HAVERHILL – Dan Briand called his new gig as head coach of the vaunted Northern Essex Community College baseball program an “opportunity of a lifetime.”

He was referring to the ready-made championship contender status at NECC, which has been to five consecutive NJCAA Div. 3 World Series.

kAm%H@ >@?E9D =2E6C[ 2?@E96C “:?4C65:3=6 @AA@CEF?:EJ” 2C@D6 – 9625 4@249 2E (@C46DE6C !@=J\%649 x?DE:EFE6 W(!xX – @?6[ 96 D2JD 96 4@F=5?’E EFC? 5@H?]k^Am

kAmqC:2?5 H2D @77:4:2==J ?2>65 E96 ?6H 4@249 2E (!x @? (65?6D52J]k^Am

kAm“x 92G6 E@ D2J x 766= 2H7F= 23@FE E96 H2J :E EFC?65 @FE 7@C }@CE96C? tDD6I Wr]r]X[ =62G:?8 DF49 2 8C62E A=246 H:E9 8C62E =6256CD 2?5 8C62E DEF56?E\2E9=6E6D[” D2:5 qC:2?5[ H9@ >6E H:E9 E96 32D632== E62> @? %F6D52J E@ 8:G6 E96> E96 ?6HD]k^Am

kAm“(!x 😀 2? :?4C65:3=6 @AA@CEF?:EJ x 4@F=5?’E EFC? 5@H?[” D2:5 qC:2?5[ H9@ H2D =@@<:?8 7@C 2 4@==686 ;@3 27E6C p??2 |2C:2 r@==686 H6?E @FE @7 3FD:?6DD] “|J 8@2= J62CD 28@ H2D E@ D@>652J 4@249 😕 E96 }t(|pr] x A=2J65 282:?DE 2 =@E @7 E9@D6 E62>D H96? x A=2J65 W2E q64<6C r@==686X]”k^Am

kAmqC:2?5[ H9@ C6D:56D 😕 }@CE9C:586[ |2DD][ D2:5 E96 724E 96 H:== 36 23@FE `d >:?FE6D 7C@> (!x 2D @AA@D65 E@ E96 9@FC 2?5 2 92=7 5C:G6 96 >256 D:?46 36:?8 9:C65 H2D 2=D@ 2 724E@C]k^Am

kAmw6 8C6H FA 😕 }@CE9C:586 367@C6 >@G:?8 324< 2?5 3FJ:?8 2 9@>6 E96C6 7@FC J62CD 28@]k^Am

kAm“x 7:8FC65 x H@F=5 6G6?EF2==J 92G6 E@ >@G6 FA ?62C E96 D49@@=[ 3FE E9:D >2<6D >J =:76 2 =@E 62D:6C[” D2:5 qC:2?5] “x H2D 8@:?8 E@ 5@ :E[ 56DA:E6 E96 5C:G6 3642FD6 @7 E96 ;@3 2E }@CE96C? tDD6I 2?5 724E E96J’C6 3F:=5:?8 2 ?6H 7:6=5] qFE x 4@F=5?’E A2DD E9:D ;@3 FA]”k^Am

kAmqC:2?5 D2:5 2 4@?7=F6?46 @7 6G6?ED 92AA6?65 @G6C E96 =2DE 76H H66] (!x’D 32D632== 4@249 qC6?52? r2D6J =67E 27E6C 7@FC J62CD E@ E2<6 @G6C 2E (962E@? r@==686 2 >@?E9 28@]k^Am

kAm“x 925 2AA=:65 2E (962E@? 3FE AF==65 @FE E@ E2<6 E96 }@CE96C? tDD6I ;@3[” D2:5 qC:2?5] “(96? r@249 r2D6J 8@E E96 ;@3[ (!x @A6?65] xE H2D E@@ 8@@5 @7 2 A@D:E:@? 2E 2 8C62E D49@@=]”k^Am

kAm(!x 😀 4@>:?8 @77 2 E@F89 D62D@?[ `c\ad @G6C2== 2?5 b\`b 😕 }t(|pr A=2J] (!x 92D >256 E96 }rpp s:G] b E@FC?2>6?E @?46[ 😕 a__h]k^Am

kAmqC:2?5 25565 E96 (!x ;@3 😀 @?6 96 4@F=5 D66 9:>D6=7 😕 7@C a_\A=FD J62CD[ A@DD:3=J F?E:= 9:D 6G6?EF2= C6E:C6>6?E]k^Am

kAm“(9:=6 x 2> G6CJ 92AAJ 7@C E96 ?6H @AA@CEF?:EJ 3FE x 766= 325 23@FE =62G:?8 }@CE96C? tDD6I @H:?8 2 =@E @7 A6@A=6 E96C6 2C6?’E 92AAJ[” 96 25565] “%96J H:== 86E 2 8C62E 4@249 3642FD6 :E’D 2 8C62E @AA@CEF?:EJ 3642FD6 @7 E96 D49@@=’D DF446DD 2?5 4@>>:E>6?E E@ 2E9=6E:4D]”k^Am

kAm}trr 2E9=6E:4 5:C64E@C s2? q=2:C D6?E @G6C 2 E6IE 23@FE qC:2?5’D 6I@5FDi “(6 H:D9 s2? E96 36DE @? 9:D ?6H G6?EFC6]”k^Am