LYNN — The North Shore Navigators have added three more players to their roster for the Futures Collegiate Baseball League’s 2020 season, signing a familiar middle infielder as well as a pair of rising freshman pitchers.
UMass Lowell infielder Keagan Calero is slated to return to Fraser Field for the second straight summer and play behind the likes of North Shore’s two newest pitchers in Tom Chmielewski and Swampscott native Nick Reiser, who are bound to begin their college careers in the fall at Princeton and Franklin Pierce, respectively. President and General Manager Derek January introduced the team’s latest acquisitions on Thursday.
Reiser will join former Swampscott Big Blue batterymate Dylan January on the Navs roster this summer before the two reunite at Franklin Pierce for their college careers. The 5-foot-10, 190-pound righty from Nahant fanned 31 batters over 34.1 innings en route to being selected as a Salem News Honorable Mention All-Star last season. He also served as a captain for Swampscott’s Super Bowl-winning football team in the fall, starting as a linebacker.
Scouting Report: Three-pitch bulldog on the mound … big curveball … excellent control of all pitches … excellent athlete … MLB comp: Richie Lewis.
A rising sophomore from Rochester, N.H., Calero returns to North Shore following a shortened first season with the River Hawks. He was a .232 hitter with six RBI, a team-leading 13 runs scored and five stolen bases for UMass Lowell, where he teamed up with Beverly native and fellow Nav Jon Gilbride to form the starting middle infield. The 6-foot, 185-pounder played in 36 games last summer, hitting .265 with 21 RBI, 12 extra-base hits and 10 stolen bases. Calero was a three-time captain and New Hampshire All-State infielder at Spaulding High School.
Scouting Report: Very good hitter and baserunner … good glove and arm … outstanding baseball acumen … MLB comp: David Eckstein.
Chmielewski spent a postgraduate year at Phillips Exeter after finishing his standout career at Needham High School as a two-time Bay State Conference All-Star. The 6-foot-1, 190-pound left-hander helped the Rockets win a Massachusetts Division 1 state championship and earned Boston Globe All-Scholastic honors in 2018, going 7-2 with a 1.40 ERA. He then posted a 5-3 record, 1.70 ERA and 71 strikeouts over 60 innings as a senior. Chmielewski also played four years of hockey at Needham and continued his career in that sport at the prep level this winter.
Scouting Report: Big lefty with above-average control … mid-80s fastball … will throw harder as he develops … MLB comp: Frank Viola.
The Navs are now preparing for the 13th season of collegiate ball at Fraser Field and their ninth in the Futures League, which will begin on a date to be determined this summer. Stay up to date on the latest Navs news by visiting nsnavs.com and following us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
