LYNN — Growing up on the North Shore, Danvers native Andrew Olszak made a habit out of attending Spirit baseball games in Lynn. Fast forward to 2018 and Olszak’s carving a role for himself on a North Shore Navigators roster bolstered with talent and hungry to compete in the Futures Collegiate Baseball League.
“It’s pretty cool. I used to go to their games when they were the North Shore Spirit,” Olszak said. “I used to watch them play when I was younger. Now I’m on the team and that’s a cool feeling now that I’m older.”
The season didn’t start the way Olszak and the Navigators hoped it would, as North Shore stumbled out of the gate to a 2-8 start through their first 10 games. Since then, the Navs have won six of their last 14 contests and stand at 8-16 on the season.
Olszak and the Navigators still have room for improvement and ground to pick up in the FCBL standings, as they’re currently in last place, but things are on the upswing at Fraser Field.
“I think we’re just trying to put it behind us and move forward,” Olszak said. “We’re trying to shake up some things pregame, move things around a little bit and try to start a winning streak.
Olszak added, “I feel like we’re playing more together. We’re trying to pick each other up when things are going bad. I think that’s leading to a few more wins.”
At Danvers High, Olszak was a four-year varsity player for longtime Falcons coach Roger Day. His playing experiences at Danvers taught Olszak baseball lessons he carries with him now as a junior shortstop at University of Southern Maine.
“Coach Day taught me how to be tough,” Olszak, a sports management major at Southern Maine, said. “Especially playing at Twi Field, Twi’s hard as a rock. I think going to practice every day, taking ground balls on that and just playing for Coach Day, it teaches you a lot about the moral parts of baseball. The moral stuff he teaches carries over more than anything. How to be mentally tough, how to keep grinding through at-bats in games.”
North Shore faced the challenge of bringing together a large group of unfamiliar faces under a first-year coaching staff in manager Todd Alford and Jesse Amaya. As the season has progressed, the Navigators have found comfort on the diamond as they merge into a unit.
“At first it was a bit tough,” Olszak said. “Now it’s not too hard. We’re getting used to working together. The long bus rides together help us bond as a team.
“I think we just have to keep playing hard,” Olszak added. “If we keep playing hard, keep picking things up, we’ll see what we can do.”
At Division III Southern Maine, Olszak batted .307 with 11 doubles, one home run, 37 RBI, 34 runs scored and three stolen bases. He tallied a .374 on-base percentage and a .408 slugging percentage in 45 games during his sophomore season this past spring.
With the Navigators, Olszak has posted a .205 batting average with 15 hits and seven RBI through 20 games. His biggest adjustment through his first stint in the FCBL, Olszak noted, is facing a higher caliber of pitchers.
“I think for me it’s hitting in general,” Olszak said. “Playing in Division III and then coming here, there’s a difference in the pitching I’m facing. It’s a lot different and a lot harder. I’m trying to succeed as best I can with the pitching in this league.”
Olszak hopes to get as many at-bats as he can under his belt and carry his strides at the plate to Southern Maine.
“I’m just trying to get as many at-bats as I can and play as well as I can defensively,” Olszak said. “I’ll try to bring that back to school next year.”
The Navigators, 5-5 in their last 10 contests, are off Friday night. They return to the diamond Saturday night (6) when they travel to Pittsfield for a clash against the Suns. North Shore hosts two home games at Fraser Field next week, Sunday (5) and Tuesday (1), both against the Brockton Rox.
