After going 48-9 and winning the CAA tournament, the Huskies are set to make their third NCAA Tournament appearance since 2021 when they take on Mississippi State in the Tallahassee Regional Friday at 7:30 p.m. (ESPN+). <\/p>\n
Unlike many other teams in the tournament, the Huskies don\u2019t have new, multimillion-dollar facilities, access to cutting-edge technology, or dozens of uniform combinations. They take a bus from campus to their field in Brookline for practice. For the first few months of the season, they play in the cold, and they\u2019re one of five Division 1 programs that has to share its field. <\/p>\n
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Glavine, now in his 11th year, knows Northeastern isn\u2019t a top destination for many out-of-state recruits. So rather than trying to change the minds of players from across the country, Glavine keeps his sights on what\u2019s right in front of him: a region of underrated and oft-overlooked talent. <\/p>\n
\u201cI believe that the local player is gritty,\u201d he said. \u201cHe\u2019s tough. He can play in our weather. He didn\u2019t grow up playing on the best fields or with all the best facilities. And so they tend to have that blue-collar mentality that we like here at Northeastern. We really try to do the best we can in our own backyard.\u201d<\/p>\n
Of the 42 players on Northeastern\u2019s roster, 29 hail from New England. Glavine said recruiting locally makes it easier to build strong relationships with players and their coaches, rather than relying on external evaluations or taking the word of a coach he\u2019s never met, Glavine can see his prospective players on the field as often as he wants. <\/p>\n
Even when local recruits choose another program, Glavine\u2019s work isn\u2019t over. He\u2019s selective in his use of the transfer portal, only pursuing players with whom he has a relationship.<\/p>\n
Infielder Jack Goodman, for example, chose Pepperdine over Northeastern after graduating from Medfield High School. He made 35 appearances for the Waves before entering the transfer portal, where Glavine leveraged his existing relationship with Goodman to bring him back to New England. <\/p>\n
Glavine also keeps a close eye on Division 2 and 3 programs in New England, scooping up the best players who enter the portal looking to take the next step.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen we\u2019re looking at transfers, we don\u2019t necessarily want them coming from really big programs with all the bells and whistles, because that\u2019s not going to work here,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s about grit, it\u2019s about blue collar, it\u2019s about hard work, and that type of mentality.\u201d<\/p>\n
But while he prioritizes building a homegrown roster, Glavine, who grew up in Billerica and attended Northeastern before a brief stint in the major leagues, wants to ensure his team is playing a national schedule to increase visibility, which he hopes will translate into opportunities for his players after college.<\/p>\n
He seeks out games against \u201cbetter\u201d programs, including teams in the Power 4 conferences (SEC, ACC, Big Ten, and Big 12). The Huskies played series at Hawaii and San Diego State this year, and they swept Kansas State at home \u2014 on top of going 25-2 in conference play.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe might not have these million-dollar facilities and all this technology, but we make do with what we have, and I think we show that every time we\u2019re out on the field,\u201d said righthander Aiven Cabral, who grew up in Lynn and played at St. Mary\u2019s.<\/p>\n
Cabral, Hamilton\u2019s Will Jones, and Acton\u2019s Jordan Gottesman make up an elite rotation, which posted the nation\u2019s best ERA (2.92) and WHIP (1.04), each by a wide margin. The Huskies\u2019 17 shutouts are as many as the next two best teams combined.<\/p>\n
Their success, Cabral said, is proof Northeastern \u2014 and New England baseball as a whole \u2014 belongs in the national conversation. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe expect to win no matter what team we\u2019re playing,\u201d he said. \u201cWe\u2019ll play anyone, anywhere, any time. With the talent that we have, we really believe that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Emma Healy can be reached at emma.healy@globe.com<\/a> or on X @ByEmmaHealy<\/a>.<\/p>\n