Spring Season Underway for 2026 Navs

Below is the first Navs College Baseball Report of the 2026 season. Weekly installments will be posted by Tuesday throughout the spring.

LYNN, Mass. — The North Shore Navigators report to Fraser Field to start their 2026 summer season in the New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL) in just over 100 days, but springtime action is just beginning for the team's rostered players.

The majority of North Shore's returning and incoming players began their respective college seasons this past weekend, which marked the start of Division 1 play across the country. Those in the Ivy League and Division 3 will play ball before the end of February.

With that, here the latest college baseball highlights for incoming Navigators players:

Making his collegiate debut after redshirting last season, Byfield native Hunter Kingsbury (Bryant) made his presence felt during the opening weekend of the Division 1 season. The lefthanded-hitting outfielder logged three of his four hits for doubles, reached base at a .357 clip and stole a base against Davidson. Kingsbury also scored four runs, including one in the 10th inning of Friday's season-opening win and three in Saturday's rubber match. 

Northwestern catcher Jay Slater displayed some early-season power, hitting two home runs and driving in five in a three-game series at Rice. The redshirt freshman recorded hits in each contest, highlighted by a two-run homer in a 17-6 Sunday victory to cap the weekend. Justin Fryer had Slater as his batterymate while working in two games out of the Wildcats' bullpen, tossing a strikeout across a three-inning sample size. Fryer threw two scoreless innings in Friday's season opener.

One note outside the Division 1 ranks… The junior college season was well underway before Friday, and Peabody native Danati Fronduto (San Jacinto) has shown off another powerful stroke that will be on display at Fraser Field this summer. Fronduto owns a .379 average with four home runs and 10 RBI through his first 10 games, having put together a pair of multi-hit games and homered twice this past weekend alone.

In another Division 1 debut performance, Lynn's own Josh Doney (UMass Lowell) delivered a scoreless final inning with one strikeout as the River Hawks completed their three-game series against Morehead State. Fellow southpaw John Delgado (Dayton) was victorious in his Flyers debut on Saturday, as he recorded two outs to set the stage for a come-from-behind, 3-1 win at Lipscomb. 

High Point's Aidan Paul was the first incoming North Shore arm to make a start this spring, drawing the No. 2 role in the Panthers' weekend rotation. Paul showed swing-and-miss stuff throughout his Saturday outing against Saint Joseph's, striking out nine across five innings of three-run ball. Lane Allen recorded three RBI and scored two runs to help the Panthers go 2-1 on the weekend, including hitting a clutch two-run single in the eighth inning of a 3-0 Saturday win.

From the Mid-American Conference, the Navigators bring in a pair of Bowling Green bats in center fielder Pauly Mancino and first baseman Brady Birchmeier, who both played a role in the Falcons' series against Georgia Tech. Mancino has been an anchor early in the batting order with four hits and a walk for a .364 average through three games, while Birchmeier reached base twice in Friday's season-opening contest.

The duo of Michael Brown and Brayden Gregg made an impact for Hofstra against another power opponent in Mississippi State. Brown, a third-year infielder, saw two of his three hits go for doubles and was also hit by two pitches. Gregg pitched two innings and allowed only one hit on Friday to keep the Pride in a one-run game against the No. 4 Bulldogs. 

Returning North Shore catcher Aidan Sengenberger (Seton Hall) also had an immediate impact behind the plate, starting both of the Pirates' games at the Puerto Rico Challenge while going 2-for-5 with an RBI in a Saturday win over Manhattan.

The Navigators will return to historic Fraser Field and the NECBL for their 19th summer season in 2026, with first pitch set for Friday, June 5. Stay up to date on the latest Navs news by visiting nsnavs.com and following the team on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram.