Following Northeastern’s elimination from the CAA baseball tournament last season, head coach Mike Glavine knew the team had some serious work to do going into this year.
The team is undergoing notable shifts this fall with 16 newcomers, including three Division III transfers. Fall practices have had both new and returning Huskies working harder than ever leading up to the season’s start in February, and one of the most important aspects of this process has been ensuring the smooth transition of the 16 new players on the roster, according to Glavine.
“It starts with the coaches, asking yourself what you can do differently, what you can do better,” Glavine said. “We had a couple meetings with our incoming class. … We really encouraged them to come watch us play last year and see what the intensity is like. So, we started integrating them into our team even last spring.”
Two freshmen, outfielder Carter Bentley and pitcher Cam Keaveney, emphasized the huge growth needed to transition into DI baseball.
“It’s obviously a big jump. The intensity is way higher, the competition level is way higher,” Bentley said.
However, the abundance of freshmen players joining the team has made the transition easier for everyone involved. Keaveney detailed the positive aspects of joining the team with so many newcomers by his side. “We’re all learning from each other. It makes us all better as a group,” he said.
Ensuring a smooth transition for the incoming freshmen was extremely important for Glavine. “For the freshmen, this semester is typically the hardest semester of their life. They’re away from home with new coaches, new teammates,” he said.
Many of the new players already knew each other going into this fall, perhaps a result of Northeastern’s penchant for primarily recruiting players from the New England area. “I played a bunch of these kids in the Futures League and summer ball,” Bentley said. “A lot of us were already pretty close. We’re all close, we’re all friends.”
One player coming in with more experience under his belt is pitcher Max Gitlin, a DIII transfer from Clark University. While Gitlin may already have four years of experience with collegiate baseball, the transfer to Northeastern is an adjustment nonetheless. “It’s definitely a close-knit group. If you’re a part of the team, they bring you in really quickly. It’s made my transition much easier,” Gitlin said.
Many of the new additions, including Gitlin, are pitchers, which will likely add much-needed strength on the mound for the Huskies.
The most important quality of the newest additions to the Huskies can be summed up into one word: grit. While every player has their individual strengths and weaknesses, the one quality shared amongst them all is the unique toughness that is found in the world of New England baseball. Bentley highlighted the efforts of the recruiting staff to ensure they choose the best players to add to the team’s roster.
“They do a really good job recruiting guys that work hard, who are gritty and hard-nosed, and have all these core values that our team has,” he said. “Our motto is ‘Northeast Made,’ and the coaches do a really good job enforcing that.”
Returning junior catcher Matt Brinker amplified the importance of the Northeast Made concept as the team heads into this season. “That idea is what makes our program as tough as we are. Every guy they bring in here is tough. If it’s not there, it gets exposed early,” Brinker said.
Glavine reiterated the importance of exposing each player’s toughness during the fall.
“It’s either brought out of them or they have to go somewhere else. And I’m okay saying that, because I think we have a certain culture and standard here that needs to be met when we are a Northern team playing in a predominantly Southern conference,” Glavine said.
These expectations come as no surprise to the newcomers, though, as Northeastern’s coaching staff ensures they are made aware of the expectations and values of the team.
“There is a grittiness to our program, and the first thing we do is talk about that openly. From day one, our opening team meeting focuses a lot on our culture, who we are and what we want to be. And they all know that before they get here,” Glavine said.
While grit may be a core value for Northeastern baseball, another important quality in order to ensure a strong season is the brotherhood and bond amongst the players. Ensuring that the newcomers gel with one another as well as with the returning players is integral to a successful season.
“Those things aren’t on the stat sheet, those are the ones that I probably take the most pride in as a coach. The heart, the dedication, the hard work, the willingness to do more, the willingness to overcome obstacles,” Glavine said.
When it comes to the camaraderie amongst this year’s team, Brinker expressed his positive outlook and hopes for this season.
“I’m out there watching everybody, and it looks really good. I couldn’t be more excited for what the team’s gonna look like come February,” he said.
As the newest Huskies prepare for this season, one thing is for certain: the foundation of grit and brotherhood will drive them forward as a team and fuel their competitiveness this spring. Last season may have had its setbacks, but the Huskies seem confident and hopeful as they enter this new chapter.
