Winchendon Catches a Rising Star: After an Awesome WHS Career, Colin Kinsella Heads To Prep School

A batting average of “.400” is magical at any level of baseball. No one has reached that mark in Major League Baseball since Ted Williams hit .406 in 1941.

Colin Kinsella surpassed that plateau the past two seasons as the starting catcher and a captain of the Winthrop High School baseball team. In fact, his final batting averages were closer to .500 than .400.

Winthrop High baseball coach Mark DeGregorio concisely summed up Kinsella’s consistent contributions to the Vikings’ program by stating, “Colin had a great career.”

 â€œThis year, Colin batted .481 in the regular season and his on-base percentage was over .500,” noted DeGregorio. “Last year, he batted .470. His numbers were off the charts, they just speak for themselves.”

Kinsella was very impactful behind the plate as well. He threw out a phenomenal 44 percent of baserunners attempting to steal.

“I think he’ll do very well in prep school,” added DeGregorio. “I think he’ll be successful and then find the right college to play baseball. His future is very bright.”

Kinsella said he is grateful for DeGregorio’s guidance and instruction.

“What the coaches did for the past two years really helped me improve and that’s going to carry on,” said Kinsella. “I think the program’s going to be very successful. I want to thank Coach [Mark] Degregorio, Coach [Mike] Vatalaro, Coach [Anthony] Sorrentino, Coach [Joe] Murphy, and Coach [Frankie] Fabiano. Coach Murphy worked with me a lot on my catching.”

Winthrop Little League Graduate

Colin is the son of former Winthrop High star athlete Scott Kinsella and Kerri Kinsella. His aunt, Colleen Kinsella, was an outstanding track athlete for the Vikings.

Colin began playing baseball in Winthrop Little League. He hit a league-leading 15 home runs in his 12-year-old season as a two-time All-Star.

“I’ve been playing baseball since I was four years old and in Winthrop T-Ball,” recalled Kinsella. “My father was a huge part of everything. He would always have me down the field, hitting me groundballs, or throwing me batting practice. I’ve been playing travel baseball since I was 12 years old, and he and my mother would always drive me to the games. My parents have been super-supportive. I wouldn’t be where I am as a baseball player without them.”

Colin said he started to focus on being a catcher in eighth grade. “I was on a travel team and began taking the position of catcher seriously at that time, and then Coach DeGregorio started the Senior League in Winthrop and I got to play some competitive baseball in town. It was good to see a Senior League back in Winthrop. I think it was the first time in 15 years that we had a league.”

As his own baseball career began to develop, he became a huge Red Sox fan, with Big Papi (David Ortiz) ranking as his favorite player.

“David Ortiz was definitely my favorite pro player, because I got to see him hit some big home runs for the Sox over the years, especially during my childhood,” offered Kinsella. “As a catcher, I like JT Realmuto of the [Philadelphia] Phillies.”

Emerging as a Star for the Vikings

Kinsella, who is 6-foot and weighs 190 pounds, officially played four years in the Winthrop High baseball program, though his freshman season was canceled by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Once baseball returned in his sophomore year, Kinsella was the starting catcher for every game but one over the next three seasons. The Vikings qualified for the State Tournament three times and won a play-in game (5-2 over Bishop Connolly High School) this season.

A hitter with power to all fields, Kinsella connected for two home runs this season, one a 350-foot fence-clearing blast in Swampscott, and the other an inside-the-park home run (to the street behind right field) in Winthrop. He also had nine doubles and used his speed to rack up five triples.

Asked about his 44 percent throw-out rate of baserunners, Colin credited his pitchers for their holding of runners and quick deliveries to the plate.

“Zack [Bogusz] did a really good job holding guys on. Jay Fotiades was really quick to the plate, and always gave me a shot to throw out runners,” said Kinsella.

Opting for Prep School

Colin is playing baseball this summer for the East Cobb New England Expos, which competes in high level baseball tournaments and college showcase events throughout the region. He will then move on to Winchendon, a prep school located in Worcester County.

“I visited the campus and I really loved it – it has a small-school vibe,” said Kinsella. “I know a lot of kids on the baseball team, so it’s going to be a good experience. I feel Winchendon is a good fit for me. I felt really comfortable there, so that’s where I wanted to go.”

One of his Winchendon teammates will be John Paul Nowicki of Chelsea, who was a pitcher and third baseman for the 2022 state champion St. Mary’s High School baseball team. Kinsella and Nowicki have been multi-year teammates for the Cobb Expos.

Another East Cobb teammate was Thomas White, a Phillips Andover Academy left-handed pitcher and likely first-round selection in the 2023 MLB draft.

 Kinsella said he’s hoping to receive an opportunity to play Division 1 college baseball. “That’s the goal, that’s the dream,” said Kinsella.

Praise from the Pitcher

Winthrop High pitcher Zach Bogusz, who will be attending Bentley University, sees a bright future ahead for his batterymate.

“Colin calls a very good game behind the plate,” said Bogusz. “I also know that when I throw a ball in the dirt, he’s going to block it, it’s not getting past him, he’s just a wall back there. It was like that every game, all season. He’s an amazing athlete, a great catcher. I think he has the work ethic and definitely has the talent to continue on and play college baseball.”

And in a town that has produced such professional ballplayers as Bob DeFelice, Mike Soper, Steve Coffey Jr., Larry Thomas Jr., and Ronald Tallent (Former Viking Brian Macrina had a Major League tryout), the sky is the limit for Winthrop’s Colin Kinsella as well.