Shelter Island School baseball team looks forward to winning season

This time of year, there’s something about the walk from Shelter Island School down to Fiske Field that tells you it’s spring.

Gloves in hand, gravel crunching under cleats, and the sun finally out — there’s nothing like that first warm day on the field. The Shelter Island School JV baseball team is now three weeks into their pre-season, set to face off against the Southold/Greenport combined JV team at Southold next Monday, March 31.

The Reporter sat down with Head Coach Peter Miedema and Assistant Coach Mike Dunning to discuss the upcoming season.

“Nothing better than going to baseball practice on a nice day and having your first catch,” Coach Miedema said. “The freedom of it. It’s just the best feeling.”

Now in their 11th season working together, Coach Miedema and Assistant Coach Dunning are returning with a promising roster. Dropping just two games last season, the returning players have come back stronger, more confident, and more versatile.

“I feel very positive,” Coach Miedema said. “Everyone came back at a good baseline. We’re not working backwards — we’re starting from a nice spot. That makes a big difference when you’re trying to build momentum early.”

One of the key improvements this season is the team’s flexibility. In past years, the coaches often had to work around gaps in experience or limit players to one position. That’s not the case this spring.

“For the first time in a while, we have multiple players excelling at multiple positions,” Coach Miedema said. “Where maybe before, someone could only stay on the right side of the infield, now they’re moving around. It’s a big shift.”

Coach Dunning weighed in, saying, “I’ve been talking with Coach Miedema, and I agree that we’ve seen that same chemistry from the end of last season carrying over. The guys show up, they want to be here, and everyone’s working together. You can feel it.”

Coach Miedema added, “Baseball invites a little bit of shenanigans, but it’s in a really positive way. The guys are enjoying themselves, they’re helping each other out, and they’re competing hard. It’s a good environment.”

The season opener against Southold is fast approaching, and the coaches aren’t shying away from expectations. “If we’re going to go undefeated,” Coach Miedema  joked, “we’ve got to win the first one.”

Winning is the clear focus this year, but the coaches see a larger purpose behind it. The ultimate goal is to build better ballplayers, players who understand the game, compete hard, and come back stronger each season.

“A successful season is one where the players challenge themselves,” Coach Miedema said. “Where they grow their baseball IQ, develop their skills, and leave feeling motivated to take the next step next year.”

That player development is already showing up in pre-season practices, where returning players have come back more confident and versatile. And as skills sharpen, so does the team dynamic.

“These guys show up ready to work, and they’re working well together,” Coach Dunning said. “What I’m looking forward to most is just seeing that continuation of guys playing well together, making good plays, and making it happen.”

Alongside the players’ growth and chemistry, the coaches are also counting on the kind of community support that has long defined Shelter Island Baseball.

“I love when people come out,” Coach Miedema said. “There’s still a slice of Americana here, supporting baseball on the Island. It brings the whole place together.”

That support is more than symbolic. For many players, suiting up for Shelter Island means stepping into a tradition that spans generations. “You look through old yearbooks and see the same last names,” Coach Miedema added. “We’ve got kids on this team whose dads and grandfathers played on this field. That kind of history matters. It gives this team something to be proud of.”

With a strong roster, all returning players, and a motivated culture, Shelter Island’s baseball team heads into the season with high expectations. The team’s home Opening Day at Fiske Field is against the Hampton Bays Baymen on Monday, April 7, at 4:30 p.m. Stop down and catch some Island baseball.