White River Junction
More than anyone, Austin Embler has been that guy, starting in all seven games at his natural position, second base, since arriving in the Upper Valley on Wednesday. The Southern Pines, N.C., native has had four hits and two runs in 18 at-bats. But what stands out for the Nighthawks coaching staff is his defensive presence.
In a position where Upper Valley lacks depth, Embler’s presence has given the Nighthawks coaching staff a little peace of mind in a season filled with more questions than answers.
“I knew we were short on infielders,” Embler said on Friday. “I didn’t necessarily know that I was going to play every single game, but I knew we were low on depth in infielders and that we needed some as soon as possible. I had a feeling, but then again you never know.”
Embler doesn’t stand out in the Nighthawks dugout. The UNC Greensboro junior stands at a generous 5-foot-9 and is listed at 160 pounds.
But on the infield, Embler is a force — particularly his sidearm throw that from a distance looks effortless.
Though the Nighthawks as a whole have struggled to find their way, Embler has done his best to quickly assimilate into the lineup. As a newcomer, that’s not always easy. But being able to play every day has made Embler feel like part of the team.
“I like it,” Embler said. “I feel real confident out there. We have a good relationship as an infield. I’m not too sketched out or worried when we’re out there playing.”
Embler caught a flight up to the Upper Valley the day after getting a call from his UNC Greensboro coaches saying he had a place to play this summer, though he admitted that he didn’t know much about the NECBL, the Upper Valley Nighthawks, or where Hartford was on a map.
“At first, I was like, ‘Where?’ I didn’t know anything about it, I was kind of caught off-guard,” he said. “I had heard about (the NECBL), but I didn’t know much about it.”
For Embler, getting a chance to play on a consistent basis makes the daily grind worth it. If he can contribute offensively in the process, even better. On Saturday night, Embler made his offensive presence felt with an RBI single that put the Nighthawks up, 3-1, in the fourth inning against the Sanford Mainers.
“Just to get live at-bats, just get my playing time in, just get in the game and get things going and getting prepared for next season (at UNC Greensboro),” Embler said on what he hopes to get out of the opportunity.
“I think if more players just stop being selfish and actually stop trying to hit home runs, actually put guys in scoring position and execute runs when it’s needed, yeah, if everyone plays small ball and does their job that needs to be done that coach tells us to do, we’ll start stringing some hits together and scoring some runs,” he said.