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Huskies seek to defend their Baseball Beanpot title at Fenway Park

Northeastern will meet Harvard at 7:05 p.m. Tuesday in the 34th annual four-team event. “It’s a dream come true,” says senior third baseman Jack Doyle.

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Northeastern player prepares to bat during a baseball beanpot game with fans in the background.
Jack Doyle and his Husky teammates await their Fenway Park debut in pursuit of a second straight Baseball Beanpot title. Photo by Maddie Malhotra for Northeastern University

Jack Doyle was celebrating his 4th birthday when he attended his first Boston Red Sox game at Fenway Park. He has returned scores of times since then, each visit serving as a milestone from childhood to adolescence to maturity.

This game will be unlike all the others.

Doyle, a senior third baseman, will be making his Fenway Park debut with the Northeastern Huskies in the final of the 34th annual Baseball Beanpot vs. Harvard at 7:05 p.m. Tuesday.

“To be a fan of the Red Sox and to know all the history at that ballpark, to be able to get the opportunity to compete there — it’s a dream come true,” says Doyle, who grew up in suburban Boston.

The Huskies, who beat Boston College in a 3-0 semifinal April 1, are seeking to defend their Baseball Beanpot title. This is the first year since 2019 that the Red Sox’ iconic ballpark will be hosting the tournament — with the intermediary assistance of a Northeastern graduate who was able to help work out the details.

“Northeastern has really spearheaded this,” says Huskies baseball coach Mike Glavine. “It’s going to be exciting for our guys to play there for the first time — especially our seniors. We’re the reigning champs and we want to keep it here.”

The Huskies are treating the Fenway final as a major event, with a Northeastern 5 p.m. pregame party planned at the nearby Yard House restaurant. Tickets to the Yard House party can be purchased here.

The Beanpot title game comes amid another outstanding year for Glavine’s Huskies (30-9), who have already earned a fifth straight 30-win season. They held a four-game lead in the Coastal Athletic Association and had won 18 of their past 19 games entering a three-game series with  Monmouth April 25-27.

Their pitching staff’s ERA of 3.19 ranks fourth nationally around an NCAA-leading and program-record 12 shutouts. Max Gitlin, the potential Beanpot starter, is 5-1 (2.67) with a one-hitter last month against Connecticut. Gitlin, a graduate transfer from Clark University, had a perfect game when he yielded a one-out double in the ninth inning of that 3-0 win.

“Our pitching staff has been unbelievable,” Doyle says. “We know if we score even half as many runs as we’re capable of, we’re probably going to pull out a win because those guys have been dominant all year.”

Though the Huskies rank in the middle of the CAA offensively (the result of a cold start influenced by New England’s colder spring), they lead the conference with 52 homers and 121 stolen bases. Cam Maldonado (.382, 11 homers and 38 RBI) and Harrison Feinberg (.362, 13 HR and 44 RBI) are dominating the upper part of the order behind Doyle, the leadoff hitter who has upped his average to .278 since returning from injury a month ago.

“He’s been on fire offensively and defensively,” Glavine says of Doyle. “He’s a steady hand at third base and in the lineup — a great contact guy who works the count. He’s a great player for us, a great person, a great leader and a perfect fit here.”

Though the Baseball Beanpot doesn’t create the same passion as the original hockey version at TD Garden, it remains an important prize for the Huskies.

“We always take pride in being the best team from New England,” Doyle says. “Northeastern baseball is in a great place right now. Coach Glavine has been able to get guys to buy into the Northeastern baseball culture. And then within the team we have the leadership to hold guys accountable and make sure everyone’s living up to the standard. From top to bottom, every single person helps to get the most out of each other. And that’s what you need to be a winning team.”

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