Nipmuc student was mainstay on mound

By Chris Villani

Josh Giancola already had a season of legion baseball under his belt when he returned to Milford Post 59 this summer, but the Nipmuc rising senior took his game to another level and became one of the team’s most reliable starting pitchers.

“I loved pitching and starting, it was awesome,” Giancola said. “Having a great team behind me, they had my back. Wherever the ball was hit. I knew my defense would be there.”

Giancola made five starts for Milford this summer. He posted a 4-1 record with a 1.27 ERA and allowed just 13 hits through his 22 innings of work.

“I knew I would pitch this year, but I would say it was a little unexpected,” Giancola said of his role this summer. 

He pitched in a number of high leverage situations as Milford racked up the wins during the regular season and ultimately finished 20-0 heading into the playoffs.

“It was definitely overwhelming sometimes on the mound, but I just kept throwing strikes,” Giancola said.

Giancola worked hard over the fall and winter to improve. A member of the Nipmuc football team, Giancola credited that sport for helping him strengthen his arm and get his velocity up this year. He has also been working on getting better command of his pitchers, including a slider and a changeup.

“I just strengthened every pitch I have,” he said.

Giancola also spends a significant amount of time working out at Cressey Sports Performance in Hudson. Hitting the gym and gaining some muscle plays a big role in both improvement and staying healthy during the long baseball season, Giancola said, with the high school campaign rolling right into the summer and the legion season.

Giancola is hoping to be part of a winning team during his senior year at Nipmuc. He also feels like Post 59 has some unfinished business after an early exit from the postseason this year.

“We want to try to get to that state championship,” he said. “We have some guys leaving this year, but we are definitely going to be hungry going into next summer.”

Giancola is hoping to play baseball in college. Being part of the Milford program has helped him get looks from collegiate coaches, and he also had the chance to take part in the all-star game this summer.

“My coaches have helped me out a lot,” he said. “And being on the legion has gotten me a lot of exposure.”