The State of Baseball: Final edition
- Updated: June 16, 2025
The final pitching performance of Nate Gallant’s high school career was a memorable one.
Gallant, a senior, tossed a complete game and allowed three hits to lead top-seeded Epping past sixth-seeded Woodsville in Sunday’s Division IV championshp game. It was the program’s first state championship since winning the Class S title in 1992.
Gallant, who will play American Legion Baseball for Exeter Post 32 this summer, struck out 15 batters and walked one.
“Nate’s been doing that all season long,” said first-year Epping coach Josh Martin, a former assistant coach at Franklin Pierce University. “We really have three pitchers who could have done that. We could have picked any (of the) three, but Nate’s been a dog on the mound. He’s a guy to go to.”
The Blue Devils completed their season with a 19-1 record. Sixth-seeded Woodsville finished 14-6.
Epping scored a run in the first inning, five runs in the second, two in the third and one in the fourth. Woodsville didn’t help itself by committing four errors.
Gallant, Logan Abbott, Nolan Schmal, Ben Follansbee and Chase Kukesh each had two hits for Epping.
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Exeter coach Bruce Joyce became emotional when he was asked about his father, John Joyce, following his team’s 3-1 win against 10th-seeded Winnacunnet in Saturday’s Division I championship game. John Joyce passed away the Monday before the game.
“It means a lot,” Joyce said. “The guys rallied around me and him, I guess, since we had the news. He passed away Monday night, but I knew my dad would want me to be right here with the guys as early as Tuesday. I was right there at practice on Tuesday. They did some cool things. They put the stickers on their helmets. They wore the blue sleeves. … It’s just a testament to the group of guys we have.
“My dad was my first baseball coach. My dad was one of the founding fathers of the Londonderry Athletic and Field Association. Literally built the fields. I was right there as a kid. The only thing about it he was a Yankees’ fan. … Baseball was the fabric of our life.”
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Monadnock coach Tom Cote on sophomore Chris Rouleau, who tossed a complete game to help the Huskies defeat Bishop Brady 2-1 and win their fourth title in the last five years. Rouleau threw 121 pitches, struck out four, walked five and allowed six hits. The Giants left the bases loaded in the sixth inning.
“We didn’t have him pitch in a lot of big games this year. We gave the ball to Kaden (Smith) every time we played a good team. We didn’t know how he would show up today, but he showed up in a big way. His fastball got better as the game went on. It was downhill, it was at the knees. Just so proud of him and the perseverance he showed.”
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Following his team’s 4-3 loss to top-seeded Souhegan in Saturday’s Division II championship game John Stark coach Dennis Pelletier expressed the opinion of many when he lobbied for the baseball championships to be decided by a short series.
“Baseball is the one sport in high school I wish we could play it best two out of three or something, because it’s a sport that should not be single elimination, but we have no choice in high school,” Pelletier said. “The dollars and the schedule speak that way.
“I think the hardest NHIAA sport to win a championship in is baseball because it’s so dependent on pitching rules and single elimination. It’s a difficult championship to win. Two out of three would be ideal.”
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Hopefully that in the offseason the NHIAA with do away with byes in baseball. Is How is 15 teams with one bye better than a 16-tournament anyway?
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