News Archive
A Dream Come True at Fenway Park
Junior Communications Corps member and basbeall team manager, Joshua Mould, reflects on the Hawks winning game at Fenway Park.
On April 21, our Xaverian Hawks baseball team was offered the chance to take on St. John’s Prep at Fenway Park, America’s most beloved ballpark. This was a dream come true for all of us, to be able to play on the very field that since 1912 has been home to the Boston Red Sox. This game, along with a Boston College vs. Florida State contest following ours, was brought to reality for charity. The doubleheader was played to spread awareness of ALS and to raise money for the Peter Frates Home Health Initiative. It’s a cause close to both Xaverian and St. John’s Prep’s hearts. Pete Frates, a 2003 graduate of the Prep, has been living with ALS for six years. He is responsible for igniting a cultural phenomenon by popularizing the “Ice Bucket Challenge” in the summer of 2014, ultimately raising more than $220 million worldwide in the search for a cure. ALS has also impacted the Xaverian community in a profound way. We lost a much-beloved alumnus and assistant principal to ALS this October, Brother Raymond Hoyt, C.F.X. ’70.
As the team manager, I arrived at Fenway Park with the players and coaches about an hour before the game was scheduled to start. We got off the bus and were greeted by the Fenway event managers who brought us under the bleachers to wait until the field was ready. Excitement built up to the moment that we walked onto the field where baseball legends like Ted Williams had played and our Boston Red Sox currently play.
I walked through the tunnels and I remember, as we reached the grounds crew entranceway, seeing the monstrous defining characteristic of the park: the Green Monster. Seconds later I felt the crunch of the fine Fenway dirt under my shoes and was hit by the crisp morning air breezing across the field. I couldn’t believe where I was. It took at least five minutes for me to fully comprehend where I was standing, taking visual panoramas of the stadium. I stepped into the dugout, the home dugout, the RED SOX dugout, and placed my bags under the bench. Then I took another few minutes to admire the enormousness and convenience of the bench and dugout area, and got up to stand against the dugout fence to take everything in. Closer to warm-up time, I went down the right-field line to the Pesky Pole area and played catch on the field that people only dream of playing on.
Soon the game was underway, and no matter how amazing this experience was, it was a rivalry game. Our squad came ready to execute plays.
We were 3-3 overall with a 1-1 Catholic Conference record. The Eagles came in with a 2-2 record, 1-2 in the Catholic Conference. Right off the bat, the Eagles scored two runs on us and shut our offense down in the first inning. This would not last, however, and our hitters were able to up the Eagles by scoring three runs in the bottom of the second. Both teams would go on to play stellar defense for the rest of the game; our own Owen Langan ’18 striking out seven.
Coach Lambert told us before the game that while still doing our job on the field, we should stay in the experience and realize where we are - we should enjoy the moment. He actually had to remind me in the fourth inning or so. “Hey Josh,” he said, “Just so you know, we’re playing in Fenway Park.” I was so focused on the game even that reminder surprised me a little, and I took some more time to comprehend where we were standing.
The Eagles wouldn’t go down without a fight, loading the bases in the top of the seventh. Coach Lambert brought in Doug Concannon ’19 (“Dougie Goggles” as we call him) to finish out the game. He retired the final two Eagles batters to clinch the win for the Hawks.
The experience was a tremendous one and will live on forever in the memories of the players and coaches, and even the fans. GO HAWKS!!!
Xaverian Brothers High School
Phone: 781-326-6392
Fax: 781-320-0458
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EIN (Tax ID Number): 04-2314036
Fax: 781-320-0458
Directions | Contact Us | Privacy Policy
EIN (Tax ID Number): 04-2314036
Xaverian is a Catholic, college-preparatory school for boys in grades 7-12. As an inclusive community, we embrace diverse experiences and perspectives, welcoming students and families from all faiths and backgrounds. Through exceptional academics, athletics, the arts, faith formation, and service opportunities, we help young men discover their unique gifts and talents so they can share them with a world in need.
