Gatorade Player of the Year: 6 New England prospects honored

Fairfield Prep (Conn.) senior Ryan Ventrelle earned Connecticut State Player of the Year. (John Hassett Photography)

Gatorade released its list of Player of the Year award recipients for each of the 50 states, and New England’s six winners include commits to Notre Dame, Texas, Alabama, Tennessee, Florida, and Boston College.

The Gatorade State Player of the Year award recognizes outstanding athletic excellence, high academic achievement, and exemplary character demonstrated on and off the field.

The Gatorade selection committee factored in players’ baseball achievements from the 2026 season as well as their scholastic accomplishments during the 2025-26 academic year.

Here are the bios for the Gatorade State Player of the Year selections for Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont.

GATORADE STATE PLAYER OF THE YEAR HISTORY

New England winners: 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020

Connecticut

Ryan Ventrelle ’26

Commitment: Notre Dame
SS, Fairfield Prep
Hometown: Fairfield, Conn.
Bats: Left | Throws: Right
Height: 5-11 | Weight: 175

The Fairfield Prep standout posted a .500 batting average with two home runs and 30 RBI, leading his team to a 21-1 record.

Maine

Hunter Finck ’27

Commitment: Alabama
RHP, Gorham High
Hometown: Gorham, Maine
Bats: Right | Throws: Right
Height: 6-1 | Weight: 200

The two-way junior standout posted a 0.30 ERA with a .558 batting average. At the plate, Finck also had a 1.480 OPS with 17 RBI. The right-hander helped lead Gorham to a 12-1 record while posting a 4-0 mark on the mound. He also had with 37 strikeouts.

Massachusetts

Brody Bumila ’26

Commitment: Texas
LHP, Bishop Feehan
Hometown: Raynham, Mass.
Bats: Left | Throws: Left
Height: 6-9 | Weight: 255

The southpaw posted an ERA of 0.60 this season while averaging 2.4 strikeouts per inning. His 100-mph fastball drew plenty of attention from pro scouts, local media, and social media posts. He also batted .361 with five home runs. Bumila’s Bishop Feehan squad has advanced to the MIAA Tournament Division 1 semifinals.

New Hampshire

Tristan Lucier ‘27

Commitment: Boston College
OF/RHP, Trinity High
Hometown: Manchester, N.H.
Bats: Left | Throws: Right
Height: 5-11 | Weight: 183

As a junior, Lucier posted a .404 batting average and a 1.83 ERA. He led the Pioneers to a 17-1 record and totaled 17 RBI and 25 runs scored with two home runs.

Rhode Island

William Haggerty ’27

Commitment: University of Florida
RHP, Moses Brown
Hometown: Rumford, R.I.
Bats: Right | Throws: Right
Height: 5-10 | Weight: 170

The dominant junior right-hander posted a 0.89 ERA with 72 strikeouts. He also batted .400 with 26 runs scored in 23 games. Haggerty had a 4-3 record on the mound and led the Quakers to the nine seed in the double-elimination Division 1 state tournament.

Vermont

Kaiden McCarthy ’26

Commitment: Tennessee
RHP, Vermont Academy
Hometown: Chester, Vt.
Bats: Right | Throws: Right
Height: 6-0 | Weight: 185

McCarthy posted a 3-0 record and 0.72 ERA. He also struck out 42 batters with a 0.47 WHIP and a .333 batting average. He led the Wildcats to a 15-6 record.