Four Pittsfield Seniors Commit to College Baseball Programs

PITTSFIELD, Mass. – Outside, the season’s first snow was continuing to collect on the dome above Pittsfield High School.

 

Inside, they were talking baseball.

 

Four PHS seniors Wednesday celebrated their commitments to continue their academic and athletic careers at four-year colleges and universities.

 

It was a day to honor their individual accomplishments and what, together, they have done to help raise the bar for baseball in the sport’s birthplace.

 

“I’ve grown up with them my whole life,” Simon Mele said of the three teammates who shared the stage in the school’s auditorium. “They’re great people. They work very hard, and it’s just great to share the stage with them.”

 

Simon Mele signed a National Letter of Intent to play baseball at Division I University of Massachusetts-Lowell. He was joined by Morrie Fried, who is committed to attend and play ball at Brown University, and Jason Codey and Matt Egan, who committed to Division II St. Anselm and DIII Salve Regina, respectively.

 

Although their sport of choice carries a reputation for focusing on the individual, it was clear that the teammates were happy to reach Wednesday’s milestone together.

 

“I”ve played with these guys since we were knee high,” Egan said. “It’s great sitting up there with those guys.

 

“You just kind of relive those memories in your head where you’re like, ‘All right, it just seems like yesterday we were playing Little League and doing this for fun.’ And now it’s like we’re having the time of our lives and going to play at the next level.”

 

Of course, once the snow melts in March (hopefully) or April, all four will have one more chance to succeed athletically at the level where they already have shown their prowess.

 

Pittsfield baseball coach Drew Pearce Wednesday recognized the heights the quartet already has helped the Generals achieve, including four years of an undefeated junior varsity program and two years – 2024 and 2025 – reaching the state semi-finals at the varsity level, an unprecedented achievement at the school.

 

“Their legacy isn’t just about wins and records,” Pearce said. “It’s about the leadership, work ethic and commitment that have become the standard for PHS baseball.

 

“Beyond their achievements on the field and in the classroom, they have made PHS a better and more inclusive environment. Their enthusiasm and school spirit shines through in their work with the Pep Club, which is one of those things I am so proud of being part of. … That presence in the hallways and at events that they have and our team has is a special thing.”

 

While all four players were recruited by their respective collegiate baseball programs, each also said that his school of choice is a good fit academically.

 

“The academics are great,” Egan said of Newport, R.I.’s, Salve Regina. “It has close proximity to the Naval War College. … I’m going to major in political science and do a four-plus-one program with a master’s in international relations and do an internship with the Naval War College. I’m hoping to join Naval Special Warfare [Command].”

 

On the other side of Narragansett Bay, Fried will be attending Brown as the latest in a line of Pittsfield products to play baseball in the Ivy League. Taconic’s Anton Lazits (high school Class of 2021) and Nick Guachione (Class of ‘23) played for Columbia and the University of Pennsylvania, respectively.

 

“I”ve known [Lazits and Guachione] for a while, and it weighed on my decision, talking to them about their experiences,” Fried said. “They definitely said it’s doable. You think of an Ivy League school, and you think of rigorous academics. You throw DI baseball on top of that, and it seems like a nightmare for some. But I think the academics will come. Everyone struggles a little bit their first year. It doesn’t matter if it’s an Ivy, it’s a state school, no matter where it is. I think just getting used to the college experience in general is the biggest thing.

 

“The academics are going to be tough. The courses are going to be tough. But once you settle in, it’s getting into a groove, getting into a route. And the baseball will be the easiest part.”

 

Pittsfield Principal Lynn Taylor said the four student-athletes recognized on Wednesday are ready to take the next step.

 

“At PHS, we often talk about ‘portrait of a graduate’ character traits, and, as I look at you today, I see that you embody these characteristics,” Taylor said. “You are critical thinkers who have learned to analyze your opponents and adjust strategies at times. You are effective communicators who have built trust among your teammates and your coaches. You are responsible citizens who continue to represent PHS with integrity and class. And you are lifelong learners who have, no doubt, faced setbacks, learned from your losses and remained determined to come back stronger.”

 

While all four of the seniors signing paperwork on Wednesday made their decisions well in advance, each was happy to share the moment with family and friends and, perhaps, breath a sigh of relief.

 

“It’s the best feeling ever,” Codey said. “I don’t know if you could tell it just by watching, but once I finally signed it, everything just, like dropped, and I was like, ‘This is really happening.’

 

“Going into the school year already knowing what I was going to do was a pretty good feeling. But, today, with all my friends and family here, to be able to officially sign – there’s nothing better.”