Raiola, Blue Sox players speak to positional overloads and lineup rotations

By Graham Goodman

In the Valley Blue Sox’s 7-6 win over the North Shore Navigators on June 11, second baseman Trey Spees (Western Carolina) became the third Valley player to be played out of position at third base in 2026. Moves like this around the Blue Sox infield have not been uncommon; in fact, you should expect to see them often this season.

Entering the 2026 season, the Blue Sox had no true third baseman listed on their roster. Through six games, the position has been a revolving door, with shortstops Matt Wolfe (Middle Tennessee) and Nick Tomasetto (Seton Hall) sharing the first five games before Spees made his defensive debut at the hot corner.

“If I'm playing second or third, or even if I'm playing shortstop, I'm getting reps regardless,” Spees said. “Getting ground ball reps, throwing the ball, and that's pretty much all that I need.”

While Spees said he had not spoken with head coach John Raiola about playing third base in Thursday’s game specifically, Raiola confirmed that the Blue Sox had communicated with Spees, Wolfe and Tomasetto’s schools about them possibly getting playing time outside of their natural positions.

“It's kind of an opportunity to get some guys that are pretty flexible into the lineup,” Raiola said. “Versatility's massive everywhere that you go. If you can play multiple spots, then we can get you in the lineup.”

Wolfe has made the most starts at third base and has not looked bad. In nine opportunities in three games, Wolfe has made two errors, both in the same game. This does include a line drive that broke the webbing of his glove. Tomasetto did not make an error in four chances at third base in his two games, but has contributed to some ups and downs of Valley’s infield defense.

Both have had to look for playing time outside of their natural position due to shortstop Anthony Grabau’s (Fordham) proficiency at the plate and in the field.

Through six games, the Valley Blue Sox lead the NECBL in double plays with eight. Some have come in important spots that have put Valley in positions to win games. On the other hand, the Blue Sox are fourth in team errors with eleven, many of them coming from the infield. 

Most errors committed by the Blue Sox have not been costly. However, three of the team’s errors versus Martha’s Vineyard in the 8-2 loss June 9 led directly to runs, as well as two errors in the fifth inning at North Shore on June 11, where the Navigators tied the game with a six run fifth inning. 

Tomasetto, who said he feels more comfortable at shortstop than third base, said the easiest way for him to adjust to the new position was by taking as many ground balls as possible pregame and in practice. He has only played one game at his natural position, which was against Martha’s Vineyard, and made seven of the eight plays that came to him including two double plays.

“If you can only play one spot, then you better be really good at that one spot,” Raiola said. “There's a bunch of other guys that are chomping at the bit to get in there.”

Another name to consider in a few weeks time will be infielder Michael Elko (Virginia). Elko played for the Blue Sox in 2025, and played every infield position with a fielding percentage of 1.000. Until then, third base remains with Wolfe, Spees and Tomasetto.

While the infield defense has been magnified due to the lack of a third baseman and contrasting statistics, other positional logjams amongst the Blue Sox roster have begun to arise.

On June 11, catcher Josh Toole (Coastal Carolina) joined the Valley Blue Sox as the third catcher on the Blue Sox roster. Through the first six games, Chris Cancel (UConn) and Scott Donahue (UMass Lowell) had shared catching duties, with Cancel starting four games and Donahue starting two. 

Toole comes from his freshman season at Coastal Carolina where he did not play, which makes him harder to evaluate. Toole is in the transfer portal, meaning there could be a closer eye on his performances for Valley this summer. Out of high school, Toole was a top prospect in his recruiting class in Pennsylvania and committed to Coastal Carolina by his junior year. 

Raiola confirmed that on July 4, catcher Jacob Dilley (UNC Greensboro) will join the Blue Sox. Carrying four catchers on a team is nearly impossible. Raiola also confirmed that a roster move will come before Dilley joins the team. 

In Dilley’s junior season, he hit for a .323 batting average, leaving the yard on 10 occasions and driving in 38 RBI. However, he did not spend all of his time behind the plate. In 48 games in 2026, Dilley saw himself in the outfield, first base and as a designated hitter on top of catching duties. 

Raiola said he plans to utilize Dilley’s flexibility to help balance a three catcher rotation, especially down the stretch of the season when injuries begin to pop up more frequently than the beginning of the season.

“Things happen, right?” Raiola said. “And sometimes guys are sore, a hamstring, roll an ankle, get hit by a pitch, and all of a sudden, you try to figure out, ‘How are we going to rotate all this? What are we going to do?’”

If it seems like the Blue Sox coaching staff have a lot to consider when choosing each lineup, it’s because they do. In addition to the aforementioned positional overloads, Valley also has a talented collection of outfield gloves and bats.

Currently, the Blue Sox are carrying six outfielders, five of them being left-handed hitters. There has been a fairly even rotation between the six, with the DH spot typically being filled by one of the six players. 

Each outfielder has contributed in a net positive manner. Some standouts include Chris Carson (Stony Brook), who has come through when called upon. He is tied for fifth in RBI in the NECBL in 13 at-bats. Anthony Tirado (Penn State) has started most games in center field and has the ability to play any position on the diamond. His six walks rank amongst the top of NECBL hitters. 

Tirado, much like many of his teammates, seemed unbothered by the carousel of the lineup card. To him and his teammates, the bottom line appears to be winning.

“Yeah, I love it,” Tirado said. “I mean, everyone's playing, we're winning games, and if we're winning games and it's going the way it is, then it is what it is.”