Walpole junior Luca Digiulio melds an elite right arm with a mental toughness forged in late innings
WALPOLE — There’s one out in the top of the seventh inning Monday in a tie game with Bay State rival Natick. With a speedy runner on first, Walpole’s Luca Digiulio fires his pitch.
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The runner goes, and most eyes go to the play at second. Not Digiulio’s. He ducks the throw, then directs his attention back to home plate.
Confident with his pitch, he checks with the umpire to ensure he got the strike call. He did. Moments later, the Timberwolves’ ace escapes the inning.
It’s a perfect showcase of how Digiulio goes about his work: no-nonsense and old-school.
Through eight starts, the 6-foot-2-inch junior righthander is 8-0 with eight complete games for the No. 4 Timberwolves — that includes two no-hitters (one an abbreviated six innings) and an eight-inning performance against Braintree. Four times, including the eight-inning game, he’s finished in under 85 pitches.
“It’s an innate ability to make sure every single thing is under control in his mind, in terms of what the next pitch is and how you’re going to attack hitters,” Walpole coach Chris Costello said.
In 56 innings of work, Digiulio has a 0.88 ERA and an eye-popping 0.55 WHIP. He’s allowed just 24 hits and struck out 52, compared to just 13 walks.
What’s helped him be so dominant? An elite level of mental toughness forged in high-leverage innings.
In the Timberwolves’ Division 2 state championship run a season ago, Digiulio was the key arm out of the bullpen. He threw five scoreless innings of relief in a 12-inning marathon win over Mansfield in the quarterfinals, and three strong frames in the state championship, earning the win.
“I was always put in the hardest situation,” Digiulio said. “It’d be bases loaded and no outs and I’d be happy to get myself out of that. Now as a starter, I can get into my own troubles if I need to — I will here and there. I know how to get out of it if I get myself into it.”
He certainly could’ve started games last year, but there wasn’t a need. The Timberwolves needed him as a fire extinguisher in the most critical innings.
“He feels as though his stuff will win, and more than anything, he trusts his guys,” Costello said.
His four-pitch mix — fastball, slider, curve, and changeup — allows him to vary his approach and keep the same results.
“He just goes out there, throws strikes, and he’s got the defense behind him,” sophomore catcher Drew Cantrell said. “He knows where the pitch is. Outside, inside, wherever he wants it, he shakes me off. He knows what he’s doing.”
Digiulio also enjoys an elite defense — something Walpole prides itself on. Between the highlight factory that is shortstop Shane Harrington, second baseman Ryan McDonald, Michael Federer at third, and first baseman Cole Blakley, not much gets through the Walpole infield.
“It’s the best I’ve ever played for,” Digiulio said. “I know that I have the defense behind me to do everything. As long as I get over the plate, I know we’ll have a good day.”
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Bay State Conference games tend to feature elite pitching, particularly this year — between Braintree’s Luke Joyce, Natick’s Thurston Kiefer, and the Weymouth duo of Liam Barr and Owen Shom, to name a few — and the offenses aren’t much easier to face. It’s part of why the Timberwolves have the in Division 2.
No matter the opponent, Digiulio is up to the task.
“When we see Luca, we know he’s going to have a good day, no matter what,” McDonald said. “I think it’s that confidence that we all have in him that, I’m not going to speak for him, but I think it helps him out.”
Extra bases
As the regular season comes to a close, there were a number of story lines to follow:
▪ Zach Herring picked up his first varsity win as head coach at Millis on Saturday — 4-1 over Dover-Sherborn, thanks to 13 strikeouts and a 2-for-3 day at the plate from Brody Barrett, who homered.
▪ In Monday’s shutout of Chelsea, Malden’s Nick D’Anna registered his 32nd run of the year, the first time a Golden Tornado has done so since 1994. Ryan McMahon became the program’s career leader in games played and consecutive games played with his 82nd appearance.
▪ Courtesy of a walk-off single by Isaiah Barnes, Monday’s 7-6 triumph over Masconomet helped Swampscott clinch the program’s first Northeastern Lynch title since 1997.
▪ Dwayne Follette picked up his 500th coaching victory Tuesday as Plymouth North secured the Patriot League title with a 2-0 win over Marshfield, becoming just the 19th coach to reach the mark in state history.
▪ A no-hitter to clinch the school’s first Independent School League title since 2016?
That is exactly what junior lefty Jameson Gray and senior Asher Seelig provided for Milton Academy in a 7-0 takedown of Tabor on Sunday.
Gray cruised through the initial six frames, fanning eight with five walks, and Seelig shut the door with a pair of strikeouts in the seventh.
The Mustangs started the season 3-4, but made a run to earn a tournament spot.
Games to Watch
Friday, St. John’s Prep at No. 11 Xaverian, 4 p.m. — Ranked 12th in the , the visiting Eagles enter at 9-9 with two games left.
Friday, No. 2 Taunton at No. 5 Bishop Feehan, 7 p.m. — The Tigers are fifth in the D1 power rankings, and Feehan is second, so this matchup could fuel a bit of movement.
Saturday, Boston City League Championship, 11 a.m. — English High and Latin Academy will square off at Boston College for the title.
Saturday, Rich Pedroli Memorial Daily News Classic, 2 p.m. — No. 17 Hopkinton, the reigning champion, takes on No. 13 Franklin in the first round Friday (4 p.m.), followed by No. 6 Natick and visiting Lincoln-Sudbury at 7 p.m. The final is Saturday.
Sunday, Don Fredericks Memorial Day Baseball Tournament Championship, 1:30 p.m. — The field in Braintree features first-round matchups Saturday between No. 1 BC High and Bridgewater-Raynham (11 a.m.), and No. 12 Braintree and No. 16 Plymouth North, starting at 1:30 p.m. Consolation and championship games have same starting times Sunday.
Correspondent Graham Dietz contributed to this story.
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