A three-sport star at Warren High School, Mike Merolla won the Bowdoin College Francis S. Dane Baseball Trophy for high qualities of character, sportsmanship, and enthusiasm for the game.

 In 1966 Mike had been the Little League Baseball Home Run Champion and Outstanding Boy.

At Warren High School he was an All Class C offensive back in 1970 and also received Class C football honors in his senior year of 1971.  In that season’s title-losing game against Burrillville, coach Pat Abbruzzi suffered a heart attack on the sidelines, and things were in such turmoil that fans were putting suggested plays in popcorn boxes and throwing them to the Redskins’ sideline – and quarterback Mike was running them.  The following summer he was selected to the state’s first annual North-South All Star game.                               

In baseball Mike was selected to state All Star games in both 1971 and 1972.  In that latter year he was named an All Eastern and All State pitcher after pitching one-hitters in defeating both divisional champion Barrington and Portsmouth.  After also receiving Class C South honors in basketball (in both his junior and senior years) he was named Warren High’s Outstanding Student Athlete of the class of 1972.

Delekta’s Pharmacy won the Warren Slow-Pitch Softball League title in 1974, and Mike was a member of that nine.  He was named to the league All Stars for three consecutive years beginning in 1976 when he hit .525.

At Bowdoin College, as noted above, Mike received the Francis S. Dane Baseball Trophy.  The captain of the 1976 baseball team, he was named to the Conference All Star team.

Picture from Hall of Fame archives