Itkin was eying return to court
Shea grad had sights set on returning to court
Shea alum had sights set on comeback at RIC
• The racket had been dusted off and primed for competitive usage this spring. Then came the coronavirus that turned the world upside down and placed a no-go on Eli Itkin’s quest to compete for the Rhode Island College men’s tennis team.
“I almost got lucky,” said Itkin when reached one day earlier this week.
A Pawtucket native who graduated from
Shea High School in 2013, Itkin owns a unique story.
He’s now a 25-year-old who played four years of college basketball at Husson University, a Division III school located in Maine. From 2013-17, he started 20 out of a possible 100 games for the Eagles and averaged 6.6 ppg while hitting 38.9 percent from threepoint territory.
Where it gets interesting can be traced back to when Itkin dropped out of college in 2017. In terms of eligibility, the NCAA still allowed him to have two semesters to play one sport.
For someone who hadn’t played a competitive tennis match since his junior year of high school in 2012 – Itkin didn’t play as a senior at Shea, a decision he looks back on and admits was a mistake – the onetime No. 1 singles player for the Raiders sought redemption.
“I definitely played [tennis] whenever could,” he said.
Itkin attempted to give it the old college try for the 2019 season but was advised by RIC tennis head coach Adam Spring to straighten out all eligibility issues and set a target date for 2020.
It was also suggested that Itkin enroll as a part-time student for the fall 2019 semester – he’s on-track to graduate from RIC with a degree in psychology.
He started to train and practice with the returning Anchormen contributors. From those pre-winter sessions, Itkin gained a ton of confidence.
“It was great to be back out on the court again and see that I still had it a little bit,” said Itkin. “I actually felt I was better than when I was in high school.”
The first match of RIC’s 2020 season was scheduled for March 17. That was cancelled along with 13 additional regular-season matches that would have provided Itkin – listed as a 6-foot-4 senior – with the ideal platform to wrap up his college playing career.
“It would have worked out perfectly. Everything was signed off. I was eligible,” said Itkin.
Like many college seniors, Itkin finds himself wrestling with the idea of returning for 2021 after the NCAA approved an extra year of eligibility for all spring sport athletes who had their seasons short-circuited because of COVID-19. The heart might be willing, but there’s also the financial piece that needs to be factored into the equation.
“I would love to play. This spring was going to be a chance to see if I still had it. Coming off the couch after playing tennis for however long and see if I could compete at the college level would have been great for my own psyche,” said Itkin. “I definitely think it would be worth it if I go get a Master’s.”
In the interim, Itkin plans to get more involved in the coaching side of tennis. Over the past few seasons, he’s been an assistant coach on the Shea High boys basketball staff.
• St. Raphael Academy is in the market for a new athletic director after Ray Tanguay announced he plans to retire
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• By the end of the 2021 college baseball season, Pawtucket’s Mike Webb will own the rare distinction of having appeared in games in Division I, II and III. The “I” portion of the equation was solidified a few days ago when Webb confirmed that he’ll be taking his pitching talents to the University of Rhode Island as a graduate transfer.
“It’s a perfect storm where you know there’s light at the end of the tunnel,” said Webb, who appeared in three games in his lone season at St. Michael’s College (Division II) before spending 2017-20 at Rhode Island College (Division III).
A nursing major at RIC, Webb noted that URI offers programs that will enable him to stay within the field. Rhody pitching coach Kevin Vance reached out to the righthander and noted the relationship progressed to the point where everything fit into place.
“It’s a program where I can fit in pretty well and make an impact. They have a lot of faith in me and I appreciate that,” said Webb, who pitched in the prestigious Cape Cod League last summer and was 8-0 in 13 starts for the Anchormen between the 2019-20 seasons.
The Rams envision using Webb as either a starter or a closer.
“Obviously, I want to play to the best of my ability, but it’s about winning baseball games,” said Webb, who graduated from Bishop Hendricken. “It’s a journey that still has a lot longer to go. I get the chance to continue my career and compete at a high level. All all I can ask for is an opportunity to see if I can continue that dream of playing professionally, but I’ve got to take things one step at a time. Right now, it’s about getting ready for next spring and trying to win an Atlantic 10 title.” effective July 1. Tanguay has been at the AD helm for the past six years. During his tenure, the Saints achieved championship success in volleyball (boys and girls) and boys soccer while the basketball teams (boys and girls) reached the Final Four of the open state tournament. The SRA cross-country and track programs also enjoyed a strong uptick with Tanguay as the athletic department’s primary overseer.
“There is so much uncertainty in the sports world right now that I feel that the time is right for me to move on,” said Tanguay, who’s looking forward to spending more time with his family.
• Alex Gonfrade, a contributor to Mount St. Charles’ 2019 Division II baseball title, was off to a promising start on the mound this spring as a freshman at Springfield College. The lefty reliever turned in two scoreless appearances that spanned five innings with four strikeouts compared to zero walks before the pandemic hit and washed away the rest of the season.
• Trying to think of a local connection to the passing of legendary NFL head coach Don Shula and this was the best I could come up with: Pawtucket’s own Gerry Philbin lined up at defensive tackle as the New York Jets upset the Shula-led Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl III, also remembered for Joe Namath’s “I Guarantee It” bravado that the quarterback backed up.
• Burrillville High graduate Tim Norton continues to move his way up baseball’s coaching ladder. After spending the past two seasons as the pitching coach of Double-A Trenton (a Yankees affiliate), Norton last winter took a similar job with Angels’ Double-A affiliate in Madison, Alabama. The team’s official name is the Rocket City Trash Pandas. Also on the same Rocket City coaching staff as Norton is former PawSox catcher Matt Spring, who is the club’s hitting coach.
• Starting next Monday, the PawSox will be presenting a look back at some of the best moments in franchise history in “SOLID GOLD: Stories of the Best Games in PawSox History.” A new episode will drop each Monday afternoon until reaching the top-ranked game on July 13. The episodes can be downloaded as podcasts via iTunes, Spotify and Google and will also be available on www.pawsox.com and the WEEI section via www.radio.com.
Each podcast will be narrated by PawSox broadcasters Josh Maurer, Mike Antonellis and Jim Cain and feature interviews with folks (players, coaches, executives, media) who can provide vivid insight to what took place the nights the PawSox made on-field history. (Spoiler, this scribe was asked to participate.)
The 10 games featured in the documentary series are listed in chronological order by date:
1981 vs. Rochester: “The Longest Game”
1982 vs. Columbus: Mark Fidrych vs. Dave Righetti duel at McCoy Stadium
1984 Governors’ Cup Finals, Game 5 at Maine
1999 vs. Rochester: Opening of “New McCoy”
2000 vs. Charlotte: Tomo Ohka’s perfect game
2003 vs. Buffalo: Bronson Arroyo’s perfect game
2008 vs. Toledo: David Ortiz homers in first rehab game
2012 Governors’ Cup Finals, Game 3 at Charlotte
2013 vs. Syracuse: Clinch division on a walk-off hit
2014 Governors’ Cup Finals, Game 4 at Durham
• Former Brown football head coach Phil Estes has settled up in New Hampshire since his 21-year run at the Ivy League school came to an end in 2018. After last season’s role as volunteer assistant coach at the University of New Hampshire, Estes plans to turn his attention to the local high school football team this coming fall.
“They’ve been begging for me to help them out,” said Estes.
• High school graduation ceremonies taking place at McCoy Stadium? Like all contingency plans at the moment, don’t rule it out.
• Nothing is official, but with UConn set to rejoin the Big East, next year’s Big East Men’s Basketball Tournament at Madison Square Garden could feature a scenario where three games take place as part of a single session on the tourney’s first day. You would have No. 6 vs. No. 11, No. 7 vs. No. 10, and No. 8 vs. No. 9. An official vote is likely to take place at the Big East meetings that are scheduled later this month.
• You’ve heard of Tommy John surgery. It might be time to make way for COVID-19 elbow surgery in response to the pandemic’s new way of greeting folks. Just remember, go easy. Don’t take a page out of the book of Jose Canseco and Mark McGwire. When the pair were teammates with the Oakland Athletics, they were notorious for bashing each other’s forearms to celebrate home runs.
• This column would have been longer, but it’s time to get cracking on my Mother’s Day feature that will appear in print in this coming Sunday’s Woonsocket Call. No hints on the story that will also be available online, but do us a favor and support your local newspaper.