Nolan Finds Sacred Heart 'Has So Much To Offer'

COVENTRY, Ct. - The style of play fits CJ Nolan perfectly. Now the East Catholic junior is a Sacred Heart commit.

“I like their philosophy and the way they play the game,” related the 31st-rated 2024 shortstop in New England. “I like what (assistant coach) TK (Kiernan) said and how it aligns with my game, using all sides of the field hitting and stuff like that.”

Initial connections with Sacred Heart began with the help of travel coach Scott Chiasson.

“I play for the CT Hurricanes and Scott has a lot of connections,” Nolan explained. “I identified schools I was interested in and he got that out to them. They were coming to watch one of my games, but it was rained out. However, my mom was persistent about it and said I need to go to a camp.

“I went to a prospect camp in October and played well in front of the coaching staff. Then we had some phone calls and they had my family come on a visit. They took me in the office and offered around Thanksgiving. They gave us a timeframe. It was tough to decide if I wanted to wait until spring, but I looked it over and there were overwhelming positives so I accepted.”

What stood out that made Sacred Heart the right choice over the likes of Marist and Fairfield, schools that Nolan was also in communication with during his recruitment?

“New (head) coach (Pat) Egan has established his beliefs - honesty, integrity and working hard,” the 151st-ranked junior in New England noted. “Those are the same beliefs that I have and it sold me.”

Coaches with Sacred Heart saw the 5-9 170-pounder as a strong fit for the program.

“My dad asked ‘what value Carl has’ to them and TK said ‘he puts his nose down, is a well-rounded athlete with a good frame and has the ability to add size and improve,’” Nolan said.

The idea of playing at the next level began just a few years back for the 16-year-old.

“Since I was 12 or so and watching college baseball with my dad as a Little Leaguer, I’ve wanted to pick the best route to do it and that’s when I became serious,” Nolan reflected. “I hit the weight room and began training more to prepare to be a college athlete.”

It also meant getting exposure to colleges.

“It was stressful going to a PBR event and wanting to put my best foot forward,” Nolan admitted. “But having confidence in my abilities allowed me to do it. It was mostly a pain-free recruiting process for me.”

The 13th-rated 2024 shortstop in Connecticut pointed to Chaisson and Martin Fiori, his high school head coach at East Catholic, as keys in getting to the point of being a college commit.

“They informed me how the process worked, helped me get looks and were there as someone for me to lean on,” Nolan said.

The 55th-rated junior from Connecticut is thrilled to know where his future in college will be, just a little more than an hour from home.

“It was an absolute joy and relief for my parents and grandfather,” Nolan related. “I’m looking forward to being part of a group atmosphere hoping to win a conference title and get the program back to being able to compete in the tournament.”

Recent improvement will help the cause according to Nolan.

“I’ve gotten a lot stronger the past couple of years and put on weight,” Nolan said. “That correlates with running faster and throwing harder. I’ve also been putting in the time hitting and learning how the body works with the swing to produce more power.”

It has Nolan eager to show what he can provide the Northeast Conference program.

“I want to bring wins to the program any way I can,” Nolan said. “Coach TK and Egan see me as an everyday shortstop, but I like to say I can also play center field. I’m a five-tool guy that will do anything to help coach Egan and the coaching staff get wins.”

A 4.3 student at East Catholic, Nolan plans to go into either business or exercise science.

“It’s another reason why I picked Sacred Heart,” Nolan said. “They have so much to offer.”