Espelin, Mejia Returning to North Shore Navigators in 2022

LYNN, Mass. — Two of the North Shore Navigators’ recent additions will be familiar faces to “Navs Nation” as they return to Fraser Field for the upcoming New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL) season.

Left-hander Nate Espelin returns to the Navs for the second time after pitching for the NECBL’s Winnipesaukee Muskrats last summer. The current University of Dayton junior has worked in four games out of the Flyers’ bullpen this season, striking out six batters in six innings. After appearing in five games last spring, the former Middlesex League MVP from Belmont held his NECBL opponents to a .268 average and fanned 18 batters in 16 frames over the summer. Espelin made five starts for North Shore back in 2020.

Returning to the outfield will be University of Maine senior Jeff Mejia, who first played for the Navs at the beginning of his college career in 2017 and 2018. The North Reading native is off to a hot start for the Black Bears this season, sporting a team-leading .376 average and .487 on-base percentage with three doubles, 15 RBI, and 20 runs scored through his first 23 games. Mejia, who has been Maine’s leadoff hitter of late, transferred to Maine in 2021 after captaining his father’s team at Northern Essex Community College.

The Navs kick off their 15th summer of collegiate baseball on Tuesday, June 7 with the home opener at Fraser Field, set for Thursday, June 9. Stay up to date on the latest Navs news by visiting nsnavs.com and following the team on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.