Covelle Commits to Franklin Pierce Ravens

Malden Catholic fireballing righthander from Medford will be part of winningest team in East

– Justin McAllister, Medford Daily Mercury

There’s a lot to be said for being crafty on the mound.

And usually when they speak of how an excellent pitcher “mixes it up” well, they are giving him a big compliment.

Then there are there are the members of the T.W.B.I. Club.

Oh, THOSE guys again.

These are the pitcher who don’t have much to say, who don’t take much time to state their case, who don’t mess around out there.

They are the T.W.B.I. guys.. “Those Who Bring It.”

Count Malden Catholic senior righthander Paul Covelle, a lifelong Medford resident, as a card-carrying member of the T.W.B.I. Club.

He brings it, that’s for sure.

“We have enough arms on our varsity team that we don’t do a whole lot of the regular lob-ball batting practice around here,” said Malden Catholic High School head baseball coach Steve Freker. “In practice during the regular season, we do live, intrasquad games where you can really simulate game speed and real game situations. We do that a lot. A real lot.

“I have to say that the pitcher a lot of our guys don’t look forward to facing is Paul Covelle. That’s how it’s been for the past two seasons,” Coach Freker said. “He really brings it. Every pitch.”

The Lancer head coach, who will be out there for his 13th spring leading Malden Catholic baseball in a couple of months, noted over this past summer that Covelle was the first pitcher he’s coached in the 28 seasons he’s been guiding a Division 1 high school team that’s hit 90 miles an hour on the JUGS gun before their senior year on the mound.

In July at a college showcase event in Lynn, Covelle pumped it in at a high 91 mph and also stayed at 90 mph for about 8-10 pitches that same day.

“I remember the day, it was a scorcher, about 100 degrees or 101 by the time (Covelle) was on the mound,” Coach Freker recalled. “He was throwing gas, for two full innings. He impressed a lot of people that day.”

As it turned out, some of those Covelle impressed on that fateful July morning happened to be on the coaching staff of arguably the most successful college baseball program in New England, Franklin Pierce University of Rindge, N.H.

The Franklin Pierce “courtship” was swift and whirlwind-like in nature, Covelle recalled. But after some equally swift research and deep thinking and discussion with his parents and Coach Freker, there came decision.

It was a match.

Covelle made a verbal commitment to accept a baseball scholarship offer from Franklin Pierce University head coach Jayson King and become the first player from Malden Catholic to wear a Raven uniform.

In so doing, Covelle also made a commitment as the 20th Malden Catholic baseball player in the past 10 seasons to accept baseball scholarship, the most of any high achool in the Northeast.

Covelle is the third Medford resident in the past three years to go on to the collegiate baseball ranks from Malden Catholic baseball as a scholarship player, following Paul Yanakopulos (2011) and Justin Sencabaugh (2010), both of whom went on to UMass-Amherst.

He’s also one of the first students at Malden Catholic and the first high school baseball player in this area to already know where he’ll be attending classes a year from now.

“I’m excited about it,” said Covelle, “It’s a big relief to already know where I’m going to college next year.

“I still have to apply this November, but they’ve already checked out my grades at Malden Catholic and SAT scores and told me I would be accepted for admission. It feels great,” Covelle added.

“That’s a great decision for Paul (Covelle), it will be an excellent fit,” Malden Catholic head baseball coach Steve Freker said. “Coach (Jayson) King doesn’t wait around if he wants a player, he goes right after them and that’s what he did with Paul.

“There were several colleges who were busy trying to just set up a visit with Paul, while Coach King was drawing up a scholarship offer something like the first week of August, that’s how fast it happened,” Coach Freker said.

The Malden Evening News and Medford Daily Mercury were able to talk with Malden Catholic senior Paul Covelle recently and he shared some of his thoughts about his future at Franklin Pierce and how he got there.

Covelle is the son of Paul Sr. and Patty Covelle of Medford, and the brother of Ryan, who is a sophomore at Malden Catholic and Jack, who plays in North Medford Little League.

Q: Congratulations on committing to Franklin Pierce University for baseball. You’re the first player in this area to verbally commit to a school for baseball. How do you feel about the fact you’ve had an opportunity to choose a college so early in the process?

A: Thank you and yes, it is a great opportunity. Franklin Pierce is a university that I’ve been interested in for the past couple of years. Knowing that I’ve just started my senior year and have already committed to the college of my choice is very exciting for me and my family. Making my decision so early actually was a relief and has taken a lot of pressure off of me personally, and all of us in my house.

Q: Franklin Pierce is regarded as one of the top collegiate baseball programs on the East Coast. Are you excited about becoming a part of such an excellent baseball program?

A: I’ve always known that I wanted to play baseball at the next level. It’s truly a privilege to be given the opportunity to play in such a competitive program. I’m looking forward to contributing to that team and experiencing baseball at that level. Franklin Pierce is always in the mix for conference and national championships and the thought of being part of that program is exciting, I’m really looking forward to it.

Q: What made Franklin Pierce your choice? Was it baseball and a combination of other factors?

A: It was really a combination of things. I obviously wanted to play baseball in college but it wasn’t the only reason that FP was a good fit for me. I am interested in biology and physical therapy. Franklin Pierce offers both of those academic paths and of course the baseball speaks for itself.

Q: There’s been a steady pipeline of players coming from Malden Catholic to college and professional baseball teams in the past 10 years. How do you feel about putting your name on that list?

A: I knew coming to Malden Catholic from my city of Medford that it produced a huge number of students who were also athletes. I hope to set my own goals and push myself to go above and beyond and to best represent MC and FP at that next level. Malden Catholic is a great place for kids to develop mentally and physically. My time at MC has gone by so quickly and as a senior I feel that I will be fully prepared for college and beyond by the end of the year.

Q: You are a member of a high-profile high school baseball program at Malden Catholic that always seems to be in the mix for the Catholic Conference title and the Division 1 State Championship. Do you think being part of Malden Catholic baseball and playing in the Catholic Conference has motivated you to work harder to get better and also to help you get noticed by college coaches?

A: The Catholic Conference is the most competitive high school baseball around. Being part of the MC team definitely seems to get you noticed and makes me want to work harder this winter to become a contributing factor in the success of the program. We have lots of talented baseball players on our MC baseball teams at every level. Our program definitely prepares us all to play at that next level. I know that many former MC graduates have played in and do play at the collegiate level.

Q: Four years ago, you and your family had to make another big decision, similar to the one you just made for college. This time it was where to go to high school. It must have been hard to choose, but you chose Malden Catholic. Do you think you made the right choice with Malden Catholic?

A: Malden Catholic was not a tough choice for me,. It was the right one for both me and my brother Ryan (a sophomore at Malden Catholic). The academics are pretty tough but know that I will be well prepared for college. For me and my family, it was a natural step to come to MC.

Q: You’ve had a lot of success in baseball playing for Malden Catholic and the Medford American Legion Team and the Malden Bulldogs in the Yawkey League this past summer and we’re sure you’ve gotten a lot of solid support and guidance along the way. Who have been some of the people who have guide and influence you on the path where you are now a college scholarship baseball player?

A: My biggest support has been my parents. My dad in particular has taught me everything that I know about baseball. He still takes me and my brothers Jack and Ryan to the park for BP, long toss and fielding. We also talk a lot about pitching, pitches and game management. He has spent countless hours showing me and my brothers how to pitch. He always tells us that the only way you will get better is to play more and work harder and I try to live up to that standard.

My dad is a baseball guy but never ever lets us forget that the focus has first has to be on being successful in the classroom. My brothers Ryan and Jack are always up for long toss in the yard. We bring our gloves with us everywhere we go and spend time throwing. Baseball is only one aspect of the many lessons my dad and mom have taught me and my brothers and I can’t thank them enough.

At MC l have great coaches and teammates. For one, my high school baseball coach Steve Freker has given me lots of opportunity to get noticed which resulted in the Franklin Pierce opportunity. I respect and value that relationship and know that he does so much more for the team than just coaching during the season, kids at MC that want to play in college usually do. I don’t think that I fully understood that role until this past year and I feel fortunate that he believed in me enough to give me those opportunities.

Mike DiCato, an assistant coach at Malden Catholic has also been a big influence on me and has helped me get better each year.

Our baseball team really sticks together and there is a real brotherhood in our team. I’ve made great friends on that team and its a good feeling to know that we support one another both on an off the field. Our athletic director Mr. Serino and his staff work really hard to produce the best sports programs around and has had lots of success with that. I’ve also been fortunate to have great coaches at every level.

The coursework at Malden Catholic is tough, and everyone knowa that one of the important questions that all college recruiters ask is about your grades and course work. The teachers and administrators at MC make sure that we achieve that balance between academics and sports, and push us to achieve and be successful. That balance has proven to be pretty important.

The Yawkey league team players and coaches have mentored me these past two seasons. I can already see the difference in the game at that level. Lots of them have been signed professional contracts and they have all played or do play at the college level. They have taught me that the team picks you up and that it’s not just about one player. The Malden Bulldogs gave me a rare opportunity and I will always be grateful to them for it.

These past two summers I’ve played Legion baseball. I got to play with all of my friends from Medford which was great. My legion coach Ryan Kozul was a huge support for me this past summer. For a young guy he showed a lot of maturity and always coached every game to win. He helped build on my confidence and the teams while playing in a competitive league within my own age group.

My goal is to work even harder this year and improve my baseball skills and I hope that once again our team will be in the mix.

Q: What advice could you give to a kid just starting out in high school who would like to follow in the same path as yourself, playing for a high-profile high school team, moving on to the collegiate level and who knows, maybe even beyond?

A: My advice to anyone who wants to play during and after high school is to study hard in the classroom and work hard on and off the field during and after the baseball season ends.

Working as a team is really important and understanding how that team works together helps you develop as a player on the team even more. Understand that not everyone has the same strengths, and the team helps with that. Everyone contributes and with the right mix of players you can go far. I would also tell kids to get involved and give back. There are lots of opportunities to help develop younger players and giving back is gratifying because we were once in their shoes and can relate to the different levels of development in each player. The baseball players at MC have plenty of opportunity to contribute with that and do.