Malden, Everett & Revere players shine at MBCA State Select All-Star Games

Malden’s McMahon is top junior pitcher; Tornado Gavin and Revere’s Bellia join him on Vegas Gold; Malden’s Layne Gold Glove winner for freshman All-Stars

Everett’s Freni, Soper represent Crimson Tide in sophomore All-Star play; Guida helps lead Freshman Select All-Stars to 9-8 win for Steel Gray

By Steve Freker

The Massachusetts Baseball Coaches Association (MBCA) hosted over 180 of the top underclassmen players in the state in the 2025 MBCA Junior, Sophomore and Freshman All-Star Games held at Malden’s Robert D. “Bob” Rotondi Field at Richard C. Howard Park. Two additional Senior Select All-Star Games for members of the Class of 2025 were held Monday (Central vs. West, McKeon Field, Millbury) and Tuesday (North vs. South, Monan Field, BC High).

All told, some 282 players participated in six All-Star games across four days at three sites. Participating in the games are of no cost to the players and their families. All players participating in the All-Star games were either nominated by their high school coach — who must be a member of the MBCA — or were selected Most Valuable Player in their respective leagues.

Coordinators of the games were Frank Carey (North Reading, Ret.) and John O’Brien (Lynnfield HS) for the North-South Seniors; Ron Silvestri (Millbury HS) and Keith Verra (Northbridge HS) for Central-West Seniors Game); Steve Freker (Malden HS) and John O’Brien (Lynnfield) for the MBCA Junior Select All-Stars, Sophomore Select All-Stars and Freshman Select All-Stars.

Players from all around Massachusetts converged on the Greater Boston area to take part in the games, including Malden High juniors Ryan McMahon and Billy Gavin, both righthanded pitchers, who took part in the MBCA Best of the East Junior Select All-Star Game on Thursday, June 12. McMahon and Gavin were also both named to the 2025 Greater Boston League All-Star Team. In Thursday’s game, McMahon pitched a 1-2-3 inning for the Vegas Gold Team, needing just 11 pitches to complete the inning.

He was named Most Valuable Pitcher for his team. Michael Demaino, St. Mary’s Lynn, was also named Most Valuable Player, as he hammered a first-inning grand slam homer to the deepest part of the park in left field.

Everett resident and Malden Catholic junior David Ruane, a middle infielder for Malden Catholic High School, was named the Gold Glove Award winner as the top defensive player for Vegas Gold in the Junior All-Star Game. McMahon, Gavin and Ruane all play for the Malden Senior Babe Ruth Bambinos, as do Malden High Freshman Select All-Star selectees Nicholas D’Anna, Davante Layne and Devin Otero Milonopoulos.

“It was great to see Ryan [McMahon] and Billy [Gavin] compete with the best players in the Class of 2026 juniors in the state,” Malden High 9^th-year Head Coach Steve Freker said. “Ryan did a tremendous job on the mound and was recognized with a prestigious award.”

McMahon was 5-4 on the mound this past season with 78 strikeouts in 53 innings pitched. Gavin had six wins (6-3) to go along with three saves and 65 strikeouts in 47 innings pitched for Malden.

Revere High’s hard-throwing junior righthander Dom Bellia was selected to the Junior Select All-Star Game. He was also a GBL All-Star selectee this season.

Two Everett High players represented the Crimson Tide in the MBCA Sophomore Select All-Star Game: righty pitcher Derek Soper and slugging outfielder Tyler Freni. Soper was one of the top pitchers in the GBL this year and was named a GBL All-Star (3-2 W-L record, 1.49 ERA and 40 strikeouts). Freni was one of the Crimson Tide’s top producers at the plate with 15 RBIs and a .337 batting average.

Three Malden High 9^th-graders represented the Golden Tornados on the Freshmen Select All-Star Team: Middle infielders Davante Layne and Devin Otero Milonopoulos and third baseman/pitcher Nicholas D’Anna.

Layne started for Malden at second base every day this past season and batted leadoff. He ended up as the Greater Boston League batting champion with a .556 average (30-for-54). His batting average was the highest for a Malden player in 30 years, since MLB Atlanta Braves Kevin McGlinchy, MHS Class of 1995, hit .589 in his senior year at MHS.

Layne made several outstanding snags and throws at second base in the Freshman Select All-Star game and received the Gold Glove Award. Layne also led off the game with a missile line drive down the left field line for a standup double, scoring the team’s first run later in the inning.

D’Anna, who hit .378 for Malden and was the everyday third baseman, and Otero Milonopoulos, a .345 hitter at DH for Malden this past season, batting fifth, both pitched and played in the infield in the Freshman Select All-Star Game.

“All three of our freshmen showed they can compete with the best players in the state in their class,” Coach Freker said. “Davante [Layne] won a nice award for his defense in a year where he made plenty of noise on offense with his bat.”

From Everett, freshman catcher MJ Guida had a tremendous first-year varsity season for Everett. He was among the team’s leading hitters and threw out eight runners from behind the plate.

“We are very proud of our three underclassmen State All-Stars, Derek [Soper] and Ty [Freni] in the Sophomore Game and MJ [Guida] in the Freshman All-Star Game,” said Everett High second-year Head Coach Malik Love, who was in attendance at the games. “Those guys will be the core of our returning guys next season and it’s a strong group because of them.”