By Michael Flanagan
Hometown Weekly Sports Editor
Wellesley High School has had some solid players come out of their baseball program over the years. Over the last two seasons, Wellesley has been a powerhouse in the Bay State Conference, winning the South Sectional and Eastern Mass titles in 2017, followed by a return to the South finals last year.
Of the many reasons for Wellesley’s recent success on the baseball diamond, none stick out more than the arm of Virginia Tech-bound ace Henry Weycker, who helped lead the Raiders to a 4-1 victory against Weymouth with a dominant six-inning, 12-strikeout performance on April 5 to open up their season.
“His drive and his determination to be the best player that he can be, day in and day out, are what make him so unique,” said Wellesley coach Rob Kane when asked what makes “Hank” so special. “He puts a lot of hard work into his game throughout the offseason, as well as during the season. It’s certainly paid off for him. So when players do that, you really get to see and appreciate the development. I wish more players had the commitment like him and some others that we have on our team, because the guys that work the hardest calmly see the best results. Hank is certainly deserving of those results, based on all the efforts that he’s made since the first day I met him.”
Two years removed from pitching Wellesley to state finals as a sophomore, Weycker has developed into not only an incredible talent, but also an incredible leader, according to Kane.
“Each and every year, he’s gotten better,” said Kane. “From a leadership perspective, and as a player as well. It’s pretty cool to see when players walk in as a freshman - and you know he contributed and helped us out as a freshman - but each and every year he’s gotten better … it’s paid off for him to have that opportunity to go to Virginia Tech and play at the next level. We’re very happy with what he’s been able to accomplish, but the book hasn’t been closed just yet.”
As for the season ahead, the last season in which Kane will have the pleasure of coaching Weycker, the goal is simple: win and improve.
“Our goal is to win every week,” said Kane. “So if we can win two out of three every week, it puts us in a good position, going forward. Our goal here in April is to get better each and every day, use April to propel us to May, and then use each month going forward. Every day we are just trying to get better at the small things and being as best prepared as we can as a team from player one to player 20. We spend a lot of time on things that might come up once during the season or might never come up, but we just want to be as well-prepared as we can be, get better each and every day, win each week, and then be in a position at the end of the year to be ready and prepared for the tournament.”
For funny and incisive sports analysis, follow Mike Flanagan on his personal Twitter at @fLAno0.
