New NECC Baseball Coach Will Bring Team over the Hill

Hill, an Amesbury resident, will be taking over the reins as head coach at NECC.

For those that wonder if NECC will have a future in baseball, make no mistake, there will be a future. While the Knights have experienced tremendous growth with the awards to prove it, Hill envisions an even brighter future with a win at the Community College World Series that has thus far eluded them.

“NECC baseball hasn’t gone anywhere, it is here to stay” says the 30-year-old Wayland native. “If anything its record will just keep getting better.”

First up, says Hill, is recruiting. “I’m familiar with many of the students in this area. I will be calling them all to see where they are at and to see if they are interested in the program,” he says. NECC has a solid reputation. We will continue to see positive growth and will continue the winning tradition here. This is the place I want to be.”

The month of August, he imagines, will be spent reassuring current players and selling himself and the program to prospective players.

The pitch, no doubt will include his credentials. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Wheaton College where he majored in American Studies and minored in education. He earned a Master of Science Degree in Sport Management from Southern New Hampshire University in Manchester.

He is currently and will continue as director of TPS Top 96 Softball where he develops, manages, and directs softball clinics throughout the country. He has also served as assistant baseball coach for the Lowell All-Americans League (a New England collegiate baseball league), Southern New Hampshire University, Saint Anselm College, and Westfield State College. He also created the athletic and physical education programs for Nativity Prep in New Bedford.

All of these experiences, he says, make him more than just the coach to the NECC baseball team. He will be a mentor and guidance counselor to the players - keeping tabs on them and their academic standings.

“I would like to see more players continue their careers at four-year schools after they leave here,” he says. “I want to share with them and give them an idea of what to expect at a four-year college.”

“This is a very exciting time for us says Sue MacAvoy, NECC Athletic Director. “It begins a whole new chapter in baseball for us. Coach Quinlan brought us to one level. Coach Hill will bring us to another.”