Brian Donnelly could always see light at the end of the tunnel. The Huntington High School senior battled back from a devastating injury to turn in an outstanding junior year season. The teenager recently committed to St. Michael’s College in Vermont and its baseball team.
Donnelly is the Blue Devils’ catcher and a key player for head coach Billy Harris. From behind the plate he serves as the team’s field general and he commands the respect of his teammates for his hardnosed style of play.
The senior tore the labrum in his throwing shoulder early in the summer following his sophomore year. Surgery ensued. “So that summer I was not able to play baseball and look at colleges,” Donnelly said. “While returning it was a hard journey and I needed all the help I could get. Starting with that winter before my senior year, Mr. Harris became the head baseball coach and really helped me pursue what I wanted in getting back to my previous athletic ability.”
The teenager returned to the field for Huntington last spring and was sensational, capturing post-season All-League honors. His career was back on track.
Huntington senior Brian Donnelly.
“While playing last summer for my travel team we went everywhere across the country, up and down the northeast searching for a school that would be a good fit for me athletically and academically,” Donnelly said. “Camp after camp, I found schools that either liked me or didn’t like me, but in early October, my dad and I drove up to Burlington, Vermont to check out Saint Michael’s.”
By the time he stepped out of the car and onto the St. Michael’s campus, the teenager knew what he was looking for in a college and baseball program.
“My first impressions were that it was too cold and I was very unsure about the whole school,” Donnelly said. “But walking onto that campus was amazing. I felt like I was in my little home. With it being a small school, I found myself very comfortable with everyone around me. The head baseball coach, Jason Szafarski is in his first year with the program and with him coming from the University of Tampa, he has a great background in baseball.”
The Huntington senior is one of a dozen recruits being brought in to fill out St. Michael’s 30 man roster. “We look to be one of the better NCAA Division II schools,” Donnelly said. “I plan on studying business management and economics,” said Donnelly, who is interested in a business related career.
Donnelly has been a welcome addition to the Blue Devil baseball program. “During my two full years at Huntington I have had the time of my life,” he said. “My freshman year, I was in Saint Anthony’s and I moved back during the middle of my sophomore year. It was a big change, but it really helped me become a better student. I’ve compiled a good academic record here. It really changed my life.”
During his time in Huntington, Donnelly has found the time to volunteer with the high school’s Habitat for Humanity chapter, “which is a fantastic club,” he said. “Mr. [Robert] Gilmor is a great man who has an awesome sense of humor. I really enjoy being around him and going on builds with the club.”
The teenager has hit it off with several high school faculty members. “My favorite teacher has to be Mrs. [Kaitlyn] Hanft,” Donnelly said. “I’m her intern in Global History and I really enjoy being around her every day I can. Learning from a smart teacher like her really helps me become a more intelligent person. Knowing that I can go to her everyday whenever I want for advice or to just pass some time and have a good conversation is a good feeling, especially when it is a long day at school.”
Donnelly batted .387 last spring and Harris is expecting even more production from the teenager this year when Huntington looks to significantly improve its won-loss record.
“I really want all the incoming freshmen to understand that these next four years will go by incredibly fast,” Donnelly said. “I can remember sitting down in a classroom at Saint Anthony’s listening to seniors say how fast it went and I never believed them. I hope that all the freshmen can take advantage of everything they come across and reach all their goals in their next four years here and also just have fun.”
