NORTH READING — The Wakefield 12s are on their way to Sectional play for the first time in 19 years after beating Acton-Boxborough on Friday in the District 13 championship.
The team is now one of 16 remaining hopefuls in Massachusetts vying for a spot at the Little League World Series in Williamsport.
Wakefield started their 2025 tournament season with a Saturday morning practice assisting Wakefield Little League’s Challenger Division. No bunt, baserunning, or cutoff drills, just good old-fashioned fun and gaining a new appreciation for the importance of baseball. Soon thereafter, the team went to work on the field, practicing all the small details that typically become the deciding factors in All-Star games.
The team was ready for their first contest, however, a rogue Fernald Field sprinkler and a morning downpour nearly put the game against Wilmington in jeopardy. The field conditions were an inspiration for a 5-part series on the Wakefield Little League Facebook page called “Life of a Little League Coach” that chronicled field preparation throughout the course of the day. The series started as a joke, but “Volume 5” went viral and currently has over 130k views.
After hours of work, the team took the field and were part of an intense pitcher’s duel between Colin Robinson and the Wilmington ace. Unfortunately, Wakefield came out on the wrong side of the duel and lost a 1-0 game in extra innings.
Starting the All-Star season 0-1 in such a tough district meant an uphill battle for the 12s, but the team was ready for the challenge. It turns out, the Wilmington loss would be the team’s only loss in district play.
Wakefield proceeded to knock off Billerica in a rain-suspended game spanning 2 days, then defeated a North Reading team that won the district as 11s in a 3-0 matchup, followed by a huge Sunday night win over district powerhouse Andover to complete pool play at 3-1.
During pool play, every member of the team contributed to the team’s success. Griffin Burns started two games and showed incredible toughness on the hill. Zach Rocca took the mound and bridged the gap to a fearless Vincent Noe in a wild Billerica game. Rajan Rawate drove in a crucial run in the Andover game. Brayden Lane made a game saving catch on a rocket to second base against Billerica. Connor Timmins was willing to play any position asked and made incredible plays at second base, shortstop and centerfield. Dylan McGrath grinded out every single at bat and was willing to do whatever was necessary defensively. Max Monaco was a rock behind the plate and a true defensive leader. Dom Portelle delivered multiple clutch hits in huge spots. Frankie McPherson played an incredible defensive game at third base against Andover. Varun Harish’s performance at the plate was legendary and Colin Robinson was feared on the mound and at the dish.
“As a coach of young men, you are always looking for leaders of your team. Some do it with performance, some leading by example. You don’t have to look far to find the leaders of this group. This team is full of leaders,” said coach Ryan Burns.
With a 3-1 record, Wakefield advanced out of pool play into the playoffs against an undefeated 5-0 Reading team. Wakefield’s ace Colin Robinson took to the mound and had an absolutely dazzling performance that resulted in a no-hitter. The offensive spark was provided by Varun Harish with a 2-run home run. The win was a big one for Wakefield. In the prior year, the team suffered a devastating 8 inning loss to Reading in the district finals.
“That loss was painful but helped us grow as a team. This win was special and I could not be prouder of our boys,” said manager Rob Monaco.
The win set Wakefield up for a championship bout against Acton-Boxborough.
The championship game on Friday back at Benevento Park in North Reading was a 6-5 thriller and the fourth, one-run game of six played during district play.
The team’s mental toughness and fearless attitude was on display for this one. Wakefield went down 5-0 in the top of the first and the score remained that way until the fourth inning when Wakefield loaded the bases for Varun Harish. Varun has done his best Big Papi impression this tournament, delivering several huge clutch hits, none bigger than the Grand Slam that cut the lead to one and changed the momentum of the game.
In the 5th, the comeback rally continued with a leadoff hit by Frank McPherson, then phenomenal baserunning by Brayden Lane and Dylan McGrath that resulted in Wakefield taking a 6-5 lead. Vincent Noe went to the mound in the sixth and shut down the top of Acton Boxborough’s order and the Wakefield celebration commenced.
“This group represents everything great about youth baseball. Heart, hustle, and unity. Time and again, they showed that grit and determination can outlast any challenge,” said coach Frank McPherson. “In the toughest moments, they dug deep, stayed together, and found ways to win. Wakefield should be proud. These boys have earned every bit of their success.”
The Wakefield 12s start their sectional run tomorrow night, 5:30 p.m. at Stephen O’Grady Field in Salem against Danvers. They return to Salem on Thursday (7:30 p.m. vs. Peabody) and Friday night (5:30 p.m. vs. Swampscott) to conclude pool play. The top two teams will advance to the Championship game on Saturday at 2:30 p.m.