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04/26/2018 12:00 AMMiles Sheehan has always been a fierce competitor on the baseball field, and his ambitions are now taking him to a field of dreams north of the border.
Miles, a Madison resident and 2012 Hand graduate, made the high-school varsity baseball team as a junior and was a pitcher for the Tigers. After helping the Baybrook Remodelers of the West Haven Twilight League reach the 2013 National Amateur Baseball Federation national semifinals, Miles played for Division III Clark University in Massachusetts. Following a two-year stint there, Miles was seeking a bigger challenge on the collegiate circuit, and so he went to Division II Franklin Pierce University, where the right-hander posted a 1.52 career ERA with 96 strikeouts in 94.2 innings pitched. A former NCAA Division II American Baseball Coaches Association All-American Second Team and All-New England First Team selection, Miles also ranks fourth all-time in ERA for Division II baseball.
Now, Miles is rounding the base path to the next leg of his career as he’s getting ready to play for the Ottawa Champions of the Canadian American Association of Professional Baseball, which is commonly called the Cam-Am League, and will begin the season on Friday, May 18.
“I played a couple years at Clark, but it wasn’t my kind of competition, so I found my way to Franklin and loved it, but I’m excited to be starting in the Can-Am League in two weeks,” says Miles. “I learned a lot in the classroom and through the teams I played on in college. It’s a different game at that level. I learned a lot at Clark and improved my game. I went from 84 to 86 miles per hour out of high school to 90 when I left there.”
Prior to transferring from Clark to Franklin Pierce, Miles met one of the most integral figures in his baseball career. That person was pitching coach Len Solesky, who Miles credits for refining his repertoire and giving him a little more power on the mound.
“I met Len through Clark, and he helped boost the velocity on my fastball,” Miles says. “In high school, I stayed away from my fastball and did mainly sliders and curveballs. But I needed to locate my fastball in college. When I met Len, he helped me focus on my mechanics, and I noticed the velocity increase right away.”
A big boost in confidence also helped Miles succeed when he competed at Franklin Pierce, especially in the crucial moments. One of the most clutch performances of Miles’s career came when he tossed a four-hit, complete-game gem against Dowling College in the 2015 Division II East Regionals.
“We lost our first game the day before and were upset as the No. 1 seed, but then we came back the next day, and for me the game was a memorable start for me and the fondest memory of college baseball,” says Miles. “To me, baseball is more mental than physical. I’m not the strongest guy, so I developed mental toughness over time. Without confidence, you won’t get the job done on the mound, and everything is on you out there.”
While pitching in the West Haven Twilight League, Miles was named the Most Outstanding Pitcher of the Northeast Regional Tournament when the Remodelers made the Final Four in 2013. Miles’s coach from that team, Al Criscio, was astounded by the impact that he made on the squad at such a young age. However, after having seen the attitude and ability that Miles displayed on the diamond, Crisco isn’t at all surprised with what Miles has accomplished in the ensuing years.
“Miles came aboard on my Twilight team in a hitter’s league by far, where pitchers, especially young rookie pitchers, don’t fare well. Miles shocked the league and went 8-1. His stuff was amazing,” Criscio says. “I had never seen a kid so composed in the 25 years coaching in the Twilight League. He was a class act on and off the field and was ready to compete every time I gave him the ball. I honestly couldn’t ask for a better player than he was. I truly knew this kid was bound for a future somewhere in this game.”
Miles’s final season at Hand was the first one for Travis LaPointe as the Tigers’ head coach. In the short time they spent together, LaPointe saw Miles turn the corner toward becoming a stalwart pitcher.
“Miles is a really special person. His ability really took off between his junior and his senior seasons. Miles loves to pitch and worked so hard at it when he was in high school,” says LaPointe. “During his senior year in high school, everything started to come together for him, and he began to dominate high-school hitters with a good fastball and a devastating breaking ball. He continued to get better and better after he left high school. He has a great family and is a great young man. I am so proud of him.”
Miles says he has fond memories of his one season with Coach LaPointe as the Tigers advanced to the Class L State Tournament quarterfinals in 2012. As he takes the first step in his professional baseball career, Miles wants to use his enthusiasm, experience, and athleticism to go as far as possible while playing America’s pastime.
“My senior year at Hand was a memorable one. It was the first year with Travis as head coach, and I had spent time with him in summer ball. He was a spark of energy and loved the game, which helped us feed off of his energy,” says Miles, who thanks his parents, Cara and Jim, along with Solesky. “I want to keep climbing the ladder. I’m the type of player who’s never satisfied. I want a starter role or to be the first guy out of the bullpen. I reached the professional ranks, but I want to take my career as far as I can.”