LYNN — As summer approaches, so does baseball in Lynn with the North Shore Navigators preparing for a new season. With home games at Fraser Field, the team plays in the New England Collegiate Baseball League — a summer league for college players looking to improve their games.
The Navs will be led by first-year manager Jack Hawke, who served as an assistant coach with the team last summer.
Hawke has been around baseball throughout his life and said he realized, during college, that he wanted to coach while pursuing a teaching degree.
“I just caught the bug,” Hawke said. “I really loved doing it.”
Since then, he has coached with several college programs, including MIT, Harvard, and the College of the Holy Cross.
Hawke returns to the Navigators with a strong focus on development.
“The expectation is that you play the game the right way — all the time — and bring it every single day,” he said.
Because the NECBL is a summer league, players come from different colleges with a variety of experiences and skills, which can make things challenging. Hawke emphasized effort and consistency.
“There’s one way to play,” he said. “You don’t lower your effort just because it’s summer ball.”
One of his biggest goals is helping players improve before heading back to college.
“We are renting these players,” Hawke said. “We want to send them back better than when they showed up.”
At the same time, winning is still a priority, and Hawke believes the two go together.
“Learning how to win, as a team, is a skill,” he said. “You can’t really have one without the other.”
Players also benefit from the experience by getting more game reps and learning how to stay focused in tough conditions.
“More at-bats and game experience really help,” Hawke said. “You learn how to stay focused, even when you’re tired.”
Josh Doney, a St. Mary’s alumnus who plays at UMass Lowell, said the opportunity to play close to home made joining the Navs an easy decision.
“The Navigators’ home field being in Lynn was unreal,” said Doney, a former Daily Item Player of the Year. “Getting to play baseball in the city I grew up in, in front of my family again, definitely brought me toward the Navigators.”
Doney added he’s looking forward to the level of competition.
“I’m most excited about being around high-level competition at all times,” he said.
Off the field, the Navigators play an important role in the community as the only NECBL team in the Greater Boston area.
“Lynn is a really vibrant and diverse community that supports the team,” Hawke said.
Lily Lambo, a local fan, said attending Navigators games is about more than just the game.
“I really love the atmosphere at the games,” Lambo said. “Everyone is excited to be there and it feels like a great community event for families and fans.”
With a new manager and a fresh group of players, the Navigators look to start the season in style. Fans who come to games can expect an exciting style of play, according to Hawke.
“There’s going to be a lot of action,” he said. “A lot of energy and competitiveness.”
The Navs host the Keene Swamp Bats Friday, June 5 with first pitch slated for 6:05 p.m.
Sarah Morrissey is a student at Endicott College studying journalism. This story was published in partnership with the Massachusetts News Service.
