Former NECC Baseball Player Xavier Nunez and the current assistant baseball coach under  Jeff Mejia was named the softball head coach earlier this year for the upcoming season in 2022.

Nunez played baseball under coach Mejia from 2016 and 2017 before transferring to New England College in Henniker, N.H.

Nunez as a senior played in 46 games batted .383

He helped the team to earn there first ever conference championship in NECC history and advanced to NCAA Division three tournament where they won the New England Regional championship before losing in the Super Regional.

“For the past five years he has worked with area softball players through Rams Athletic Complex Softball clings at the North Reading based facility. At the facility he has also conducted private instruction for both softball and baseball. He was two years of club coaching experiencCourtesy neccknights.come as well with both Team Boston and New Hampshire prospects,” According to neccknights.com

Nunez said he thanks Mejia and Blair for this opportunity.

“I’m very proud it is a happy moment definitely in my career. It’s my fist job coaching college sports I been helping Jeff (Mejia) coach the baseball team and I’m happy him and Dan (Blair) were confident me enough to give me this job I’m excited about it and move the program forward,” Nunez said.

Nunez believe he is fully prepared to coach. He also is learning more thinking every day that it will help him to be a better coach than what he already is.

Coach Nunez also announced when tryouts can possible be available for softball players who are interested participating and trying to make the time.

“I will be holding tryouts probably early March to late February you know depending on what we are looking for the number,” he said.

Then how you determine if a players fits well on the team?  “If you can help the team win games you going to be in the team it’s pretty straight forward… I’m not a big favored guy my favorite player is the one that want to be there the most…”

The NECC Knights Track and Field head coach is Nelson Desilvestre he coaches both men’s and women’s.

He came to NECC in 2017. Before coming over to Northern Essex he was the head coach of Winter track at Manchester-Essex Reginal High School for four season.

According to neccknights.com “Prior to Manchester-Essex, Nelson was the Head Boys Coach at Beverly High School for 18 winter seasons and 17 spring season. He accumulated 214 wins with a .680 winning percentage, and was voted coach of the year on two occasions.”

Desilvestre he has a lot of coaching experience. He has coach more than two decades.

If you still undecided to play Track and Field Desilvestre said it can be a positive experience.

“It’s a good thing to participate other than just studying we try to have some fun we try to make it entertaining and positive experience so that they will hopefully develop friendship that will last the rest of their lives and memories that can tell their friends and family on the future…” Desilvestre said.

I ask him how it’s different men and women teams.

“Whatever I do with the men I do with the women — the workout is basically the same their designed basically for what ever their ability is so it’s equal opportunity situation everyone is treated the same…” It’s nothing different everything is the same.

Last year it was difficult not having a season in the spring because of the virus, he sad.

“It was extremely difficult I think it hurt us in many ways the kids that wanted to join the time obviously couldn’t… being a community college and only have them for two years… this year it’s basically started from scratch starting from zero…” Desilvestre said.

They are no tryouts if you are interested to join the team you can the more athletes joining the team the better it is. You just need to get an athletic physical form at the sports and fitness building in the Haverhill campus. Athletes that is interested to join can get in touch with the head coach Nelson Desilvestre and the athletic director Dan Blair. This season will start some point on the spring when student return back to class.