play easily. I think he is the youngest player in the league, made up of college and former college/minor league players. Looks comfortable at the plate hitting line drive or ground balls. Also have had 4 Lunenburg games with Erik Kistler, sophmore, who plays shortstop as well. Good strong arm who goes to hole well. Little trouble with soft grounders and accurate throws on run. Has popped up with small loop in swing, perhaps because of wooden bat being used. Quick update on these players so far. They will play 35-45 games in this league during the summer. All three of the players are very excited about playing for HC with Glowik mentioning NCAA hopes in the near future. Coach Najarian should be very proud of these well-spoken young men.

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[> NAJ IS GOD -- Najarian supporter, 22:31:02 06/30/04 Wed

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[> NAJ IS GOD -- Najarian supporter, 22:35:40 06/30/04 Wed

NAJ is GOD - NAJ is GOD - NAJ is GOD - NAJ is GOD - NAJ is GOD - NAJ is GOD - NAJ is GOD - NAJ is GOD - NAJ is GOD - NAJ is GOD - NAJ is GOD - NAJ is GOD - NAJ is GOD - NAJ is GOD - NAJ is GOD - NAJ is GOD - NAJ is GOD - NAJ is GOD - NAJ is GOD - NAJ is GOD - NAJ is GOD - NAJ is GOD - NAJ is GOD - NAJ is GOD - NAJ is GOD - NAJ is GOD - NAJ is GOD - NAJ is GOD - NAJ is GOD - NAJ is GOD - NAJ is GOD - NAJ is GOD - NAJ is GOD - NAJ is GOD - NAJ is GOD - NAJ is GOD - NAJ is GOD - NAJ is GOD - NAJ is GOD - NAJ is GOD - NAJ is GOD - NAJ is GOD - NAJ is GOD - NAJ is GOD - NAJ is GOD - NAJ is GOD - NAJ is GOD - NAJ is GOD - NAJ is GOD - NAJ is GOD - NAJ is GOD - NAJ is GOD - NAJ is GOD - NAJ is GOD - NAJ is GOD - NAJ is GOD - NAJ is GOD - NAJ is GOD - NAJ is GOD - NAJ is GOD - NAJ is GOD - NAJ is GOD - NAJ is GOD - NAJ is GOD - NAJ is GOD - NAJ is GOD - NAJ is GOD - NAJ is GOD - NAJ is GOD - NAJ is GOD - NAJ is GOD - NAJ is GOD - NAJ is GOD - NAJ is GOD - NAJ is GOD - NAJ is GOD - NAJ is GOD - NAJ is GOD - NAJ is GOD - NAJ is GOD

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[> Re: Recruit tosses a gem -- Another65er, 16:45:04 07/07/04 Wed

Just some interesting game stories from the Lowell Sun on an incoming recruit, Brendan Akashian. Looks like we got a good one.

June 24, 2004

Lowell 10
Hudson 1

Lowell improved to 8-1 thanks in part to Brendan Akashian's 3-hit, 3-RBI performance, at Stoklosa/Alumni Field.
Others contributing to Post 87's success were Dave Yeomans (triple, 2 RBI) and Peter Nickerson, who pitched 6 innings without giving up an earned run.

June 30, 2004

Lowell 10
Malden 5

Brian Frederick (1-0) pitched 6 innings for the winners, 10-5 overall and 6-5 in league play who led 9-0 in the fifth before Malden rallied.

Brendan Akashian went 4-for-5 with 4 runs scored, while Pedro De La Rosa also finished 4-for-5 with 2 doubles and 3 RBI.

July 1, 2004

Lowell 1
Shirley 0

Lowell, 11-5 overall and 7-5 in league play, scored the only run in the top of the seventh when Brendan Akashian belted a mammoth ground-rule double, took third on a passed ball and crossed on Pat Donovan's sacrifice fly to right field.

Dan Sargent (1-0) struck out 10 and yielded only a first-inning single to outduel Shirley's Bobby Gibbons, who fired a route-going 5-hitter.

July 7, 2004

Lowell 9
Reading 2

Peter Nickerson had a dominating pitching performance, striking out 12 batters while allowing just 3 hits, as Lowell upended Reading at Stoklosa/Alumni Field in Lowell.

Post 87 (8-5 league, 11-5 overall) now has a big Zone 5A encounter at Billerica Estey Post 268 tonight (6 p.m.).

Brendan Akashian's 3-run home run was the big blast in a fifth inning, where Lowell scored 6 runs on 8 consecutive hits to break a 0-0 tie.

Pat Donovan, Roger Graham and Ryan Scanlon each had 2 hits as well.

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[> Re: Recruit tosses a gem -- can't get any worse, 00:22:13 07/09/04 Fri

baseball may not be dead, but whalen tried as hard as he could to kill it..the talent was there most years, but no coaching and a terrible manager doesn't help when you're playing against big east/america east teams. looks like a solid bunch coming in, too bad they get no $ and only a few outdoor practices (if any) before the season starts...anyone on this board an actual player? you guys still have 6am practices during the winter?

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[> [> Re: Recruit tosses a gem -- baseball, 09:22:04 07/09/04 Fri

I'm a recent grad that played. The team no longer practices in the morning, always in the afternoon (2-4).

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[> [> [> Re: Recruit tosses a gem -- baseball, 16:04:20 07/10/04 Sat

do these kids have any chance of winning a patriot league title before they are done

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[> [> [> [> Re: Patriot league title -- HCGrad, 15:49:05 07/19/04 Mon

These guys definitely have a chance to win the title. We made the playoffs 2 out of my 4 years at HC. We did not win but we are moving closer. There is some good talent to look out for at HC in the next few years. Coach Naj is putting 10 times as much energy into this program as anyone ever has- and that is one reason you are seeing these recruits choose HC.

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[> [> [> [> [> Re: Patriot league title -- HC1973, 17:22:33 07/20/04 Tue

I wish to echo the above statement from HCGRAD about Coach Najarian. Coach has shown energy and enthusiasm which will be instilled in the baseball program. We will be competing for the Patriot title and the NCAA tournament under his direction.
I thank WORCFAN for his positive comments on my son, John, who will be entering HC see this fall to play on the baseball team. He is working out every day and playing 40+ games this summer in preparation. His goal is to help the team get to the NCAA's and strengthen the baseball program to a new level.
We can help by donating to the baseball program thru the Development Office and Phil Gibson. Your donations will help with spring training program, new equipment, more coaching, and the needs for Coach Najarian outside of the small budget he now has. This support can really make a DIFFERENCE!! Whether you are a parent, a baseball alum, or a fan your participation and involvement is key. I plan to help Coach Najarian and the players realize their goals and strengthen the name of Holy Cross in athletic circles.

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[> [> [> [> [> [> Re: Patriot league title -- BaseballFan, 09:38:50 07/21/04 Wed

I'm glad to see the program is in good hands with Coach Najarian. I speak to him on occasion, and I can assure the alumni that he fully intends to involve them in the program, something that was sorely missing in the last decade or so.

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