by Jack Quinlan
(Editor’s Note: Jack is a 2022 graduate of Sayville HS, where he was a part of the program’s first Long Island Championship last season as the starting catcher.)
I was first introduced to the United States Military Academy at West Point in early December 2019.
The baseball program had a prospect camp and I was encouraged to attend by my coach Ryan Pembroke of the East Coast Lumberjacks. At the conclusion of the camp I was informed by coaches of the West Point staff that they would like me to attend a February camp and also receive a tour of the school. On my visit when we saw the campus it was absolutely beautiful and nothing was out of place. It was incredible to see that in person. We toured different buildings where we were exposed to the history and traditions of West Point. The campus is right on the Hudson so depending on where you are you get a pretty cool view of the river. The education there is equivalent to an Ivy League education, so once you finish your service you will have so many job opportunities that will support you for the rest of your life. I also loved how close-knit the baseball team is.During that weekend I witnessed the team practicing and it was clear that this was something I wanted to be a part of. As the weeks went on after the camps and the country went on pause , I spoke to a couple of the players on the phone. They explained to me their day to day life of being a cadet and talked about how the baseball team spends every second they can with each other. The players have formed such a great bond and that is something I want to be a part of.
The head coach Jim Foster is regarded as one of the best baseball minds in Division-I baseball. The positive direction of the program can be directly tied to coach Foster’s arrival 4 years ago. To top it off they have ACC school level baseball facilities that we have the privilege of using. After taking all of these things into consideration I just knew West Point is where I wanted to go.
