TWT SPORTS DESK|Published Feb 8,2026

Waterbury-The 2025 NVL baseball season belonged to St. Paul Catholic, but it was far from a runaway.

From April through June, the league delivered depth, parity, and late-season drama—culminating in a championship run that firmly placed the Falcons atop the valley, while Holy Cross lingered just one swing away from history.

Regular Season: The Falcons Set the Tone

St. Paul Catholic finished the regular season 12–4 in NVL play and 22–4 overall, posting dominant run differentials on both sides of the ball (211 runs scored, just 53 allowed). The Falcons closed the year on a 14-game winning streak, signaling early that they were the team to beat.

Behind them, the league stayed competitive:

• Naugatuck (12–6 NVL) brought physical baseball and depth.
• Ansonia (12–6–1 NVL) proved resilient with 21 overall wins.
• Seymour and Woodland each showed postseason-caliber flashes.
• Holy Cross, despite an 8–6 NVL mark, consistently rose in big moments.

The middle of the standings showed balance, while the lower tier reflected programs in rebuild or transition—yet even there, competitiveness was evident night to night.

NVL Tournament: Statement Made

On May 28, 2025, under the lights at Municipal Stadium in Waterbury, St. Paul left no doubt.

NVL Championship Game

• St. Paul 9, Woodland 4

The difference was execution.

St. Paul played clean, disciplined baseball, capitalizing on Woodland miscues while delivering timely hits throughout the lineup.

Tournament MVP: Coby Dagata
Key Performances:

• Cal Chance (St. Paul): 3-for-4, two doubles, walk, RBI, three runs
• Brett Lato (Woodland): Two hits, two RBIs

The victory marked St. Paul’s first NVL title under head coach Vic Rinaldi, a milestone moment for the program.

State Tournament: Holy Cross Pushes the Champs to the Brink

If St. Paul owned the league, Holy Cross owned the drama.

On June 14, the Crusaders met St. Paul once more—this time on the Class S championship stage.

CIAC Class S Final

• St. Paul 5, Holy Cross 4

One run. One game. One swing separating the two.

Holy Cross pushed the Falcons to the absolute limit, validating what many around the NVL already believed: they were championship-caliber, regardless of seed or regular-season record.

Final Word

• St. Paul Catholic: The undisputed kings of the NVL in 2025—balanced, disciplined, and clutch.
• Holy Cross: The season’s emotional heartbeat—so close it still stings.
• The NVL: Deep, competitive, and increasingly capable of producing state-level contenders.

If 2025 taught us anything, it’s this:
The gap in the NVL is thinner than the standings suggest—and next season, nothing is guaranteed.

Waterbury High School Sports News