BOSTON – Although he hasn’t had an at-bat all season, junior pitcher Cash O’Hara was the first to boast bragging rights as the Winnacunnet High School baseball team enjoyed a private 30-minute batting practice session at historic Fenway Park on Friday ahead of its regular-season finale later that afternoon at Windham.
The right-handed swinging O’Hara stepped into the batter’s box and after a few swings, connected on a pitch and was the first Warrior to put a ball off the famed Green Monster in left center, prompting cheers and hollers of congratulations from his coaches and teammates. Later, senior captain Jake Fredericks, on his final swing, was the second-and-last Warrior to reach the Monster.
O’Hara is one of four “P-O’s,” pitcher only, on Winnacunnet’s staff this season.
“It’s pretty cool, I’m a ‘PO,’ so they all make fun of me for not being able to hit,” O’Hara laughed. “So, now I get to say whatever I want.”
O’Hara added, “it was really fun, I just pictured the best two-way in the world, Shohei Ohtani and I was like ‘how do I swing like that,’ and it worked. Ohtani is one of the greats and I had to replicate it. This is really cool. I couldn’t even imagine this; hitting on this field is so cool. It’s one of the best parks in America.”
O’Hara, a hard-throwing right-hander, has appeared in two games this season for the Warriors, allowing one run in three innings of work.
“Cash is a big, strong and athletic kid, so while he doesn’t hit for us, I’m not surprised he was able to do it,” Winnacunnet head coach Aaron Abood said. “As a coach, it makes me think I need to get him in the lineup next year. But, I’d like to be on record saying Cash told me he was a PO this winter, I didn’t tell him he couldn’ t (hit).”
“I was just trying to hit the ball as far as I can, I was just taking hacks,” O’Hara said.
All 16 players saw between 20 and 25 pitches in two rounds of hitting. Abood, and his four assistants also got in the box, but only O’Hara and Fredericks reached the Monster; a couple other players reached the wall on a couple of hops.
“I’m trying to hit one out,” Fredericks said after his first round. “In the game, I might not be trying to do that, but here, why not? My goal was just trying to elevate the ball over the Monster. Just have to get a little more power in the legs, it’s a little slow pitching so you have to wait back on it more, and, hopefully, hit it out.”
Fredericks, who took some swings at Fenway for his 13th birthday, said it was “amazing” he and the Warriors were able to hold a team outing at Fenway.
“This field is beautiful,” he said. “It’s just a great time seeing all of the views; this is what the major leaguers see when they play here, so it’s really cool.”
The Warriors were on the field for about 30 minutes with batting practice, then sat and took team photos in the Red Sox dugout down the first base line. Afterwards, the team headed up to the seating area on top of the Green Monster.
“This (day) is amazing,” Abood said. “The kids were super excited to come down here to Fenway and take some swings on the field, walk around and be in the dugouts and get a couple pictures up on the Green Monster. It’s a great experience, and a great day for some high school baseball players.”
“This is great, it’s a lifetime experience,” Winnacunnet senior lefty Ethan Nowak said. “It’s awesome to have with the team and coaches. This is a blast. Coming in, I was just trying to get loose, and then try to yank one around the Pesky Pole (in right field).”
With Friday’s 3-0 win at Windham, the Warriors ended the regular season with a 15-5 record and is likely the No. 5 seed in next week’s Division I tournament. Fredericks said spending Friday at Fenway was a great way to re-energize the team heading into the tournament.
“I think it’s great,” Fredericks said. “These last couple of weeks have been tough, but we’ve been playing well. It’s always good to come back together as a team and just relax. That’s what the great teams do; they relax on the field. I think this just brings us closer together, and hopefully helps us make a run in the playoffs.”
This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Winnacunnet baseball takes some swings at Fenway Park Green Monster