A Father's Memoir: The Quiet Triumph of a Division III Pitcher
The memoir opens with a quiet reflection on the author’s son, Wick Eisenberg, a left‑handed pitcher who elected to continue his baseball career at St. Mary’s College of Maryland, a Division III liberal arts institution that prizes academics over athletics and does not award athletic scholarships.
Wick’s recruitment unfolded in the spring, after he toured several campuses and met the team’s coach, Lew Jenkins, whose grandfatherly demeanor and egalitarian approach made the college feel like a natural fit. The Seahawks, as the school’s baseball squad is known, were not a powerhouse, but they were in need of a left‑handed arm, a niche Wick was eager to fill.
The Hawks Nest: A Quiet Sanctuary
The Hawks Nest, the team’s home ballpark, is described as a serene enclave surrounded by towering pines, a setting that invites focus and calm. The author notes that the park’s tranquility mirrors the college’s broader philosophy: to nurture scholars first, athletes second.
Community support proved pivotal; local families gathered to cheer, and the simple act of sharing homemade treats became a ritual that bound players, parents, and fans together. In this modest yet heartfelt environment, Wick found a place where his left‑handed pitching could contribute without the pressure of Division I expectations.
The centerpiece of the narrative is the 2012 season’s opening weekend, when the Seahawks hosted a doubleheader against City College of New York. The home venue, nicknamed the Hawks Nest, sits amid a canopy of tall pines, creating a serene idyll that belies the modest ambitions of the program. Parents of the players, including the author and his wife, spent the lunch break preparing cookies and caring for a family dog, underscoring the community’s intimate involvement.
Although the Seahawks entered the season with modest expectations, the first game of the series ended in a victory, a moment that sparked cautious optimism. The memoir captures the blend of academic rigor and athletic perseverance that defined Wick’s college experience, illustrating how a Division III education can offer a different kind of triumph — one measured not in scholarships or headlines, but in personal growth and quiet achievement.