Rappoli Continues Family Tradition In Baseball

Nolan Rappoli SS / 2B / Xaverian Brothers, MA / 2026

FOXBORO, Ma. - His father played in the Red Sox organization while an older brother just finished his final season at Brown. It was only fitting that Nolan Rappoli would follow the family path to play baseball after high school and the Xaverian Brothers junior is doing just that with a commitment to Harvard.

“The dream growing up was to play college baseball at the Division I level,” Rappoli reflected. “It was all about working hard every day and never letting the moment get too big.”

It was two years ago when the possibility of fulfilling the aspirations of playing at the next level became realistic.

“I started to see I was pretty good at this,” the top-ranked 2026 shortstop in New England said about his thoughts at the time. “It was at that point I knew I really wanted this and started working harder to get to the point I am now.”

Playing at Xaverian was beneficial according to the 17-year-old.

“During the high school season we were a very competitive team with really good players so we got in front of a lot of coaches,” Rappoli explained. “I’m thinking, this is it, I had to perform. I played like nobody was watching.

“But where it really started for me was when I went to the Top Prospect Games and got invited to the Future Games,” Rappoli continued about his recruiting process. “I played pretty well and that’s when it all happened.”

Offers came in from Northeastern and StoneyBrook while visits were planned to Marist and the College of Charleston, but it was Harvard, which had been tracking the eighth-rated junior in Massachusetts all summer, that made the biggest impression.

“When I went to the Future Games, basically their entire staff was there,” Rappoli said of Harvard. “On Aug. 1, I was on the phone with their (associate head) coach (Bryan Stark) who is now (the head coach) at Tufts and the day after I was on the phone with the head coach (Bill Decker). The day after that, on Aug. 3, there was a follow-up and they offered.”

With a school that has so much to offer, the decision to make Harvard home was an easy one.

“The academics are the best in the world,” pointed out Rappoli, who carries a 3.68 unweighted and 4.27 weighted GPA in high school. “The baseball program is awesome. The players love it.”

A commitment came once a visit was made to the university in Cambridge.

“I was able to get on campus a couple of weeks later with my family and ended up committing,” Rappoli noted.

Harvard was enamored with a lot about the 11th-ranked 2026 in New England.

“They like how I present myself on the field,” Rappoli said. “They like my hustle, grit, how I compete in the box and what I can do defensively. I showcased that during high school, this summer and at the Future Games.”

An improved game played a role in getting schools to follow the top-rated junior shortstop in Massachusetts.

“The weight room was a big part of it,” the 5-11 182-pounder explained about his improvement. “I’ve always been a smaller guy, but I grew unexpectedly four or five inches two years ago and have gone from 5-5 to almost 6-0 now. I was also only about 145-150 pounds a year-and-a-half ago. I dedicated time to the gym and put on 30 pounds and that helped me with everything.”

His father, Paul, is credited by Rappoli with being the biggest influence in his baseball journey to Harvard.

“My dad has always been there for me,” Rappoli said. “He’s the one I’m hitting with and working with. He sets me up in situations a lot of other kids would dream for. He’s always there from a mental standpoint to a physical standpoint.”

Rappoli also pointed to coaches Joe Breen and Chris Welch with helping his recruitment and finding a college at Harvard, which is located just 50 minutes from home.

“There was a lot of relief after committing,” Rappoli admitted. “The first 20 days of August were pretty stressful. It’s a big decision. It dictates the next four years of your life and beyond. All the work in the classroom and weight room paid off. Now I need to keep working to be the best player I can be.”

There is an understanding by Rappoli when it comes to the challenges that await at the Ivy League university.

“I just told myself I’ve been doing it my whole life, balancing academics and baseball,” Rappoli related. “When I got on the phone with some players at Harvard, that was one of my first questions. They just said you’ve been doing it your whole life and you can do it now. The things Harvard provides you sets you up for success.”

Rappoli, who is “comfortable” playing all four infield positions after playing first base in high school last year and middle infield this summer, is excited about bringing continued success to the baseball program.

“They’re gonna get a guy that loves to win,” Rappoli said. “I like to win and I like being a part of a winning culture and Harvard has been a winning program.”

There is more he looks forward to when it comes to being a student-athlete at Harvard.

“Seeing what my brother (Reece) did at Brown, college baseball is such a cool atmosphere and I can’t wait to be one of those guys,” Rappoli concluded.