Ready for spring

The spring sports season is nearing with regular season games beginning in the next two weeks. Here is a look at Johnston’s teams as they gear up for the year.

Baseball
Last year’s finish: 4-14 (missed playoffs)
Key returners: Steven Finegan, Chris Civetti, Kevin Biscelli, Armani Arias, Dean Paris, Dylan Guernon
Key losses: Derek Salvatore, Dylan Martins
Outlook: The Panthers endured a tough 2023 as they rebuilt their roster, relying heavily on new faces to carry the load. Johnston enters this season with many returning players and is set to take a step forward. The Panther offense should be productive early, but the pitching staff will need to find answers as it struggled throughout last season. Dylan Guernon will be the team’s most experienced hurler to begin the spring.

Softball
Last year’s finish: 11-4 (fell in 2nd round of DII losers bracket)
Key returners: Haley Boudreau, Alexia DiLorenzo, Arianna Velasquez, Ava Waterman
Key losses: Janina Mazzulla, Hannah Calabro
Outlook: The Panthers returned to the playoffs last season with a star-studded cast and are eyeing another trip to the postseason in 2024. The Panthers lost a large senior core but return plenty of talent, with DII Bridgeport commit Arianna Velasquez returning at shortstop and last year’s freshman phenom Haley Boudreau to the circle. Johnston will need some young players to fill in the rest of the lineup, but the team’s pitching and fielding will make it a force in Division II.

Girls Lacrosse
Last year’s finish: 4-9 (missed playoffs)
Key returners: Olivia Iafrate, Kaylee Poole, Hannah LaVergne, Samantha Marcotte, Riley Guenette
Key losses: Dariana Carrascoza
Outlook: The Panthers are returning a big senior core that will be hungry to reach the Division III Playoffs this spring. Leading scorers Hannah LaVergne and Kaylee Poole are set to lead the way once again while goalie Riley Guenette is back in the cage. Olivia Iafrate is also in the mix after a breakout season as a freshman last year. With most of last year’s team returning, the Panthers are primed to be a factor in the division.

Boys Volleyball
Last year’s finish: 13-0 (won DIII Championship)
Key returners: Ryan Carvalho, Santo Diraimo, Cristian Gonzalez
Key losses: Josh Philbrick, Jacob Muller, James Guilmette, Josh Galaes
Outlook: The two-time defending Division III champs will have a new look this spring as they graduated nearly their entire roster from last season’s powerhouse unit. Although the Panthers will be relying on an entirely new lineup, their championship mettle should help keep things steady as the players gain experience, especially in the early going.