By Sydney Ciano
Revere High School 2023 graduate Chris Cassidy will attend Division III Nichols College where he will continue his baseball career. Cassidy started his sports journey in Revere youth leagues growing up, beginning T-Ball as a 4-year-old, and playing Pop Warner football. At RHS, he continued his position as a middle infielder. Aside from baseball, Cassidy also participated in track and field as a freshman and played football as a running back in his junior and senior years. In his final two years at the high school, the 5-foot-6, 155-pound middle infielder shined as a captain for the baseball team. As a senior, Cassidy was named a GBL All-Star. “We had a lot of… [teammates] I would help because [some of them] would get in their heads a lot,†Cassidy said about stepping into a leadership position. “I had to become a better leader.†His journey on the diamond is not over yet, though. Cassidy is looking forward to taking his career beyond Revere to Nichols, situated in Dudley, Massachusetts. Since youth baseball, he has only known a team made up of his Revere friends and classmates. “It’s been eventful, it’s been really fun,†he said about his time with RHS baseball. “The high school team is pretty much… all [of] the kids I grew up with since I was little. We all played T-ball and little league together.†While teaming up with this close-knit Revere baseball group in his junior year, the Patriots ended a 15-0 East Boston High School team’s bid for an undefeated season. Cassidy said defeating Eastie (by a 5-2 score) in that game was one of his favorite moments of his athletic career. Despite the fond memories and fun, he feels ready to leave his homegrown team behind. “I’ve played with them my whole life,†he started. “But going… somewhere further and meeting a bunch of new people†has filled him with anticipation. RHS baseball head coach Michael Manning and assistant coach Rich DiMarzo encouraged Cassidy to play college baseball, telling him he would improve his game while still having fun with his new team on the field. Another influence on his decision to play on the collegiate level was his grandfather, Al Cassidy, who also played in his college years. His soon-to-be roommate, Adam Aguaouz, a Revere High classmate and teammate on the football field, also persuaded him to continue his baseball career at Nichols. The two friends toured Nichols together in December, 2022. Cassidy was originally hesitant to move over an hour away from home, but with Aguaouz committing to football as a Bison, he followed suit with baseball. The 18-year-old does not have any specific goals for his time as a Bison, but he is excited to meet his new teammates. Nichols College has roughly 60 players on the team, a huge jump from Cassidy’s high school team of roughly 20 players. He has already met a few of the incoming freshmen at orientation and will meet the rest of the team in early August. On August 9, Cassidy will start his career with the Nichols College team, attending his first preseason camp. The camp lasts from 9 a.m. to about 6 p.m., keeping him focused on the game and his skill on the field. In preparation for the camp and the freshman year ahead, he has been practicing on the Revere field. As a Bison, he wants to make the most of his experience and hopes to get some playing time all four years on the team. Overall, though, Cassidy is looking to refine and improve his skills in the sport. This was a motivating reason why he chose Nichols to pursue baseball. Alongside camps, practices, and games, Cassidy is leaning toward pursuing a business degree with a minor in accounting. He is currently undecided but is inspired by his aunt who pursued accounting with a business minor. He wants to be in the same realm of academics as his aunt and hopes to keep his family close, working with her professionally after college. As he takes his next steps in academics and baseball, Cassidy is expecting to end his time on the field after college graduation. He does plan to keep baseball in his life, hoping to return to Revere and coach youth teams or help out with the RHS baseball team.
