Antonelli takes over Bishop Fenwick baseball program

Sep. 24—One of the most respected names on the North Shore baseball scene will be taking over one of its most prestigious high school programs.

Matt Antonelli was hired as the new head baseball at Bishop Fenwick, athletic director Dave Woods announced on Friday. A former Major League player who grew up in Peabody, starred at St. John's Prep and has run the highly successful Antonelli Baseball program for the last eight years, Antonelli takes over a Crusader team coming off Division 3 North championships in 2019 and 2021.

"I love high school baseball," said Antonelli, who has served as an assistant coach at his alma mater under Danny Letarte for the last six years. "Being back in that dugout with Danny and my dad (Jack) has been fantastic and reminded me how much I love the high school game.

"Playing for your school, with your friends, being part of a team that you're with every single day for three or four months ... high school baseball is just different and I'm really excited for the chance to be able to run a program."

Fenwick's job came open when Russ Steeves resigned at the beginning of the summer to accommodate new work responsibilities and his college age children. Though Antonelli will be a first-time varsity head coach, he's run the entire operation at his travel program for years from the bench to the skills training and beyond.

"Matt's reputation in the baseball community is unmatched and the Antonelli name is synonymous with excellence. We have such high regard for Matt not only as a baseball coach, but as a person of integrity and character. Matt is exactly the type of person we want influencing our student athletes." said Woods. "We are blessed and look forward to having him lead our baseball program and represent our school."

Now 36 years old and living in Middleton with his wife and children, Antonelli had a Hall of Fame career at St. John's Prep. Graduating in 2003 as a three-sport standing in football, hockey and baseball and earning Moynihan Student-Athlete of the Year honors. He's retained an affection for the multi-sport athlete, something he encourages with all his players and will continue at Fenwick.

"When we were young that's what everyone did," he said. "I tell all our guys, if you love sports and want to play them, play as many as you can. You only get one chance to do whatever you want before its college and you have to choose."

For Antonelli, that means heading to Wake Forest where he had a great career on the diamond for the Deacons. Drafted in the first round of the 2006 MLB draft by the San Diego Padres, he played professionally for eight season and broke into the Majors in 2008. After retiring from pro ball, he coached at the Division 1 college level with Holy Cross before coming home to start his own program.

"Being part of the summer ball for eight years has let me see how I want to run things because I've been the head guy. I've foreseen how I might run things," Antonelli said. "Travel ball is great and I always tell our kids I want to play our summer games like they're high school games: Don't make it all about the individual, Try to win, try to compete."

Antonelli will be only the fourth Fenwick baseball coach in the last 48 years, with Steeves having won 102 games over his career. The Catholic Central League is as competitive as its ever been, with St. Mary's Lynn coming off two Division 2 state titles and Austin Prep considered among the state's elites as well.

"I know a lot of the kids, whether we've had them in our program or we've played against them, and I know there's a ton of talent in this league," Antonelli said. "Just being from the area, too, you see how talented these players are. Fenwick's had a great program over the years and I'm just looking to come in and continue that."