by Asher Hirt ’25
May 2025
“Competitive. Fun. Young.”
That’s how Alexander Peck ‘25 puts it—and he’s not wrong. Out of the 14 player roster of USN’s high school, there were four freshmen and six sophomores. Even eighth grader Oliver Stahl ‘29 was playing up to help out the team.
With the addition of two new coaches, Kolbrin Vitek and Jordan Scogland, the team this year focused a lot on building a new identity and consistently improving from the start of the season.
Despite being in what felt like a rebuilding year, the team brought back experienced and talented seniors Carson Darr ‘25 and Peck. Both have felt the tremendous shift from last year as they get adjusted to the new coaches after Coach Mike Gimblette’s midyear departure.
“The coaches are really laid back. They let us have a good time, but still had us put in the work when we needed to. We did not have to worry about getting yelled at or them putting us down,” Darr said.
Peck says the new coaches have brought innovation and energy to practice.
“I think this year was a lot different, just because our coaches were so young. I felt like it was easy for the guys to connect with them and I think it’s a pretty big change, having younger coaches and being exposed to new technology. We utilized a lot of different tools where we were able to see our velocity on our throws and hits also like how much spin is on the ball,” Peck said.
Darr also stepped up into a brand new role behind the plate, catching every game despite not catching at all last year.
“I started hitting second for our team, which is a lot different from last year. I was fifth or sixth in the batting order, and I caught every single game, which I didn’t catch at all last year. But we did not have any other catcher, so I just took up that role,” Darr said.
Even with the adjustments, Darr is having the best season of his athletic career. Through 72 at-bats, he achieved a .444 batting average with 32 hits, including seven doubles and two home runs in addition to 19 RBIs and 15 runs scored. The craziest stat of all is that Darr only stuck out 6 times all season.
Peck had a dominant season both offensively and defensively. In 70 at-bats, he recorded 33 hits, eight of which being home runs, with a batting average of .448 and an on-base percentage of .526. He also drove in 21 runs and scored 28 times. Defensively, he’s been involved in eight of the team’s 10 double plays.
Together, Peck and Darr accounted for nearly 45% of the team’s total hits.
But leadership for the team isn’t just about performance and stats; it’s also about how they bring the team together.
“You’ve got to make sure the younger guys are comfortable every day. I think it was really important for Carson and I to make sure that we’re not bossing them around and treating them like they’re freshmen. We try to lead by example– showing them what you’re supposed to do at practice and being supportive of one another.”
Leading by example was especially valuable for players like Eli Whelan ‘28, who made an immediate impact in his second varsity season.
Whelan batted .343 with 23 hits and a perfect 7-for-7 stolen base record. He also stepped up as a pitcher, proving himself on both sides of the game.
“Playing against older guys is definitely different,” Whelan said. “They’re stronger, the game is faster, and the competition is tougher. But I’m getting better just from the experience.”
Even in a challenging season, there have been standout moments. One highlight all three players remarked was the teams win against FRA.
“My favorite moment of the season was against FRA. I hit two home runs that game. Carson had three hits that game. We were just playing really well, and then it ended in a tie, so we had to postpone the game till Friday, and then we pulled through with the win,” Peck said.
Although the team’s season ended in the playoffs with a hard fought loss to a highly ranked Columbia Academy team on April 24, the strides made this year laid a strong foundation for the program’s future.
With underclassmen gaining valuable experience from senior leaders, the team proved that success doesn’t always show up in the win column, but does show up in the culture that they’ve built.
