When he was 10 years old Kevin Nolan would come to Fuller Field, peer through the chainlinks and dream of one day suiting up in a Falmouth Commodores uniform. Like most kids’ dreams, he’d come up with the big hit, or make a great play, and, of course, the Commodores would win the game.

     The difference between the yearnings of most starry-eyed children and a now grown-up Nolan is this: the outfielder from Nashua, New Hampshire, and Winthrop University in Rock Hill, South Carolina, is living out that dream. Nolan is playing a variety of infield positions for the Commodores this summer and has gotten off to a blistering start, hitting over .300 through the team’s first couple of games, which included a four-hit performance in his debut.

     “It’s pretty exciting,” the junior-to-be said. “I was that kid playing pickle behind the outfield fence.”

     Nolan’s indoctrination to Commodores baseball came young, thanks to his grandparents, Jack and Lorraine Clark. The Clarks live in the Falmouth Heights area of town and brought Kevin to many games as a kid. He is now staying in their home for the summer while he plays ball for the local team.

     Kevin did not hide his dreams of playing for the Commodores. Before entering his freshman year at Winthrop he told the Commodores’ hierarchy that he hoped to play for them one day. Head Coach Jeff Trundy said he remembered the meeting and hoped that it would work out for the young man, who, he said, has a great attitude about playing the game.

     General Manager Dan Dunn said that the team thought about bringing in Nolan a year ago as a temporary player, but circumstances didn’t allow for that. Dunn didn’t forget about the infielder with Falmouth ties, and after seeing that Nolan was a legitimate player who was second on his team in base hits as a rookie, he made sure that he had a spot with the 2008 Commodores.

     “He’s a great kid, and he can play,” Dunn said. “He’s a nice kid to have around. He reminds me a lot of (the Boston Red Sox’s) Justin Masterson. He’s always got a smile on his face.”

     If he continues to hit Cape League pitching, everyone will definitely be smiling when the season is over. Nolan said that he expected things to be tough in the Cape League, but that he’s adjusting well to the pitching that he’s seeing, and batting with wood bats every day. 

     “The Cape League is such a historical league, and I think you have a feeling of what to expect before you get here, but you don’t really know what to expect until you get out there,” Nolan said.

     Having his grandparents at the ballpark nearly every night is something that the versatile infielder, who, Trundy said, can play at second base, third base or shortstop, is a nice treat. “They like having me around, or at least I think they do,” he joked. “They’ve been to most of the games and they love coming out. They’ll be here pretty much every night.”

     And he hopes to give them a treat to watch. “(My goals are that) hopefully, the team does well, and that I do well.”