Season Preview: Youth Movement Underway For Baseball Program

There is an eye towards the future for the Nantucket baseball team this year for more reasons than one. The program was ready to move on from last season’s 1-15 record but also will have plenty of new faces taking the field this spring that represent the present and future.

The Whalers are returning just four players from last year’s team and will have seven freshmen on their opening day roster. Nantucket will be led by senior Shea Dwyer, who figures to be the team’s ace this season.

“We have got some depth and I hope by the end of the year I can tell you we have a sure, clear, far and away ace but we need to find that, head coach Jack Pearson said of his pitching staff. “I think Shea can command the top of the rotation. I think Ronald (Del Rosario Gomez) is going to be an important pitcher. I think Keegan Bedell is going to be an impact pitcher. Hanson Dalton has looked really good in the preseason. We have a couple other guys we are developing right now too – so that’s five, six, maybe seven arms.”

The four returning starters are Del Rosario Gomez, Dalton, Dwyer, and Henry Tejada. Senior Felix Abreu is also new to the program and Pearson said he has looked good early on.

Of the seven freshman, Pearson mentioned Eli MacIver as a player to watch as an impact bat in the lineup while playing either catcher or middle infield. Assistant head coach Stefan Mandel said the fielding should be improved and added that they have a pitching staff capable of throwing strikes consistently.

Bedell is also expected to play outfield while assuming some pitching duties. Sophomore Brock Beamish is new to the Whaler baseball program this year after returning to Nantucket High School in the fall and will be an impact player as well.

“He is a real good outfielder and swings a good left-handed bat,” Pearson said of Beamish. “But there is certainly a lot of unknown. This group hasn’t played regulation baseball yet so when the lights go on, we will really be able to see what we have.

“I love the upside of this group though,” Pearson continued. “I think we can be very competitive. It is a good group that is really into baseball. From a coaching standpoint, we’re really investing early on in the instruction, and the coaching, and the development for future years. These kids are real ball players such as Keegan who true baseball guys.”

The Whalers will open their season on Saturday, March 30th on the road against Martha's Vineyard at 12:45 p.m. You can view the full baseball schedule by clicking here. You can also donate and support the baseball team by contributing to their team fundraiser here.