With their first game scheduled for April 18 at Mansfield, Walpole Baseball will not have their home-opener until April 22.   Still dwelling on the sour taste over the last time they played on Eldracker, Walpole Baseball is looking for redemption after their early exit from the 2014 postseason.

The Rebels, seeded third in the 2014 Division I MIAA State Tournament, were ultimately disappointed at Eldracker when they were bounced in the first round at the hands of Brockton by a score of 4-0. This year’s team, led by captains Jack Donnelly, James Newman, Kevin Quinn and Ian Fair, look to rebound from last year and reclaim their place as an elite team in the Bay State League.

Fair, the only junior who was named as a captain of the team, is excited for the new season. “I think we have a lot of talent and depth this year,” said Fair. “We have a good chance of making a real run this year.”

Fair, a verbal commit to Northeastern, will be looking to take an important role within the team, as he did last year as the shortstop and lead-off batter for the Rebels. 

On the bench, coach Bill Tompkins has accomplished a lot in his many years at the helm of the program, but the last couple years have been the most eventful. Tompkins beat cancer and won his 500th game in the 2013 season, and in the 2014 season he tied coach Tom Wall for most wins in the Bay State Conference with his 538th, a 4-3 victory over Mansfield.

This season promises to be a unique one, with the start of the season postponed from April 2 until April 18, meaning the Rebels will be playing four to five games per week once the season starts. The compressed schedule means that keeping the pitching rotation – led by Newman and Donnelly – healthy will be integral to the Rebels’ success.

Games flowing thick and fast, combined with the team losing eight seniors, the 2015 season will be a unique test for Walpole baseball.