next9up
TEAMMATES & coaches
Get to know all of the Next9Up coaches and teammates!
ZACH BROWN
Zach Brown has been the Franklin High School Varsity Baseball Head Coach since 2013. He led Franklin High School baseball to the Division 1A Super 8 State Championship in 2018, and was the top seed in 2019. Coach Brown was awarded the National High School Baseball Coaches Association Regional Coach of the Year in 2019.
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Coach Brown attended Wheaton College and played for the Lyons before graduating and becoming an Assistant Coach at Wheaton for 11 years. While at Wheaton in his coaching role, he guided the group to the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) batting average crown for six consecutive seasons, nine Conference Tournament Championships, 2 NCAA D3 Regional Championships, and two National Runner-Ups at the D3 World Series.
One player who had the opportunity to play for Coach Brown for three seasons at Franklin High School said, "Playing in back to back Super 8 championships was more than gratifying, but playing for Coach Brown and learning the intangibles of baseball while gaining life lessons was really what it was all about."
We are fortunate to have Coach Brown on our team at Next9Up.
BRETT EDMUNDS
Brett Edmunds is a Franklin resident and Assistant Coach with the Franklin High School varsity baseball team. His primary responsibility with the Panthers is infield defense and he also assists with the hitters. Coach Edmunds is a former infielder at Wheaton College where he was part of a program that won four NEWMAC Conference Championships and participated in four NCAA Tournaments. After graduation and during law school, he also coached baseball at Roger Williams University.
Coach Edmunds also coaches a number of youth programs in Franklin, including the Franklin Bulldogs, a local AAU baseball program, Metro basketball, youth soccer, and flag football. He is on the Board of the Franklin Youth Baseball Organization and volunteers his time coaching town baseball.
Coach Edmunds graduated from Wheaton College in 2003 and Roger Williams School of Law in 2006. He is an attorney for the Flynn Law Group, husband to "Trainer Jen" and proud father to Ethan and Charlotte.
PETE PASQUAROSA
Pete Pasquarosa was the head coach at Franklin High School for 13 years, from 1992-2004. His teams won 70% of their games during his tenure at FHS and won three Hockomock League championships. His teams made it to the sectional finals three times and captured the South Sectional Championship in 2000.
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Coach Pasquarosa finished his coaching career with more wins and with the highest winning percentage in the history of Franklin High School. During this time he also served as a coach in the Massachusetts Bay State Games from 1994-2003. Among Coach Pasquarosa’s many achievements is his 2002 club being the recipient of the First-Annual statewide Sportsmanship Award for baseball. In 2002, he was named the American Baseball Coaches Association’s Regional “Coach of the Year.” Colleagues have consistently commented on Coach Pasquarosa’s enthusiasm and his motivational ability.
Since 2005, Coach Pasquarosa has moved on to the collegiate ranks serving as an assistant coach at Boston College, Babson College, Wheaton College and Northeastern University. Pete has also served as an assistant coach for the Harwich Mariners of the prestigious Cape Cod Baseball League from 2004 thru 2019. His commitment to the game of baseball is unsurpassed. He is an elite teacher of the game.
DOUG HOUSTON
Doug Houston has been coaching baseball for almost 30 years at both the high school and regional levels. He has been on the coaching staff at Bellingham High School since 1995, after successful baseball careers at both high school and Westfield State University. Coach Houston has held the position of both Head Coach and Assistant Coach throughout his tenure at Bellingham. During those years, the Blackhawks won four Tri-Valley League titles and were part of the state tournament for all seasons, winning the D3 State Championship in 2014.
Coach Houston ended his tenure of being an assistant coach at the high school by being named Assistant Coach of the Year by Massachusetts Baseball Coaches Association (MBCA) in 2019.
In 2017, Coach Houston coached the winning team for the New England Super Regional Championship for New England AAU at the 14u age-level for Hock Valley Panthers. He is currently the Assistant Coach for the collegiate-level Hock Valley Panthers in the Cranberry League.
Coach Houston also brought Franklin Legion its first ever State Championship in 2018 when he led the Post 75 Junior Legion Team from box to wire calling all the right shots, while maximizing the ability of his talented players from both Franklin and Bellingham.
In 2020, Coach Houston led a team to a championship for Hock Valley Fall Ball Season amidst 14 competitive high school and club teams. His team amassed 207 runs for and allowed just 37 with a 19-1 record and a championship to conclude a very much-needed baseball season.
From mentoring and developing athletes at a young age through Bellingham High School to Hock Valley Sports, Coach Houston’s determination and trusted input has helped shape hundreds of baseball players.
CLARA DECARVALHO
HEAD OF SOFTBALL OPERATIONS
Head of Softball Operations at Next9Up, Clara DeCarvalho is currently the Head JV Softball Coach for King Philip Regional High School. Coach Clara has served as an Assistant Coach at Tufts University in Medford, MA, Graduate Assistant Coach at Clark University in Worcester, MA, and coach for the Mass Drifters 18u team previously. Coach Clara primarily works with the hitters along with catchers and infield, helping high school players pursue their dreams to play at the collegiate level.
A Franklin native, Coach Clara played four years for the Panthers as a catcher and third-baseman. In her senior year at Franklin, she was a team captain and Hockomock League All Star. After her high school career, Coach Clara was recruited by Wheaton College, MA where she competed for three years as a catcher/third baseman, cutting it short from the pandemic.
At Wheaton, Coach Clara served as a Wheaton Athletic Mentor (WAM) for her team, supporting teammates with balancing life as a student-athlete at the collegiate level. She was also awarded the NEWMAC All Sportsmanship award following the 2019 season.
Coach Clara offers hitting, catching, throwing, and fielding instruction to all ages.
Franklin native Caroline Deem is known by many locally as a first base player recruited to D1 University of Massachusetts Amherst softball team. She was the starting DH at UMass freshman and sophomore year battling clean-up in college; hit .328 with 21 RBI’s and 18 runs scored in 30 games played. Caroline is currently in the transfer portal for fifth year at UMass.
Prior to her college career, she was a stellar contributor to Bishop Feehan High School softball. A three-time Eastern Athletic Conference All-Star and the 2018 Boston Herald Player to Watch, Caroline was also captain of her high school team and New England Phoenix Gold Club
team. She has the distinction of also being the Softball Factory Under Armour All-American.
We are fortunate that Caroline has joined us at Next9Up for coaching softball players in hitting and fielding.
CAROLINE DEEM
T.J. CHIAPPONE
Bellingham native T.J. Chiappone is an accomplished and well-known baseball coach.
In 1995, Coach Chiappone became the Varsity Baseball Head Coach at Bellingham High School, and, three years later made his first postseason trip as Head Coach. The Blackhawks then followed every year to the tournament for 22 consecutive years. Under his leadership, the Blackhawks have won four Tri-Valley League Championships and, in 2014, were victorious in the MIAA State Championship.
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During his tenure with BHS baseball, Coach Chiappone has been named Tri-Valley Coach of the Year multiple times, inducted into the Massachusetts Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame Class of 2020, and is part of the Class of 2021 Bellingham High School Athletic Hall of Fame.
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Since stepping down as Varsity Coach in 2020, Coach Chiappone has continued to assist coaches within Bellingham High School, Hock Valley Sports, Bellingham Youth Baseball, and at Next9Up.
In 2021, Coach Chiappone became the Head Coach for the Hock Valley Panthers in the renowned Cranberry League, a league for amateur collegiate and former professional players. He was named the Cranberry League Coach of the Year in 2021, and again in 2022.
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Coach Chiappone. continues to elevate players to their fullest potential and creating strong team mentality for success. We are fortunate to have him at Next9Up.
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DENNIS NALLY
Dennis Nally is the Director of Hock Valley Sports, a club baseball and softball organization grown from the local tri-valley area around Franklin and Bellingham, and now servicing the region. Hock Valley Panthers has teams ranging from nine-year-old players and up, in Spring, Summer, and Fall Ball Leagues. The Panthers are also represented at the collegiate and semi-professional level as a team in the highly renowned Cranberry League.
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Growing up in Bellingham and raising his sons in Franklin, Coach Nally has created a network of award-winning baseball coaches who both coach and advise the club teams. He has been a part of the athletic community for many years and knows how to elevate players to reach their highest potential
Hock Valley teams have received multiple championships and playoff wins over the years, most recently the 2022 15U team winning this year's Championship Title. The Cranberry League has awarded Hock Valley Sports Coach TJ Chiappone with Coach of the Year twice, in 2021 and 2022.
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Coach Nally is proud of the hard work from his Hock Valley teams and happy to call Next9Up their homebase for training and coaching.
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DOUG CARROLL
Doug Carroll is a local product of Holliston, MA, and as a senior in high school was drafted in the 5th round by the Boston Red Sox and the State's Player of the Year. Coach Carroll decided to go to the University of South Florida on a full baseball scholarship. While at USF, Coach Carroll played for the Harwich Mariners in the Cape Cod League and was invited to play for the USA National team.
As a junior in College at USF Coach Carroll won many individual awards, most notably as College All- American. The Seattle Mariners drafted him in the top 10 rounds, where he went on to have a steady professional career with the Seattle Mariners for four years and Tampa Bay Rays for two.
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Since retiring from professional baseball, Coach Carroll has worked with over 500 baseball players get recruited for college baseball, some moving on to play professionally, including players Nate Freiman and Pete Alonso. Many of his students go on to be top contenders for high school and college records.
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Coach Carroll specializes in Hitting, Fielding, and Throwing in both Individual and Team Workouts.
RYAN PARKER
Ryan Parker is the co-founder and head coach of the Troy Baseball Expo in Troy, NY, which provides free baseball instruction, academic advising, and workforce development to youth in the Capital District of upstate New York.
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As a player and coach for the Wheaton Lyons, Coach Parker has staffed 11 NEWMAC conference championships, 12 NCAA tournament appearances, and two NCAA Division III National Championship finalist teams in 2006 and 2012. Individually, Coach Parker has coached a total of 18 All-Conference pitchers, including five conference Pitchers of the Year and numerous Major League Baseball signees. He also served as pitching coach for the Harwich Mariners of the prestigious Cape Cod Baseball League from 2008-2010, helping to end a 21 year championship drought in Harwich when the Mariners were crowned league champions in 2008.
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Off the field, Coach Parker received his degree in sociology from Wheaton in 2001, and successfully completed his master's degree in higher education counseling at Bridgewater State University in 2008.
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Jack Dicenso is currently a professional pitcher in the Pioneer League, finishing 2022 season with the Idaho Falls Chukars. Jack played his first professional season as a part of the 2021 Pecos League champion Tucson Saguaros, and went on to play with the Gateway Grizzlies in the Frontier League in 2022.
A Norfolk resident, Jack enjoyed great baseball careers at both King Philip High School and at Nichols College. At Nichols, he was able to lead the pitching staff and finished his career among the top in career ERA, strikeouts and wins. He also won Conference Pitcher of the Year during his graduate year.
JACK DICENSO
NICK KUZIA
Nick Kuzia most recently worked as a professional pitcher in the Colorado Rockies system, finishing the 2023 season in AAA. with the Detroit Tigers. He signed as a free agent in 2017 and pitched from 2017-2021 in the San Diego Padres system before being selected in the Rule 5 Draft by the Tigers. In his pro career, he holds a 4.35 ERA with 228 IP, 248 K, 110 BB, and 14 Saves.
Nick created an Instagram page (@KuzPitching) during COVID to share pitching information with kids who may not have had access to facilities during the pandemic. It has grown into his own coaching/pitching portfolio where he shares his pitching knowledge and his own offseason training.
Prior to the Padres, Nick pitched for UMass Lowell from 2015-2017. He was an Academic All-Conference player in the America East his sophomore and junior year. He completed his college degree in Finance.
Nick grew up in Seymour, CT and went to Seymour High School where he played soccer, basketball, and baseball. He currently resides in Franklin.
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Coach Gorman is currently a starter for D1 Central Connecticut State University and has played third base, short stop, second base, and center field through the years of her playing. In 2023 she received the Northeast Conference (NEC) most improved player and made the First Team All-NEC. She batted .266 with .OBP of .304 and a SLG of .404. Gorman had three home-runs and led the conference with 17 stolen bases.
Coach Gorman at Next9Up specializes in hitting and fielding for individuals and teams.
MEGHAN GORMAN
Coach Libby Walsh is currently an infielder at Arizona State University, and made the PAC-12 all freshman team. Graduating from King Phillip Regional High School, she was a PGF All American and ranked 26th her senior year in 2023. During high school she also played club softball with Rhode Island Thunder. Coach Walsh is from Plainville and available for private lessons.
Coach Walsh specializes in hitting and fielding for individuals and teams.
LIBBY WALSH
ERIC DUMAS
Coach Dumas is the current pitching coach at Wheaton College (MA) where he will be returning for his second season this spring. Prior to his stop at Wheaton College, he was the pitching coach at Salem State University in 2021, and the pitching coach at Brookline High School from 2017-2019. In his first year as pitching coach for Wheaton College, Coach Dumas helped lead the pitching staff to a 3.48 ERA, which was good enough for #9 in all of Division III baseball. The Wheaton Lyons pitching staff also had 4 NEWMAC All-Conference selections, including the NEWMAC Conference/Region 1 Pitcher of the Year. Coach Dumas takes pride in his ability to relate to his players and develop plans both on and off the field to further development.
As a 2016 graduate of Wheaton College, Coach Dumas was an integral part of two NEWMAC Championships, where he was a key piece out of the bullpen. In 2016, he was a Division III All-American, where he led the country in saves with 13, along with being NEWMAC Conference Pitcher of the Year and All-Region First Team.
Off the field, Coach Dumas has been a Brookline Firefighter for four years and currently resides in Norwood, MA.
Coach Jack Nally is a local product of Franklin, MA, where he was a two-sport captain in baseball and football at Franklin High School. He was a standout athlete in high school, being a three-year starter in centerfield for Zach Brown, and a three-year starter on the gridiron for Eian Bain. Coach Nally helped Franklin Baseball to a Super 8 State Title in 2018, as well as receiving the Franklin HS Career Athlete Award, 2x Hockomock, Boston Globe, Boston Herald Football All-Star, and 2018 Baseball Team Rookie of the Year.
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At Wesleyan University, Coach Nally was a two-sport captain in baseball and football, yet again. He won four Little Three Titles in his career, two in each sport. On the diamond, Nally fielded a 1.000 fielding percentage in left field his senior year and earning a .402 OBP and the 2021 NESCAC Baseball 2nd Team All-Conference.
For Summer Ball, Coach Nally has played three seasons in the Cranberry League for the Hock Valley Panthers under Coach TJ Chiappone.
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Coach Nally specializes in hitting and outfield for individual training.
JACK NALLY
JAKE FITZGIBBONS
Jake Fitzgibbons, of Franklin, MA, played three years of varsity baseball as catcher and infield under Zach Brown at Franklin High School. He was captain his senior year in 2021 and was awarded his team MVP Player of the Year. Coach Fitzgibbons was also the First team Hockomock All-Star in the Kelley-Rex Division, 2021 Boston Globe and Boston Herald All-Scholastic, and 2021 First Team Metro West All-Star.
Coach Fitzgibbons went on to play D1 baseball at UMass Lowell where he is a catcher. In his freshman year the team made it to the conference tournament championship game, first time in school history. During the summers, he played for the Brockton Rox in the Futures League 2021-2023; in 2024 he is playing for the Futures League Road Warriors.
Coach Fitzgibbons specializes in hitting, catching, and infield for individual training.
Ryanne Haynes is currently a Junior outfielder at Providence College having graduated from Bellingham High School in 2022. Ryanne played five years on Rhode Island Thunder Lotti’s National Teams with a top 5 finish at PGF Nationals. She has assisted teams for Bellingham Girls Softball and head coached for Rhode Island Thunder 14u. Ryanne is experienced at coaching hitting, outfield, and catching skills.