Malden High Baseball Hosts Fourth Annual Tornado First Pitch Classic

Season Opener today at Maplewood Park, 4:00 p.m. start; Lynn Tech joins tournament field this season, with Salem Academy Charter

By Nick Toscani

The “Early Bird” local baseball squad plays the first high school baseball game to be played in Massachusetts again this year, as Malden High hosts the Fourth Annual Golden Tornado Club First Pitch Classic this weekend. Salem Academy Charter High School hosted Lynn Tech on Thursday in Game 1 of the tournament at Maplewood Park in Malden to open up play. Game 2 is today, as host Malden High plays Salem Academy at 3:45 p.m. at Maplewood Park. The third game of the tournament, which will decide this year’s tournament, will be played at 3:30 p.m. tomorrow, Saturday, March 29, at Maplewood Park with Malden hosting Lynn Tech. While most high school teams – all sports – are just starting up their preseason scrimmage work, Malden High is getting out there for real.

“We started this tournament in 2022 and it has been successful since we play against teams coached by guys who are friends of ours,” said Malden High Head Coach Steve Freker. “Mike Barbati is coach for Salem Academy Charter and he knows us well, since he is a former coach at all three schools where I have been. I was also his coach when he was in high school so the connection now is almost 20 years.”

Coach Freker said the preseason preparation is fast-forward, but that his team seems to respond. Malden has been the champion of the Golden Tornado Club First Pitch Classic in all three of the years it has been held: 2022, 2023 & 2024. Chelsea High had been a participant the previous three years, but Lynn Tech has stepped in for the third spot for this season.