Are you playing high school baseball in some “one horse town?” Don’t think you or your talents will ever get noticed by the state college or university baseball program you have pinned up on your bedroom walls? Worried you will “only” play D3 baseball, or “worse” JUCO baseball? Play in a state that is known for bowling or curling or alligator wrestling and most definitely not baseball? Have you been told by local sports fans and media and “experts” that no one from your hometown has ever made it professional baseball? Playing D2 or D3 and worry that you will never, ever get drafted? Because D2 or D3 players never get drafted??? Do you need some small town, D3 baseball player who made it motivation? Ok, first let’s see what you know…
Ever heard of Washington Depot, Connecticut? It’s kind of near Danbury, CT and kind of near the border or New York state. Actually, it’s kind of not near anywhere you might associate with baseball. It’s population is roughly 3,000 people. Definitely not a one horse town, but it does have a restaurant in town named “The White Horse.” I’m not even sure it has a gas station, just kidding. Oh wait, the Henry David Thoreau Footbridge is in Washington Depot. It snows in April there, sometimes in October. Know the place? Okay, we will circle back to Washington Depot in a bit. Now, let’s head east to Rhode Island.
Ever heard of Newport, Rhode Island? Wait, you haven’t heard of Newport? Mansions, sailboats, America’s Cup, Thames St, Cardines Field, Naval College, beaches and bars galore, tourism, the rich and famous summer there – Newport has it all. Newport is also home to baseball powerhouse Salve Regina University. Their hugely successful baseball program, run by Head Baseball Coach Eric Cirella, is a Division III powerhouse and consistently ranks high regionally and nationally. So, ever heard of Newport? How about Salve? Let’s move on, staying in Rhode Island…
Have you heard of the New England Collegiate Baseball League? If not, you should learn about its place in summer collegiate baseball. Many, many, many players have played 1 or more seasons in the NECBL and have drafted into professional baseball. The list is endless and grows every MLB draft. The big rivalry in Rhode Island, in the NECBL, is the Ocean State Waves vs the Newport Gulls. They call it the “Pell Bridge Series” named after the Newport Claiborne Pell Bridge that teams have to cross to play games against each other. There is so much talent in the NECBL every summer, it was a pleasure attending games and an honor sharing my experiences at the games via my blog for years. Ok, so how do all these pieces tie in?
Washington Depot, CT is the hometown of one Dominic Perachi, professional baseball player in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization, The Greensboro Grasshoppers to be specific. Salve Regina University is the program Perachi came up through, paid his dues as an underclassman, then dominated on a ridiculous level as an upper classman. The Newport Gulls grabbed Perachi to pitch for them in the Summer of 2022. That summer, I was at a summer collegiate NECBL matchup featuring Perachi’s Newport Gulls vs the Ocean State Waves. I chatted with local press. I chatted with Salve’s Cirella behind home plate. I witnessed about 20 scouts at the game watching Perachi. Perachi was electric. He looked and threw like a pro. Everyone in the stands knew it. He made really good collegiate hitters look foolish at the plate. What an awesome moment to be a baseball fan, a small town baseball fan.
Less than a month later, Dominic Perachi was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 11th round. From Washington Depot, Connecticut to Newport, Rhode Island to the Pirates organization… Folks, Dominic Perachi is your small town, one horse town, one gas station town, Division 3 baseball program, no one is going to notice me or recruit me or pick me or draft me motivation. Washington Depot didn’t hold him back. Division 3 Salve Regina didn’t hold him back. The New England Collegiate Baseball League didn’t hold him back. Dominic Perachi made it, he got drafted, heck he was 5-0 in 2023. He is a professional baseball player, and yes a former D3 LHP for Newport’s Salve Regina University. Players, there is your motivation.
Go get it this Spring and Summer. Don’t let your small town status get in the way of your big league dreams and more important, your big league talent!!!
The Rhiter 
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