Harrison Weslek: Senior caps stellar career with no-hitter in season finale

The pitch still hasn’t landed. That’s how Head Coach Peter Miedema remembers it. 

Six years ago, the Shelter Island School’s varsity baseball team was on the road under the leadership of coaches Peter Miedema and Mike Dunning, who led the school’s team to an undefeated season this year. That varsity road game stands out to the coaches in particular because a young Harrison Weslek, then an 8th grader, took the mound for the first time.

Harrison was a seasoned pitcher who had been throwing since Little League and youth travel ball games. But the jump to high school varsity baseball, facing mostly juniors and seniors, left him at a major disadvantage. Undersized, over-matched, and facing a seasoned lineup, one of the first batters he faced crushed a shot so clean and far that Coach Miedema still jokes it hasn’t landed.

“But the thing is, he didn’t fold,” the coach said. “He took it in stride. He stayed in the game and kept competing. That told me a lot.” 

That early moment, the kind that might rattle most young players, became something different for Weslek. A foundation. The beginning of a long, steady grind that would come to define not only his high school career, but his broader influence on Shelter Island School. Now a senior, Weslek closes out his high school years as a three-sport captain, a respected leader, and the anchor of an undefeated JV baseball season — a campaign that reflected the persistence, humility, and grit he spent years modeling.

Weslek pitched a no-hitter at home last week to seal the deal on the undefeated season and cap off his Shelter Island School career. The Reporter sat down with the team’s coaches and the athletic director, Todd Gulluscio, to discuss Harrison’s impact over the years and reflect on the baseball team’s progress heading into next season.

Assistant Coach Mike Dunning, who coached Weslek as far back as Little League, saw his quiet determination never wavering. “He really pitched great this year,” Coach Dunning said. “He was my last Little Leaguer to come through the high school team. It’s sad to see him go, but he raised the bar.” 

And Weslek didn’t just pitch. He helped guide a young, evolving roster and mentored the players rising behind him. “He let the younger guys have fun,” Coach Dunning added, “but when he spoke, they listened. He had that kind of influence.” 

Alongside his work with the varsity and JV players, Coach Dunning also coached the Junior High intramural team this season, introducing 6th through 8th graders to the skills they’ll need to contribute in the years ahead.

That influence extended far beyond the baseball field. Athletic Director Gulluscio, who’s seen Weslek grow from a sport-obsessed elementary schooler into a fixture of Shelter Island athletics, remembers a kid who was always around, always asking to be part of something. “Harrison gravitated toward sports from the beginning,” Mr. Gulluscio said. “Once he got to high school, he fully committed, not just to playing, but to being involved. He helped bring back the soccer program when it didn’t exist. He stepped into roles most kids avoid. And by senior year, it all came together.” 

Weslek’s example helped shape a sports culture that, at Shelter Island, depends less on numbers and more on drive.

Looking ahead, many of us, like Weslek before us, played on varsity baseball as 7th or 8th graders when the roster was thin and the scoreboard unkind. For three or four seasons, we’ve grown alongside the team, learning through tough innings, quiet bus rides, and the long spring slogs of Shelter Island baseball. Just two years ago, the program managed only three wins in its final varsity season. Last year, we had a few wins as a JV squad. Now, with the majority of the team entering their fourth year as sophomores and juniors, things are shifting. This season, it clicked.

“We were hopeful coming in,” Coach Dunning said. “We were older, more mature, and things were really running smoothly. And it actually happened.” Even on off days, when warmups were flat or focus dropped, the team found its rhythm. “Everyone showed up ready to play,” Coach Dunning added. “That’s what impressed me most. The effort was always there.”

Coach Miedema credits the turnaround to experience and commitment. “We had key guys returning, which helped,” he said. “Harrison and Evan Weslek on the mound made a huge difference. Once the ball’s in play, a lot can go wrong. But with pitching like that, it limited mistakes. We didn’t have those innings that get away from you.”

For Mr. Gulluscio, the success is especially sweet. “Baseball’s not easy at a small school,” he said. “You need more players than in other sports, more pitching depth. So to go undefeated? That’s a big deal. That’s something the whole community should be proud of.”

Weslek’s final season wasn’t just the closing chapter of a standout athlete; it was a passing of the torch. The team he helped shape is now firmly in the hands of players he led and inspired. And just as he once stood on the mound, young and unsure, staring down his first varsity lineup, the next wave of Shelter Island ballplayers is ready to take that step. 

With talent developing in the junior high intramural program and the current roster stepping confidently into veteran roles, the team looks ahead to years of growth, and to all of the spring seasons ahead of them. It’s a proud moment for Shelter Island baseball, and a well-earned nod to Harrison Weslek for the commitment, resilience, and heart he brought to every season at Shelter Island.