By Ken Hamwey
Staff Sports Writer

King Philip Regional sports teams will be gearing up for their fall schedules by participating in pre-season practices that begin later this month.

But, before fans, friends and families start attending a variety of athletic scrimmages that lead to the regular season, it’s worthwhile to reflect on teams that got good results during the 2024-25 school year and whose achievements flew under the radar. 

Two programs come to mind quickly, and the choices are based solely on this writer’s opinion.

The Warriors baseball squad and the girls soccer team advanced deep into the state tournament, as they’ve done methodically in the recent past. They weren’t crowned state champs, but both teams have become perennial threats to formidable foes heavily favored in post-season play. 

Here’s a glimpse at some of the 2024-25 highlights of the KP baseball team and the girls soccer contingent.

BASEBALL

The Warriors, led by coach Jeff Plympton Jr., compiled a plethora of achievements that are firsts for the program.

KP finished 17-4 during the regular season, then advanced to the Final Four of the Division 1 State Tournament before it was eliminated by Braintree. Its three playoff triumphs elevated the Warriors to a 20-win season, the most in the program’s history.

At the start of the season, which was Plympton’s fifth since taking the varsity coaching job, KP opened with a 10-0 record — another first for the program.

The Warriors faced archrival Franklin three times, winning all three outings by one run. That’s the first time in KP baseball history that the Warriors defeated Franklin three times in a season. And, the last time KP beat Franklin, prior to the 2025 season, was in 2016.

When the Warriors defeated Franklin in the Elite Eight (tourney quarterfinals) at Lombard Field, about 1,000 fans attended. Plympton verified that number as the largest crowd to ever watch a KP baseball game.

Two other games — shutouts against Taunton and Xaverian — are significant. The 2-0 victory over Taunton was the first time the Tigers were shut out since 2019. The 1-0 triumph over Xaverian was the only time it was shut out during the 2025 campaign.

When it comes to individual honors, KP seems like it was first in line.

The 2025 KP baseball team defeated Franklin in the Division 1 quarterfinals, enabling it to advance to the Final Four.

Its three senior pitchers were all named to the Hockomock League all-star team. That included Cam Hasenfus, Nate Pennini and Ryan Higgins. Shortstop Vinny Menendez, who hit .310, was an honorable-mention choice.

Hasenfus, who had a 7-0 record and an E.R.A. of 0.49, was selected as the league’s MVP. That’s the first time KP has had an MVP since 2016 when Will Weir was chosen.

“Cam was so deserving of the MVP award,’’ Plympton said. “We had a lot of confidence when he was on the mound. He yielded only four earned runs all year and three of them came in our first game against Franklin. He got good movement on his pitches, relied on a knuckle-curve and a fastball, and had 57 strikeouts in 56 innings. His velocity was clocked at 87 mph.’’

Pennini and Higgins gave the Warriors great depth. Pennini posted a 3-2 record and had an E.R.A. of 2.10. Higgins was 7-2 and had an E.R.A. of 2.60.

Two players will compete in college — Hasenfus at Wheaton and first baseman Drew Herlin at Worcester Polytech. “Drew hit No. 3 in the lineup,’’ Plympton noted. “He battled hard and hit .289 playing through a hand injury. As a junior, he hit .409.’’

KP, which competed in Division 1 for the last two years, will return to Division 2 next season. The Warriors played and lost to Milton twice in the Division 2 state finals. “I think we’d be successful whether it was in Division 1 or 2,’’ Plympton noted. “Division 2 has good teams, too, but just not as many as there are in Division 1.’’

KP baseball in 2025 featured a variety of strengths and Plympton viewed all of them as keys to a rewarding season that produced plenty of achievements.

“Our pitching and defense were phenomenal,’’ he emphasized. “The players’ baseball IQs were high, they worked hard and were dedicated. Our skills were very good and our guys competed with a team-first attitude. They were a fun group that made my job easier.’’

GIRLS SOCCER

Coach Gary Pichel’s 2024 squad, which finished its regular season at 16-2, lost in the quarterfinals of the state tourney to Brookline, leaving the Warriors with an overall record of 18-3. Those numbers gave KP its second straight Kelly-Rex Division championship and the fourth division crown in Pichel’s 14 years at the helm. The Warriors were dynamic on offense and defense, scoring 73 goals and yielding only 23.

Last year’s results also earned Pichel the Hockomock League’s Coach of the Year Award. That’s the third time he’s been selected for that honor. The 2019 season, however, was memorable because it not only provided him with the Hockomock League’s coaching award, it also earned him Coach of the Year honors in Division 1. 

“Last year was very rewarding,’’ Pichel said. “The coaching awards are not a tribute to me; they’re all about having team-first players who understand perseverance.’’ Before arriving at KP, Pichel led Nipmuc Regional (Mendon/Upton) to state championships in 2005 and 2006.

The 2024 season was also memorable for KP’s four captains — striker Dani Lomuscio, forward Mikayla Thompson, and defenders Addison Lamothe and Rhianna Mason. Three of the four will be playing college soccer at the Division 1 level and the fourth will be competing in Division 3. Lomuscio will play for Stonehill; Thompson and Lamothe will compete for Iona; and Mason will be at Virginia Wesleyan, a Division 3 university. 

Lomuscio scored 27 goals and had 22 assists for 49 points, earning her the league’s MVP Award, which has gone to a KP player five times in the last seven years and for the last three years (Ella Pisani in 2022 and Heidi Lawrence in 2023). Avery Snead captured the award in 2018 and Chloe Woodward won it in 2019.

“The 2024 captains are one of the best group of captains I’ve ever coached,’’ Pichel said. “And, Dani is one of the top five most versatile and talented players I’ve coached.’’

Snead wasn’t a member of the 2024 team but she made headlines in January, announcing that she had signed a contract to play professional soccer in Norway for FK Bodo/Glimt.

Snead competed in dynamic fashion for four years at KP before moving on to Providence College where she excelled on defense and was honored with numerous awards. In her four seasons at Providence, Snead started in all 69 games she played. She anchored the Friars’ back line throughout her career, logging 6,200 minutes played.  

At KP, playing from 2016 to 2019, Snead was the Hockomock League’s top scorer in 2017 and 2018 and was chosen as the league’s MVP in 2018. KP coach Gary Pichel called Snead “the best soccer player I’ve ever coached.’’

At PC, Snead was selected to the All-Big East Second Team (2021, 2023), United Soccer Coaches All-East Region (2023), NEWISA All-New England First Team (2023), NEWISA Senior Bowl (2023), NEWISA All-New England Second Team (2022, 2021), Big East All-Freshman Team in 2020-21 and United Soccer Coaches Player of the Week on March 16, 2021. 

 Snead later played one season at the University of Indiana in 2024 as a grad student.