Baseball titles run in the water at the Catholic Conference High Schools. Since 2000, five of the conference’s six teams have captured a Division I state baseball crown.
When the MIAA went to Super 8s, BC High, St. John’s Prep, Saint John’s Shrewsbury, and Xaverian all swam in the same highly touted pool during the postseason.
Even under the newest state tournament format, both BC High and Xaverian have come home with with Div. I titles in the last five years.
2025 will not be any different for the conference.
Five of the conference’s six teams qualified for the postseason this year. Prep, Saint John’s, and Xaverian all earned top-10 seeds while BC High, the defending state champion, also has a home game.
As always, the rosters are filled with college bound stars. Here is one player from each Catholic Conference baseball team to watch in this postseason.
Tommy O’Donnell, senior catcher/outfielder, No. 15 BC High
A .350 hitter in the regular season this year, O’Donnell was one of the most consistent bats in the order for the Eagles as a senior.
O’Donnell also made sure to make the most of his hits, driving in 10 runs throughout the season.
When he’s not delivering at the plate, he’s providing a rather versatile glove for BC High, working behind the plate and covering grass in the outfield.
Marshall Kehlhem, senior outfielder, No. 28 Catholic Memorial
A lightning fast outfielder, Kehlhem can do nearly anything for the Knights.
The senior has plenty of power to tally extra bases and the speed to stretch doubles into triples. Even when he only reachers first he’s incredibly dangerous as one of the best base stealers in the region.
Kehlhem also holds things down in center for CM, perfect utilizing his speed in the outfield.
Andrew Schmit, senior outfielder, No. 2 Saint John’s
Few teams are lucky enough to have one of their most dynamic athletes also be able to bat cleanup in their order.
For the Pioneers, Schmit can do it all. This season he led Saint John’s in homers (3), runs (19), and stolen bases (11). The senior also batted .383 while playing center field for one of the best teams in the state.
James Willett, senior infielder, No. 10 St. John’s Prep
In his senior season Willett batted .426 for the Eagles and delivered 11 RBIs. Playing with a well-seasoned Prep group, Willett is ready to show his talents during a deep postseason run one last time.
The senior also provides a very solid glove at third for the Eagles.
Paul McCarthy, senior pitcher, No. 5 Xaverian
With an ERA just north of one this season, McCarthy dominated a brutal Catholic Conference slate as a senior.
As he built back his stamina throughout the season, McCarthy only seemed to get better for the Hawks.
Befuddled hitters with his high 80s sinker, the senior showed just how dominant he can be over. two-game stretch against BC High and St. John’s Prep.
In those two outings, McCarthy tossed two complete game shutouts and allowed just four hits while striking out 15.
