Meet New England's 2025-26 Gatorade Players of the Year in Baseball And Softball

Each year, Gatorade recognizes outstanding high school student-athletes for excellence in competition, the classroom and the community. According to the official Gatorade Player of the Year website, they are celebrating the nation's best student-athletes for their success on and off the field.
To win this award, you not only have to excel in your sport, but also in the classroom. Here in New England, we have seen more and more elite players on the diamond than ever before. From a guy like Brody Bumila, a projected first-round pick in this year's MLB draft, to Julia Caruso, who has struck out over 400 total batters in her career.
Now, with the season winding down, these awards have come out for baseball and softball players in all of New England. Let's check out the student athletes who were great enough to get recognized, starting with softball.
Bella Borque, Shortstop, Massachusetts
Borque was the proud recipient of the softball Gatorade POTY award in Massachusetts. She is the starting shortstop as a junior for Taunton. She has a .589 batting average with 34 RBIs and 42 runs scored. She led the Tigers to a 20-1 record and a berth in the third round of the Division I state tournament this season. She is ranked as the nation's No. 50 prospect by Prep Softball.
Julia Caruso, RHP, New Hampshire
Caruso is an ace on the mound for Pinkerton Academy of New Hampshire. She is committed to Penn State and is still just a junior. This past season, she struck out 141 batters while maintaining a .426 batting average at the plate. She held a 10-1 record on the mound entering the postseason with just 12 walks over 72.1 innings.
Megan Gonyeau, RHP, Vermont
Gonyea may be just 5-foot-4, but she packs heat on the mound. This season, she had a 1.14 ERA with 61 strikeouts and a .432 batting average. She led the Comets of St. Albans to a perfect 14-0 record, and she claimed seven of those wins on the mound. She led the Comets to the Division 1 state title last season.
Vivian Knott, LHP/1B, Connecticut
Knott is the proud owner of a stat line that includes a 0.21 ERA and 244 strikeouts this season. She also dominates the plate with a .569 batting average. The six-foot southpaw compiled a 12-2 record with four saves through 22 games for Darien High School. She has a .45 WHIP but also tallied 17 XBH's, six of them being home runs.
Addison DeRoche, RHP, Maine
As a junior, DeRoche managed 181 strikeouts on the mound and a .485 batting average at the plate, including four home runs. She led the Stags of Cheverus in Portland to a 15-0 record, where she claimed 12 of the wins on the mound with only seven walks in 77 innings. This is her third consecutive year claiming the Maine softball Gatorade POTY award.
Adriana Jeannenont, RHP, Rhode Island
Jeannenont had a 0.69 ERA on the mound and connected on 250 strikeouts this past season. She also had a .411 batting average and batted in 32 runs. She helped the Chargers of Chariho to a 22-1 record this season, and the two-time All-State recipient had 27 walks in 142 innings, as well as five home runs.
Some great statistics from some great softball players. Now it is time for baseball.
Brody Bumila, LHP, Massachusetts
Bumila is a 6-foot-9 southpaw with a 0.60 ERA this season. He averaged 2.4 strikeouts per inning and can reach 100 MPH on the mound. He is a rising star for Bishop Feehan and is projected to be a first-round selection in the upcoming MLB draft. He bats .361 with five homers. Many scouting organizations have him as a top-twenty recruit in his class.
Tristan Lucier, Outfielder, New Hampshire
As a junior, Lucier is ranked as the No. 1 prospect in New Hampshire. He has a .404 batting average and a 1.83 ERA. He led the pioneers to a 17-1 record and totaled 17 RBIs and 25 runs scored with two home runs.
Kaiden McCarthy, RHP, Vermont
McCarthy of Vermont Academy in Saxtons River has a dominate 0.72 ERA. He also struck out 42 batters with a .47 WHIP and a .333 batting average. He led the Wildcats to a 15-6 record, but he personally was 3-0. He is regarded as a top 100 prospect in the country by multiple scouting organizations.
Ryan Ventrelle, SS/RHP, Connecticut
Senior Ryan Ventrelle has a .500 batting average with two home runs and 30 RBIs. The 5-10 infielder led the Jesuits of Fairfield College Prep to a 21-1 record. Ventrelle is a top-five recruit in Connecticut and a top 50 recruit in his class.
Hunter Finck, RHP/1B, Maine
As just a junior, Finck had a .30 ERA with a .558 batting average. Finck also had a 1.48 OPS with 17 RBIs on the season. The right-hander helped lead Gorham to a 12-1 record while posting a 4-0 mark on the mound. He also had with 37 strikeouts through 13 games. He is PerfectGame's No. 1 prospect in Maine.
Will Haggerty, RHP/Infielder, Rhode Island
With a .89 ERA on the mound and 72 strikeouts, Haggerty won the award as a junior for Moses Brown in Providence. He batted .400 with 26 runs scored in 23 games. Haggerty had a 4-3 record on the mound and led the Quakers to the nine seed in the double-elimination Division 1 state tournament.

Tyler is a Digital Media and Journalism graduate of Endicott College. He has experience covering a variety of sports for multiple newspapers. including The Salem Times and Gloucester Daily Times. He began contributing to High School On SI in 2025.