LYNN — A strong, dependable catcher is the backbone of any championship baseball team, and the St. Mary’s Spartans are no different. Junior John Mulready has played as much of a role in the Spartans’ success this season as anyone else, and he’s done it on both offense and defense.
“John has done a great job for us this year,” said St. Mary’s coach Derek Dana. “He’s especially done a great job behind the plate. Working with a three-year starter in Bobby (Alcock), two two-year starters in Lee (Pacheco) and Jason (Coppola) and also a freshman (Aiven Cabral), he’s been asked to do a lot and he’s done it all. He’s also given us a boost at the plate, which is always good.”
“It’s been a good all-around year,” Mulready said. “We have a great pitching staff that’s fun to catch for and a lot of young talent, so it’s all come together really nicely. We’ve had a lot of success as a team as well, which is the most important thing.”
Mulready put together a solid season in 2019, hitting .329 and knocking in 10 RBI.
And while this may only be his second year as a catcher for the Spartans, Mulready is no rookie by any means. He made the varsity squad as an eighth grader playing third base, which means he has (almost) four seasons of high school baseball already under his belt. But more importantly, as St. Mary’s gets ready to play for the Division 2 state championship Saturday, Mulready has already been through three postseason runs.
“He’s played in the state tournament for the last four years, so I think John knows where he’s at when it comes to postseason play,” said Dana. “I just want him to keep doing what he’s been doing and I think we’ll all be in great shape.”
“I think when I was younger, I didn’t really understand how much it means to play in the state tournament,” Mulready said. “After being there and seeing how much it means to so many players, it makes you want it even more.”
As with all other student-athletes, Mulready also balances school with baseball. He holds a 3.8 GPA at St. Mary’s, and he’s the class president for the Class of 2020.
“John’s a go-to guy, he really is a leader,” Dana said. “He’s a solid kid and a great teammate. He works hard at everything he does, and he’s talented enough to balance all these different things on his plate at once.”
“I just really enjoy being involved and being a leader,” Mulready said. “I always put a lot of focus on school and obviously being class president takes a lot of focus as well, but it’s all a lot of fun for me.”
But with the school year over and the biggest game of his high school career on the horizon, the focus is all about baseball now. Mulready feels this year’s team carries special camaraderie and the fitting end to the season would be hoisting a state championship trophy after Saturday’s game.
“This year, we have a special team,” said Mulready. “I’ve played on a lot of good teams, but this year we just have something different. I think this is a great chance for us to win a title, and we’re all extremely focused on accomplishing that.”
Mulready and the St. Mary’s baseball team will take on Hopkinton in the Division 2 state final Saturday (noon) at Alumni Field in Lowell.