Ever since the conference’s formation in 1971, off-season workouts with coaches have been a NESCAC no-no. But under that recognize the loss of games and competitions due to COVID-19, NESCAC spring sports coaches were allowed to work with their teams this fall.

For first-year 乐播传媒 Bobcats in traditional spring sports like baseball, lacrosse, and softball, being allowed to practice with their coaches and new teammates right away this fall has been a unique experience in a unique time 鈥� and a silver lining in an otherwise difficult transition to college.

Video by Aaron Morse/乐播传媒 College

“I lost my season last year, and it was hard to practice over the summer,” said men’s lacrosse player Lowell Hairston ’24 of Reisterstown, Md.

“Just being out on the field in any capacity has been honestly fantastic. Even with the modified drills with less people on the field and not being able to hit each other, it鈥檚 been so worth it.”

For head men’s lacrosse coach Peter Lasagna, being able to bound around Garcelon Field with his team “has been an exquisite joy. The reason why we know each other, the reason that we are connected, is because of our shared passion for lacrosse. For us to be able to actually experience that together in their first months of college has just been wonderful.”

They aren’t necessarily “normal” practices, with drills being modified to fit physical-distancing guidelines and, you know, everyone wearing masks. But to first-year students, none of that really matters.

Getting to know the coaches right away has been a crucial component of the fall practices for spring sports student-athletes. Hairston is already learning a lot about coach Lasagna.

“He鈥檚 honestly one of the most empathetic people,” Hairston said. “But he鈥檚 also just funny and knows when to get serious on the field too.”

Over at Leahey Field, pitcher Jack Potash ’24 of Seymour, Conn., was able to face live hitting for the first time in an entire year.

“I have been pitching pretty much since I have been playing baseball,” Potash said. “I did not get a chance to play this summer so it felt good; it鈥檚 always nice to go back on the mound.”

Learning from older peers is a big aspect of the 乐播传媒 experience as a whole. And it’s no different in the world of athletics. One thing the more experienced Bobcats have emphasized is that flexibility is the key to success.

“Being able to adapt to different situations is definitely a huge thing,” said women’s lacrosse player Madie Donovan ’24 of Cohasset, Mass. “I think our upperclassmen are awesome and have really helped with that transition, you know getting up to speed with lifting and practices and class, all at the same time.”

When it comes down to it, the strong 乐播传媒 community continues to shine through, even in difficult times.

“I just love it here,” Hairston said. “I have not had an experience like this. I have not been able to be in a community like this in…forever. So this is truly unique.”

During a recent baseball game at Nashua鈥檚 historic Holman Stadium, the pitcher got the hitter to whiff on a pitch. Then, to everyone’s surprise, the pitcher did some trash talking.

It was curious because the pitcher’s own team, the Nashua Silver Knights of the, was getting thrashed by the hitter鈥檚 team, the Bristol Blues, by an 11-3 score.

The reason for the outburst (and the humor behind it) soon became clear: Both pitcher and hitter were 乐播传媒 College baseball players and good friends.

And in this case, the 鈥減itcher,鈥� 鈥�20, is actually a catcher, the reigning NESCAC Co-Defensive Player of the Year. On the mound to save arms, Arend was having fun needling his fellow Bobcat, 鈥�21, for missing his 75 mph 鈥渇ast鈥� ball.

鈥淧eople were like, 鈥榃ho the hell is this kid?鈥欌�� Arend recalls, laughing about the memory.

Nolan Collins ’20 prepares to pitch to batterymate Jack Arend ’20 as their Nashua Silver Knights take on the Worcester Bravehearts before a big crowd at Worcester’s Hanover Insurance Park at Fitton Field on Aug. 2. (Photograph by Peggy Arend)

Throughout America, from Alaska to Cape Cod, dozens of summer wood-bat leagues offer college players a chance to hone their skills and have fun.

Some players want professional scouts to discover them. Others are trying to improve so they can play a bigger role for their teams come spring.

Last spring, Beal, Arend, and 鈥�20 led the 乐播传媒 baseball team to a 9-3 record in NESCAC East play, the program鈥檚 best mark within the division in school history. .听

And this summer, all three played in New England鈥檚 seven-team Futures Collegiate Baseball League. While less well-known than the famed Cape Cod League (), the Futures League, founded in 2011, is the real deal, having produced 37 MLB draft picks in 2019 alone.听

“A lot different than the NESCAC”

As Beal is interviewed before Bristol鈥檚 road game against the Brockton Rox, teammates passing by the first-base dugout at Campanelli Stadium keep interrupting him.

A pair of Bristol pitchers from NCAA Division I programs Hartford and Central Connecticut State walk by. 鈥淕o 乐播传媒!鈥� says one. 鈥淢ust be nice to have juice, baby!鈥�

It’s a reference to Beal’s of the summer, and his teammates enjoy razzing him about it.听

and current hits his first HR of the season.

Hey , not bad by Beal huh?

Created-PXP: @CsaundersTalent

— Christopher Saunders (@CS_Pxp)

鈥淚 was a little shocked that one snuck out,鈥� teases outfielder who plays for St. John’s University in the spring. 鈥淏ut I’m happy for him, it鈥檚 about time. We always yelled 鈥榥o juice鈥� at him when he gets caught at the track because he puts a lot of them out there.鈥�

鈥淎re you kidding me?鈥� Beal retorts. 鈥淚 hit the ball way farther than you.鈥�

Beal鈥檚 home run, appropriately enough, came against Arend鈥檚 Silver Knights. Beal flexed toward Arend watching from the dugout, and pointed to his bicep as he approached home plate.

鈥淚 was just letting him know what he was looking at,鈥� smiles Beal, who plays every outfield position for Bristol. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 just how Jack and I talk. He went up to our first baseman later and said, 鈥楳an, I won鈥檛 stop hearing about this all summer.鈥欌��

The four 乐播传媒 players on the Nashua Silver Knights and Bristol Blues chow down on a post-game meal following their July 21 game in Nashua. From left, Christian Beal 鈥�21 (Bristol), Nolan Collins ’20 (Nashua), Miles Michaud 鈥�20 (Bristol), and Jack Arend 鈥�20 (Nashua). (Photograph by Peggy Arend)

The trash-talking Beal is embracing this opportunity to play with and against Division I guys, facing pitchers who generally throw at least 90 mph with outstanding off-speed stuff.

鈥淵ou know R.J. Hall on Tufts, how good he is?鈥� Beal asks, referring to the 2019 NESCAC Pitcher of the Year. 鈥淵ou see that every night here.鈥�

Beal, who finished fourth in the NESCAC with a .370 batting average last spring, sees room to improve. This summer, Beal is trying to do more damage to off-speed pitches, as opposed to fouling them off. And he鈥檚 looking to hit the ball to all fields more consistently.

鈥淥bviously, I feel like I’m a good hitter, but everyone has weaknesses,鈥� Beal said. 鈥淵ou just want to work on them. This summer is a big opportunity for me to do that work. You’re playing five, six times a week. So it’s a lot of at-bats.鈥�

Each Futures League team plays a robust regular-season schedule: 56 games packed into 68 days from late May to early August. By comparison, 乐播传媒 played 36 games this spring over 82 days, from February to May.

With Jack Arend ’20 behind the plate for the Nashua Silver Knights, Christian Beal ’21 of the Bristol Blues takes a cut during a July 21 game. (Photograph by Peggy Arend)

When teams go on the road in the Futures League, they return that same night to their hometown. Bristol is one of two teams in the league not located in Massachusetts. So the Blues have some of the longest bus rides.

Ride two and a half hours to Brockton, or Nashua, or wherever. Play a game. Ride two and a half hours back. Rinse, repeat.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a lot different than the NESCAC,鈥� Beal laughs. 鈥淵ou鈥檙e fresh for NESCAC games. It’s a lot on your body, but it teaches you to take care of it and just process everything, slow things down for yourself.鈥�

A native of Illinois, Beal is one of a number of Futures League players who lived with a host family this summer. Host families are vital to the success of any collegiate summer league. They provide players a free place to stay for the duration of the season.

鈥淲e鈥檙e always on the road, and they鈥檙e working all day, so the most quality time we get together is on the weekends when we鈥檙e at home,鈥� Beal said. 鈥淚 enjoy getting breakfast with my host family on weekends and we chat about politics.鈥�

Politics can be an especially fraught subject these days but as Beal says: 鈥淚 go to 乐播传媒, man! Who doesn鈥檛 talk politics at 乐播传媒?鈥�

When he has the night off, Beal still does work in the batting cage. It鈥檚 a professional, yet laid-back, environment. Unlike the strictly regimented routines at colleges, the coaches in the Futures League expect the players to take care of business without a lot of supervision. And Beal impresses them.

Competitors on the field and friends off, Christian Beal ’21 (left) of the Bristol Blues and Jack Arend ’20 of the Nashua Silver Knights share a laugh after their July 27 game. (Photograph by Peggy Arend)

鈥淲e鈥檙e really happy to have [Beal] in Bristol,鈥� assistant coach Jordie Scheiner says. 鈥淗e’s been great with the bat. He plays a really good outfield. He’s just athletic. He shows up every day and works his tail off.鈥�

Scheiner is in his fifth year coaching for the Blues. He is a Division III product himself, having played at Colby-Sawyer College. The Blues and all Futures League teams are always on the lookout for Division III players who can contribute.

鈥淚t also helps guys from bigger schools realize that there’s other baseball outside their schools and there鈥檚 good caliber baseball all over the country,鈥� Scheiner said. 鈥淚t doesn’t matter if you鈥檙e Division II or Division I or NAIA or Division III 鈥� if you can play, you can play and people are going to notice you.鈥�

“It鈥檚 fun to make a kid鈥檚 day”

After an outstanding season on the mound for 乐播传媒, Nolan Collins started the summer in the New England Collegiate Baseball League with the Sanford Mainers. Assigned to the bullpen, Collins wanted to start. So he called Arend to see if the Silver Knights needed a starting pitcher.

They did, and the two reunited in Nashua after spending the previous summer playing together on the Rox. Arend, a New Hampshire native, decided to play with the Silver Knights this year in part because he can sleep in his own bed for the summer. And now Arend鈥檚 house is a place for the Californian Collins to stay.

鈥淚’m living in Jack’s basement right now,鈥� Collins said. 鈥淚’m hanging out down there with the dog and it’s awesome because I’m close with Jack and his family. So it’s nice that they cook breakfast for me everyday. It’s just good to see his family, they’re great. It’s been a seamless transition.鈥�

Arend catches about a third of the games, DH鈥檌ng and playing other positions when needed. He always starts behind the plate when Collins is on the mound.

鈥淲e鈥檝e had that connection over the last three years,鈥� Arend said. 鈥淲e鈥檝e gotten so used to each other, we鈥檙e always on the same page. I can tell when something is off with him and he can tell when something is off with me, and we let each other know. There鈥檚 no filter so that鈥檚 good.鈥�

Miles Michaud ’20 pitches for the Bristol Blues on July 21. (Photograph by Peggy Arend)

Like other teams in the league, the Silver Knights play in a stadium that has been home to professional baseball teams. Built in 1937, Holman Stadium hosted the first integrated U.S. professional baseball team in the modern era, when Roy Campanella and Don Newcombe played for the Nashua Dodgers, an affiliate of the Brooklyn Dodgers, in 1946.

There鈥檚 a passionate fan base, highlighted by colorful characters such as a man known simply as 鈥淢ad Dog鈥� who goes around barking at opposing players.

鈥淔ridays are fireworks night, and this place is packed,鈥� Arend said. 鈥淭he stadium holds more than 2,500 people and all the guys love playing in front of big crowds. These are die-hard fans.鈥�

Plus, the kids who come to the games don鈥檛 care that these players aren鈥檛 big leaguers — they still want autographs.

鈥淵ou remember, 鈥業 used to be that little kid going around asking for autographs and stuff,鈥欌�� Collins said. 鈥淪o, it鈥檚 fun to make a kid’s day, signing baseballs, signing hats, all that stuff.鈥�

The Futures League also features 18-year-olds heading off to college for the first time. Both Bobcats find themselves mentoring future Division I players.

鈥淕uys who are going to these big schools — and you know they are going to be good — come up to me between innings and ask, 鈥楬ey, what are you seeing with my swing?鈥欌�� Arend said.

鈥淎nd I鈥檓 like, 鈥榃ow, am I that old already?鈥� But it’s really cool to be able to talk to guys and be like, 鈥楬ey, maybe think this or do this, and try to just be an athlete and be competitive.鈥欌��

Standout 乐播传媒 catcher Jack Arend ’20 dons the so-called tools of ignorance for a July 21 game vs. the Bristol Blues. (Photograph by Peggy Arend)

In a game against the eventual league champion Worcester Bravehearts on Aug. 2, Collins found his stride, a seven-inning performance in which he allowed just one earned run, striking out three along the way.

With these Bobcats, the needle is always ready. And Arend is quick to point out that he, the catcher, has the lowest ERA on the team: 0.00 in 2.1 innings pitched.

Collins plays along.

鈥淚’m going to become his pitching coach,鈥� Collins says. 鈥淗e’s got a decent change-up, honestly. But he’s gotta get the velo up, get the lower half involved. But we’re working on it, we’ll get there.鈥�

With senior year fast approaching, Arend and Collins are thinking about what the 2020 baseball season will bring. They recently received an email from 2019 NESCAC Coach of the Year with the names of the incoming 乐播传媒 baseball first-years.听

鈥淚 remember that day when the seniors and captains texted me,鈥� Arend says, recalling what they told him about playing in the Future League. 鈥溾�榊ou guys will have the opportunity to do something like this, definitely take advantage of it, if you want to continue to develop and play baseball.鈥欌��

Arend adds: 鈥淵ou learn so much about yourself as a player and not everyone gets the chance to play summer ball, so embrace the opportunity.鈥�

The 乐播传媒 baseball team put together its best NESCAC East season in program history this year, finishing with a record of 9-3.

Last Saturday, we traveled to Brunswick to cover the Bobcats’ twin bill vs. Bowdoin. Needing one win to clinch a spot in the , 乐播传媒 won both.

“You know everybody was locked in from the moment we woke up,” said sophomore Christian Beal of Flossmoor, Ill. “When this team needs a win, we find a way to win, and that鈥檚 special.”

Needing one win vs. Bowdoin last weekend to clinch a spot in the NESCAC tourney, 乐播传媒 got two, and had some fun along the way:

Justin White ’19 of听Whitesboro, N.Y., is a special story in his own right. When White was a first-year, he got cut from the team. He made the squad as a sophomore but didn’t record his first collegiate hit until mid-April last season.

Now, he’s one of the key reasons 乐播传媒’ offense is much-improved this season, ranking eighth in the NESCAC with a .536 slugging percentage in conference games.

“He鈥檚 an example for guys, anybody out there that鈥檚 really struggling with playing time and not getting in and not getting the results that you want, to stick with it and push through and work hard and it will eventually pan out,” said head coach Jon Martin.

White’s “crazy journey” to the starting lineup is just one of many story lines to watch this weekend at the NESCAC tournament in Waterville, Maine.

Cut from the team as a first-year, Justin White ’19 has come on strong:

By the summer of 1956, the era of three Major League baseball teams in New York City was drawing to a close, which gives a wow factor to a collection of three signed baseballs once belonging to statesman Edmund Muskie ’36 and now held by the Muskie Archives and Special Collections Library.

Signed by players on the Giants, Yankees, and Dodgers, the balls were a gift from New York Gov. Averell Harriman to his fellow governors, including then-Maine Gov. Muskie, attending the annual governors conference in Atlantic City, N.J., in June 1956. The baseballs are now among the in the 乐播传媒 archives.

Here鈥檚 the Dodger baseball, featuring Hall of Famer 鈥檚 signature at top followed by those of , relief pitcher; , relief pitcher; , first base; , second base; , catcher; and , left fielder.

A gift to then-Maine Gov. Edmund Muskie ’36 when he attended the 1956 Governors Conference, this baseball, one of three, is signed by members of the Brooklyn Dodgers, including Hall of Famer Jackie Robinson at top. (Josh Kuckens/乐播传媒 College)

Harriman’s gift-giving was in the context of Harriman’s slow start in his bid for that year’s Democratic presidential nomination. “There are a lot of ball games being won in the ninth inning this year,” he told his fellow governors. (Harriman, however, would receive only 15 percent of the vote at the 1956 Democratic convention, losing to Adlai Stevenson.)

A year later, the Dodgers and Giants would both announce their moves to Los Angeles and San Francisco, respectively.

During the Governors Conference, Muskie played a bit of hardball. A roundtable on education saw the governors address exploding enrollments (due to the baby boom) plus teacher and classroom shortages.

Muskie suggested that in Maine, even with its “hard core of Yankee independence,” people were beginning to see “education as being a national problem.”

This baseball, once belonging to statesman Edmund Muskie ’36, is signed by the 1956 New York Yankees, including Yogi Berra (top) and Mickey Mantle. (Jay Burns/乐播传媒 College)

That brought rebukes from Southern governors, including Gov. Allan Shivers of Texas, who said that the states could handle education “more ably and at less cost.”

“Maine people have got enough guts.”

With his famed temper flaring a bit, Muskie countered that “I am not down here on behalf of the state of Maine to ask the state of Texas for anything. However, for anyone to seriously suggest that Maine is as well-able to meet these problems as a state like…Texas is to ignore the economic facts of life.”

Muskie assured the governors that “Maine people have got enough guts so that they will work to overcome the discrepancies and compete with people in other areas of the country” when it comes to educating the state’s children.

Still, he said, “we are talking here today about a national policy in the field of education. [I]f you want to realize the maximum value of Maine’s human resources, and the human resources of every other state, then you’ve got to think of the problem not in terms of your state’s ability to meet your problems, but the country’s ability to meet the problems of every one of the 48 states.”

Bob Flynn acknowledges the cheers in Alumni Gym in October 2015 during a Back to 乐播传媒 event celebrating the naming of donor-funded, renovated alpine and Nordic ski rooms in his honor. (Josh Kuckens/乐播传媒 College)

Robert C. 鈥淏ob鈥� Flynn, a three-sport head coach at 乐播传媒 who elevated the skiing program to national prominence and whose warmth and loyalty to his athletes embodied 鈥渢he force, the spirit, and the iconic Bobcat zen鈥� of 乐播传媒 athletics, died July 31, 2016, at age 83.

Appointed as an assistant coach of football in 1965, Flynn served as head coach of skiing from 1968 to 1990 and as head coach of baseball from 1991 to 1999. He was also head coach of golf for 19 seasons, retiring after the fall 2015 season.

鈥淎s a coach, Bob Flynn had an exceptional wealth of knowledge about skiing, baseball, and golf,鈥� said Director of Athletics Kevin McHugh. 鈥淎nd all that knowledge was wrapped into the kindest human being you can imagine 鈥� someone who used his life to help countless students in three different sports.鈥�

In her announcement to the college campus, President Clayton Spencer described Flynn as a fierce competitor who 鈥渁lso coached his athletes with great loyalty and unabashed kindness, and displayed unfaltering goodwill to colleagues, competitors, and members of the Maine and national sports communities.鈥�

Bob Flynn’s vast sports knowledge was “wrapped into the kindest human being you can imagine 鈥� someone who used his life to help countless students in three different sports,鈥� said Director of Athletics Kevin McHugh. From 2013, Flynn joins the 乐播传媒 Nordic skiers in celebrating the Chummy Broomhall Cup as the top Nordic team in Maine. (Photograph by Steve Fuller ’82)

A member of the Auburn-Lewiston Sports Hall of Fame, the Maine Baseball Hall of Fame, and the Maine Ski Hall of Fame, Flynn is credited with elevating the college鈥檚 skiing program to the national prominence it continues to enjoy today under his successors, including his daughter, current Nordic head coach Rebecca Flynn Woods 鈥�89.

In 1968, Flynn took over a resurrected varsity ski program that had been dormant since enjoying success in the mid-1900s. Flynn not only moved 乐播传媒 into the Division I ranks by 1972 鈥� aggressively recruiting the best Maine skiers along the way 鈥� but then audaciously worked toward hosting the NCAA National Collegiate Skiing Championships.

In 1976, he succeeded in that goal, and the meet came to Maine with 乐播传媒 as host. Dave Irons, a ski industry reporter since the 1960s, recalls telling his editor that the NCAA meet was coming to Maine. 鈥淗e asked, 鈥業s that big?鈥� And I told him, 鈥淲ell, when鈥檚 the last time they played the Rose Bowl in Maine?鈥�

In resurrecting the dormant 乐播传媒 ski program, Bob Flynn (right) audaciously worked toward hosting the NCAA National Collegiate Skiing Championships. (Muskie Archives and Special Collections Library)

Irons, a director of the Maine Ski Museum who chairs its Hall of Fame Committee, has watched Flynn work his magic through the years.

鈥淗e was always persistent,鈥� Irons says. 鈥淭here aren鈥檛 many college ski coaches who would even think about hosting the NCAAs.鈥�

A native of Lewiston, Flynn was an outstanding athlete in football, hockey, skiing, and baseball at Lewiston High School.

Signed by the Pittsburgh Pirates, he from 1952 to 1957, missing the 1953 and 1954 seasons to serve in the U.S. Army in Korea. He earned a bachelor鈥檚 degree from the University of Maine in 1960 and taught public school in Lewiston and Auburn before joining the 乐播传媒 coaching staff.

A longtime assistant football coach, Bob Flynn watches the Bobcat linemen go through warmups in 1981. Though a determined taskmaster, wrote a 乐播传媒 Student sports editor in 1965, “Coach Flynn was never unjust or impersonal to his players.” (Steve Fuller ’82 photograph)

He made an immediate impression, so much so that 乐播传媒 Student sports editor Jon Wilska 鈥�67 devoted his end-of-season column to the rookie line coach.

鈥淐oach Flynn is a hard taskmaster,鈥� Wilska wrote, but 鈥渇or all his determination in making his linemen work and his impartial criticism, which was always offered constructively, Coach Flynn was never unjust or impersonal to his players and he gained the highest respect of those who worked for him.鈥�

Across all his sports, 鈥渋t just didn鈥檛 matter to him who you were,鈥� says Irons. 鈥淗e was nice 鈥� period. He would not say anything bad about anyone. And if you asked him to do something for you 鈥� he chaired our hall of fame selection committee 鈥� he would do it, with knowledge and dedication.鈥�

Then an assistant coach, Flynn congratulates pitcher Bob Sprague ’82 after an upset victory over Amherst in the 1982 ECAC tournament. (Muskie Archives and Special Collections Library)

A former president of the Eastern Intercollegiate Ski Association and chair of the NCAA Skiing Rules Committee, Flynn received the EISA Service Award for his 鈥渟ignificant contribution and continuing support of skiing in the United States.鈥�

A 乐播传媒 faculty member in the Department of Physical Education, Flynn was professor emeritus of physical education.

At his induction into the 乐播传媒 Scholar-Athlete Society in 2015, Flynn was honored for his many years of 鈥渆ncouraging 乐播传媒 athletes to participate in all 乐播传媒 had to offer. Most of all, he has assisted 乐播传媒 students in challenging themselves.鈥�

In October 2015, the college named its newly renovated alpine and Nordic ski rooms in Alumni Gym in Flynn鈥檚 honor. At the dedication event, McHugh said that Flynn was 鈥渢he force, the spirit, and the iconic Bobcat zen鈥� of 乐播传媒 sports.

Whatever the sport, “it just didn鈥檛 matter to him who you were. He was nice 鈥� period,” says Dave Irons. (Phyllis Graber Jensen/乐播传媒 College)

Irons attended the event and spoke with many in the huge crowd. 鈥淭hey all agreed that one of the great experiences of their lives was having Bob Flynn as a coach,鈥� Irons says. 鈥淚鈥檝e heard that not just last fall, but for years and years. Every kid who skied for him knew that he would go all the way for them.鈥�

One of those skiers was Steve Fuller 鈥�82, now a 乐播传媒 trustee. Speaking at the October dedication, he said that 鈥淏ob鈥檚 impact came in the form of access.鈥�

Fuller recalled meeting Flynn at a regional ski meet in Andover, Maine. 鈥淗e introduced himself, asked if I was going to college, and mentioned 乐播传媒.鈥� To which Fuller replied that college might be a longshot: 鈥淣o one else in my family had been to college, and I honestly wasn鈥檛 sure if I could make it work.鈥�

To which Flynn said, 鈥淒on鈥檛 worry, we鈥檒l figure it out.鈥� For Fuller and so many others, 鈥渨e鈥檒l figure it out鈥� meant the opportunity to receive Flynn鈥檚 鈥渦nwavering confidence in us as athletes and as human beings.鈥�

And that applied for every athlete in every sport.

Steve Fuller ’82, who took this photo of Bob Flynn, said that Flynn had “unwavering confidence in us as athletes and as human beings.鈥�

On the eve of their famous upset of Amherst College in the 1982 ECAC baseball tournament, Bob Sprague 鈥�82 was sitting in on a pre-game lunch between the Amherst coaches and the 乐播传媒 coaches, Chick Leahey 鈥�52 and his assistant, Flynn, who worked with the Bobcat pitchers.

鈥淭he Amherst pitching coach was telling Coach Flynn about his rotation for the rest of the ECACs 鈥� basically saying we weren’t a challenge,鈥� Sprague recalls. 鈥淭hen Flynnie stands up, says, 鈥榊ou have to get by us first!鈥� then stalks off.鈥�

Sprague and the Bobcats answered Flynn鈥檚 challenge, beating Amherst in 10 innings, with Sprague going the distance.

John Morrissey 鈥�94, a former Bobcat baseball captain who is now director of alumni relations and head baseball coach at Middlesex School in Concord, Mass., says that while Flynn knew the game inside and out, 鈥渉is big thing was loyalty to his players.鈥�

That loyalty was often exhibited with an ebullience that his players cherished.

In a game vs. Hartwick College his junior year, Morrissey hit the first home run of his organized baseball experience, a dream-come-true shot that won the game in the ninth.

鈥淚 rounded third, where Flynnie was coaching, and he was more excited for me than I was. I鈥檒l always hear what he kept saying: 鈥業sn鈥檛 this exciting!鈥欌��

His survivors include his wife, Benita Flynn; daughters Elizabeth Flynn P鈥�14, P鈥�17, Susan Flynn Dorris 鈥�85, and Rebecca Flynn Woods 鈥�89, P鈥�20; grandchildren Zachary Abbott 鈥�14, Abigail Abbott 鈥�17, Jenney Abbott 鈥�17, Heidi Scheehan, Tyler Dorris, Emma Woods, and Kaelyn Woods 鈥�20; and nieces and nephews, including Brian Flynn Jr. 鈥�82. He was predeceased by brothers Brian Flynn 鈥�57 and Larry Flynn.

Physicist Alan Nathan. (Nathan Stauffer)

Alan M. Nathan, a professor emeritus of physics at the University of Illinois and a nationally recognized expert on the physics of baseball, speaks at 乐播传媒 at 4:10 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 9, in Room 204 of Carnegie Science Hall, 44 Campus Ave.

Titled The Physics of Baseball: You Can Observe a Lot by Watching (a phrase borrowed from Yogi Berra), Nathan’s talk is presented by the physics and astronomy department at 乐播传媒. Refreshments will be served in the Carnegie lobby at 3:45 pm. For more information, please call 207-786-6490.

A native of Rumford, Maine, Nathan will use high-speed video clips to highlight some of the interesting physics underlying the game of baseball. He will discuss the baseball-bat collision, the intricacies of a baseball’s flight and such practical questions as: What is the “sweet spot” of a bat? How does the batter’s grip affect the batted ball? Why does aluminum outperform wood? What determines how far a fly ball travels? How much does a curve ball break? What’s the deal with the knuckleball?

Nathan has consulted with major league teams including the Red Sox and served on the NCAA’s research panel during its exploration of the qualities of wood vs. aluminum bats. He has worked as consultant in baseball injury cases and was an adviser to the inventor of Sportvision’s widely used PITCHf/x pitch-tracking system during its development.

A nuclear physicist, Nathan joined the physics department at Illinois as an assistant professor in 1977 and retired in 2008.

The Helen A. Papaioanou Award for Extraordinary Service to 乐播传媒 recognizes service to our college that is truly distinguished in both quantity and quality.

Professor Emeritus of Physical Education William J. “Chick” Leahey Jr. ’52 received the award at the Annual Gathering of the Alumni Association on June 7, 2014. It was presented by President Clayton Spencer and听Jennifer Lemkin Bouchard ’99, president of the Alumni Association.

Leahey was joined by fellow award recipients Esther Rosenthal Mechler ’64 (Alumni Community Service Award), Christian Rogers 鈥�04 and Katherine Papadonis Rogers 鈥�04 (Distinguished Young Alumni Award), and, receiving 乐播传媒’ Best awards, Elizabeth Metz McNab 鈥�64 and Victoria Wyeth 鈥�01.

Citation for William “Chick” Leahey

As the 乐播传媒 College baseball coach from 1955 to 1990, Chick Leahey taught hundreds of Bobcat ballplayers how to play at the collegiate level 鈥� how to field ground balls, throw strikes and hit line drives.

But there was so much more to his service to our college.

William J. Leahey Jr. ’52 poses with his wife, Ruth, at the Annual Gathering of the Alumni Association on June 7, 2014, where he received the Helen A. Papaioanou Award for Distinguished Service. (H. Lincoln Benedict ’09)

A member of this country鈥檚 Greatest Generation, Chick Leahey grew up in Lewiston during the Great Depression. One of the city鈥檚 best schoolboy athletes, he joined the Marines after graduating from Lewiston High School and served in the Pacific during World War II.

Like many of his generation, Chick鈥檚 wartime experience has stayed in the past. But we can guess that the experience of being an 18-year-old Marine, serving alongside boys no older than the students he would later coach at 乐播传媒, touched him deeply.

After the war, Chick took a swing at the big time in the New York Yankees鈥� farm system, but ahead of him in the Yankees鈥� pipeline were the likes of Jerry Coleman and Billy Martin. The GI Bill meant opportunity, so Chick decided to enter 乐播传媒 in 1948, then returned in 1955 to coach baseball and build an extraordinary record of service to 乐播传媒 and 乐播传媒 students.

In 36 seasons, Chick鈥檚 baseball teams won 300 games. Five times advancing to postseason play, 乐播传媒 won the regional ECAC championship in 1976, about as far as a NESCAC team could go in those days.

鈥淭he lesson he taught us was about empowering your lieutenants.鈥�

Today, the name Leahey still means great baseball 鈥� literally, because the 乐播传媒 baseball diamond is named for Chick. Less a field of dreams, it is a real reminder that Chick has passed along the gifts of integrity and character to generations of 乐播传媒 athletes.

As a coach and mentor, Chick treated his players with great respect while having great expectations for their leadership. Chick was the head coach, to be sure, but year after year he would give his seniors an ownership stake in the team, from helping with practice routines to even advising on final team cuts. As one Bobcat said just the other day, 鈥淭he lesson he taught us was about empowering your lieutenants.鈥�

There is a multiplier effect of goodness that comes from playing college sports. Chick was fair and firm with his players, teaching them to compete fiercely yet honestly. He showed them that hard work, commitment and dedication were the ultimate transferable skills.

As one Bobcat-turned-youth-coach said, 鈥淚’ve tried to model everything he taught me.鈥�

As his players graduated and raised families, they multiplied those values by volunteering to coach youth teams in their own communities. There are good youth coaches and there are bad ones. On this happy day, we can easily imagine that the ballplayers who played for Chick are some of the best because they took their cue from their old coach. As one Bobcat-turned-youth-coach said, 鈥淚’ve tried to model everything he taught me.鈥�

That includes even the Maine slang used by Chick and his longtime assistant coach Bob Flynn. So if you ever attend a youth baseball game outside New England but hear the kids talk about 鈥渨icked鈥� fastballs and 鈥渨icked鈥� home runs, you might ask the coach if he played for Chick.

There鈥檚 another former Bobcat, a pitcher, who does world-class research at Harvard Medical School, where he seeks to understand how genes affect complex motivated behaviors.

When this researcher faces a vexing problem, he is urged on by a memory. His mind goes back to when he was on the mound, the team was in a jam and Chick would shout encouragement from the dugout.

The encouragement always came in three words: 鈥淔ind a way!鈥� he would yell. 鈥淔ind a way!鈥�

Chick, you have shown the way for countless 乐播传媒 men across three generations. Your devotion to coaching has inspired pride and loyalty in all who have played for you, and you represent 乐播传媒鈥� values in every aspect of your life. You set a standard of excellence that lives on in every aspect of 乐播传媒 College, and it is my distinct pleasure to recognize you with the Helen A. Papaioanou Award.

Here’s an infographic look at what 乐播传媒 did to advance to the NESCAC Championship tournament for the first time since the tournament began in 2001.

What’s it take to make it to a NESCAC Championship tournament?

For 乐播传媒 baseball, the tale of the team’s first-ever appearance in the NESCAC tournament is told in this infographic.

乐播传媒 (19鈥�19 overall, 7鈥�5 in the conference) plays its first-round game today at 3 p.m. vs. Wesleyan University on the campus of Babson College in Babson Park, Mass.

The Bobcats play their second game in the Saturday at 10:30 a.m.

If 乐播传媒 wins today, the Bobcats play the winner of Tufts鈥揂mherst at Tufts鈥� Huskins Field.

If the Bobcats fall, they play the loser of Tufts鈥揂mherst at Bentley University鈥檚 DeFelice Field.

NESCAC will provide for all games. Games played at Tufts’ Huskins Field will be livestreamed at .

And, 乐播传媒 Sports Information will offer updates during today’s game:

The Bobcats return to tournament play this year under head coach Mike Leonard, whose teams have posted winning records in each of his four seasons.

A power in the old ECAC in the 1970s and 1980s under Chick Leahey ’52, 乐播传媒 won the ECAC East title in 1976 and advanced to the tournament three other times.

In 1962, 乐播传媒 qualified for the NCAA College Division tournament, advancing to the East Regional.

The NESCAC tournament, hosted by Tufts University as the top seed from the NESCAC East Division, runs through Sunday.

The 2014 乐播传媒 baseball team. (Sarah Crosby/乐播传媒 College)

乐播传媒 College catcher Gordy Webb ’11 earned New England Small College Athletic Conference Baseball Player of the Week honors in early April, batting .611 (11-for-18) with a .632 on-base percentage and a 1.111 slugging mark while not committing an error behind the plate during the Bobcats鈥� 3-2 week.