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Campbell’s Keegan Mills breaks the mold

By Hector Longo - Staff Writer | Aug 28, 2019

Today, we have to throw a shout out to Campbell High three-sporter Keegan Mills.

The senior from the tiny, little Division III school in Litchfield has committed to play Division 1 baseball at Austin Peay State University.

The world just screeched to a halt, right?

How is this possible? Mills didn’t take the cheese. He didn’t “specialize” and drop all other activities except baseball, 24/7 and 365.

He’s a high school kid. He plays three sports, has friends and has even nurtured personalities. Contrary to many in the AAU baseball ranks these days you can have it all … and still get recruited.

So how do the Governors, all the way down there in Clarksville, Tenn., find Mills?

The answer is interesting and has a connection all the way back to of all places, the Futures Collegiate Baseball League.

First of all, Mills found one of the quality AAU programs around, ex-Red Sox catcher Steve Lomasney’s Show Academy program, located in Lawrence, Mass.

Lomasney has former Massachusetts high school coaching legend and ex-big league scout Peter Delani on his payroll. Delani’s top duty is not fundamentals. It’s not hitting approach or pitching mechanics.

The former North Shore Navigators GM – that’s the FCBL tie – has one integral duty, matching up athletes with potential college programs. Through his former job chasing college talent to play in Lynn in the summer, Delani linked Peay with Mills, and the rest is history.

“Pete’s a great dude He really helped me,” said Mills. “He knows the coach well. I went down there and it was great. I’m not a fan of the cold, so I liked it.”

I bring this up because Mills is one of the dominant football and baseball players in the Granite State.

He’s played hoop, too, all except for sophomore year when he took driver’s education.

And because he made the correct choices, a Division 1 baseball school still found him.

Congrats, Keegan, now go have a senior season – IN THREE SPORTS – to remember.

Gronk Watch

Interesting fodder from one Rob Gronkowski on Tuesday morning.

If you missed it, open a social media account and go nuts.

Gronk is now deep into CBD oil and his mental and physical well being. And good for him.

The ex-Patriots tight end did not rule out a return to football. In fact, he left the door wide open.

Interesting response from each sports radio station in Boston. I happened to be in the car as the interview ended.

One personality on one station immediately noted, “He’s coming back.”

Snap to the other, and instantaneously, “He’s never coming back.”

If I had to guess, I see Gronk putting the helmet and shoulder pads back on right about November 1 as he and TB12 make the bid for one more title.

Eight games or so, plus playoffs. I see it happening, yes, as long as things go as planned in Foxborough – the Pats keep winning, Brady stays healthy, etc.

Gronk bluntly noted he has one year left on the contract. I find that totally interesting. Someone else in town is playing on the last year of his deal, too. Yes, TB12.

Just saying.

Bigger or better?

Finally, there is some anger in the air, and of course, the rage is rooted in the Little League World Series, which now, gulp, expanding.

The most bloated, exploitive event on the sports calendar will chop the New England Regional down to four states, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Maine and Vermont, while adding four more teams to the big event.

Are you kidding me? More tears, more painful ESPN moments.

Enough is enough. This has grown from a quaint must-watch event to a money grab that comes at children’s expense.

It’s shameful.

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