The last few months have been quite eventful in the Doney household. St. Mary’s Kyle Doney recently committed to studying and playing baseball at the University of Massachusetts Lowell. The decision came three months after his brother, Josh, committed to the same school.
Kyle announced the news on X, formerly known as Twitter.
“It feels great,” he said. “I’m going to play college baseball with my brother and hope to dominate up there. The feeling was one of a kind and it’s definitely one of the best feelings I have ever experienced.”
Through an impressive sophomore season, Kyle helped lead St. Mary’s to the state championship game this past spring as a game-changing catcher.
But the work didn’t stop there.
“At the start of August, coaches can start reaching out to athletes. I sent out a couple of emails to colleges like Boston College and they got back to me and saw me play in a game. I ended up hitting a home run. I started to think I can play at the next level because that’s when I started to get coaches talking to me,” Kyle said. “I went on a visit to UMass Amherst and that’s when it clicked that I could be playing Division 1 baseball.”
Kyle actually reached out to UMass Lowell. And when he got the opportunity to showcase his talent, he didn’t miss.
“I reached out to them and they invited me to a camp. I played really well there and they loved my performance, so they had me come back there for a visit,” he said. “I loved the campus, the facilities, and the coaches. They’re all great guys. They gave me an offer and I took it.”
As a high school junior, he won’t be walking onto campus until the fall of 2026, but the feeling he got from campus – and the coaches – was one of a kind.
“The coaches showed me a lot of love. I see many opportunities at this place between school and baseball. Second, I get to play baseball with my brother for the next few years,” Kyle said. “That’s a one-of-a-kind experience that is not seen often. We’re both going to play Division 1 baseball, which is crazy.”
The two share a strong connection. Not only are they brothers, but Josh is a pitcher and Kyle has been his catcher for as long as they can remember. Now, that battery will continue to charge with the River Hawks.
“It all started when he committed,” Kyle said. “When he made his commitment, I was like, ‘Wow. I really want to do this, too.’ Ever since then, Josh has been pushing me to strive for more and to play at the next level.”
It won’t be the first time Kyle will be playing at Edward A. LeLacheur Park. The Spartans defeated Tantasqua Regional in the Final 4 this past June.
“It was amazing. I got to play in front of a lot of people on a huge field. That was the first-ever big stadium I ever played at,” Kyle said. “It was a really cool experience and the fact I get to play there for the next four years is just special.”
Kyle said that, once he took the River Hawks’ offer, his family couldn’t have been happier.
“My family has given me this great opportunity and has set me up for nothing but success. They helped me out during this entire process,” Kyle said. “It’s a dream come true to be able to play baseball in college with my brother.”
Now that his next home is decided, Kyle is looking forward to the spring. St. Mary’s is aiming for a state championship, if you ask its catcher.
“We’re going for it all this year,” Kyle said. “We have a lot of guys who are committed to playing baseball in college. We’re going to be a good team this year and we’re looking forward to the journey.”
