Island baseball team undefeated in first week of play

As cleats click against the concrete floor of the dugout and players hold their gloves in hand, Fiske Field is filled with baseball players from early March through late July. 

From Little Leaguers to high schoolers to collegiate players, the field is the venue of Island baseball — a game that should be marked by warm weather. For the Shelter Island High School team, that isn’t always the case.

This March, Fiske Field was covered in a sheet of snow as the high school team relocated to the indoor weight room and batting cage before finally taking the field for its first outdoor practice just a few weeks ago. Since then, practices have been cold and daunting as the Islanders prepared for their first game back in action since going undefeated in 2025.

An expanded roster, filled with new players and returning talent, took the field this week. The Islanders faced the Greenport Porters from Tuesday, April 14, through Friday, April 17, in a three-game series.

The weather for Shelter Island’s opening week delivered, with all three games peaking at 70 degrees and mostly sunny conditions, and so did the Islanders. The team rallied with a comeback win, a 10-2 blowout, and a nail-biter to cap off the week at 3-0.

The Islanders opened the season April 14 at Greenport’s field, battling a tough Porters pitcher and struggling to get the bats going early. Greenport scored first, working a few at-bats and walks in the opening frame.

On the mound for Shelter Island was junior Evan Weslek, marking his fifth year pitching for the Islanders. Weslek began his pitching career back in 7th grade, when the program was Varsity, with his first appearance on the mound as a reliever. Weslek is Shelter Island’s first-string pitcher this spring. His wealth of experience and extensive arsenal, with multiple fast and off-speed pitches, anchors the Islanders’ defense.

While Weslek found success on the mound, with two more games on the horizon, Head Coach Peter Miedema opted to take Weslek off the mound after two innings. Jackson Surerus, the only 7th-grader to take the field with the high school team this spring, relieved Weslek. Surerus tallied a few strikeouts of his own before being relieved by sophomore Ryan Sanwald. Sanwald went on to pitch two innings before junior Ari Waife took the mound for Shelter Island in the bottom of the seventh.

Until the seventh inning, Shelter Island was unable to get consistent at-bats together to take the lead. That changed at the top of the inning. Greenport was forced to make a pitching substitution that led to several hits into the outfield and walks that added 8 runs for the Islanders. Shelter Island, now in the lead for the first time that day, took the field with a moderate lead of 6 runs.

However, a few hits and some wild pitches from Waife produced 4 Greenport runs, bringing the score to 11-13 with no outs. Three more walks loaded the bases, before a quick reset from the Islanders’ defense sealed the deal. A strikeout, a thrown-out runner, and a routine grounder marked the final out of the game, ending the opener with an 13 -11 victory for Shelter Island.

After a day off, the Islanders took to Fiske Field for the second game of the three-game series. The contest was well attended, and Island fans were treated to a total blowout, as Shelter Island sealed the deal with a 10-3 victory over the Porters.

A driver behind that victory was senior Harry Clark. Clark began playing for the team as an 8th-grader on Varsity, moving between left and center field before playing in the infield and pitching last season.

Clark set the tone for Shelter Island early, facing just six batters in the first two innings. It was an efficient outing for Clark, pitching six innings before reaching the mandated pitch count and having to be relieved. On the offensive side, the senior added two runs of his own.

Clark was relieved by 7th-grader Surerus, who closed the game out for the Islanders.

Two more strikeouts and a routine infield play marked the final out in the top of the seventh inning, as Shelter Island extended its record to 2-0.

The next afternoon, the team got back on a bus and played at Greenport again, marking the final time the teams will face each other this season. With players taking the mandatory rest days, both pitchers who threw on Tuesday returned to the mound on Friday. For the Islanders, Weslek had an outstanding showing, pitching five full frames before a rainstorm cut the game short.

In the top of the first inning, with two strikeouts, a routine grounder to Shelter Island’s infield was missed, allowing a runner to reach second safely. From there, six more runners made it on base, allowing the Porters to score four runs and take the early lead. However, this was the only break for Greenport. Weslek completed the day with 13 strikeouts and did not allow any more runs after the first frame.

As the minimum number of innings was met before the rain stopped play, the umpire deemed the game an official contest, marking the third Islander victory of the week, this time the final was 10-4.

Following the exciting week for the program, the Reporter met up with the Head Coach Miedema. “I feel like this first week, we’re kind of just getting the rust off,” the coach said. “People are getting back into the swing of baseball and being out there, getting ready, and being prepared. It’s kind of like our preseason a little bit.” 

He added that while the team is still finding its rhythm, progress is already starting to show. 

Looking ahead, Coach Miedema said the focus will shift toward refining details as the schedule continues. The team will have a nearly two-week break before hosting the Pierson Whalers at home on April 30 at 4 p.m. “Hopefully next week, we’ll work on some of those things that have really been sticking points in our progress,” he said. “And then look forward to pushing through that and seeing how it goes.”