Baseball will continue at the collegiate level for 2018 Newtown High School graduates Ben Harrison, Eugene Citrano, Kyle Roche, and Orlando Swift. All four Nighthawks used a combination of their abilities on the field and smarts in the classroom to set themselves up to keep at it on the diamonds.

Harrison is a catcher who will bring his glove (and bat) to Western New England University, where he will study Finance in a five-year MBA program.

“They’re looking for, obviously, a guy who can mash — which he does — and that has a tremendous arm and can manage a staff,” Newtown High Coach Ian Thoesen said of Harrison’s next team. “He’s got the smarts. He knows the game.”

“I’m super-excited. It’s going to be a lot more challenging because it’s a higher level of play,” said Harrison, who has played baseball for 13 years, including on the Bethel Admirals 19U American Legion summer wood bat team. “I really like winning. It’s a pretty emotional game — there’s a lot of pride to it.”

Harrison had a .284 batting average with a home run and 11 runs batted in during his junior year when he was making his college plans, then had an even more impressive senior campaign. Harrison, in 26 games for the Nighthawks this past spring, batted .366 with 12 extra-base hits and 24 RBI.

Citrano will head to Post University in Waterbury.

“He’s fast; he’s versatile in the outfield — he can play the corners,” Thoesen said of Citrano.

Citrano said having the right mindset to work hard at the game is key to success.

“I’m looking forward to the challenge for sure,” said the outfielder, who hit .385 with a dozen extra base hits, including a homer, drove in 18, and scored 21 runs in 24 games during senior campaign.

In 16 games the previous spring, Citrano recorded a .380 batting average and .740 slugging percentage while hitting a trio of homers, driving in 14, and collecting 19 hits in 16 games.

Roche, who along with Swift and Harrison played for the Admirals this summer, will pitch at Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster, Penn.

“I’m just going to keep working on my stuff and hoping I can help the team as a freshman,” the tall right-hander said. “I want to try to instill myself as a top guy or someone who can help.”

Roche throws a fastball, curveball, slider, and changeup. A season after striking out 40 batters and posting an earned run average of 2.51 in 39 innings of work, Roche had quite a senior year. In 68 innings he fanned 89 batters while walking 18, and had an ERA of 1.33.

The pitcher said having a solid defense behind him is key to success on the mound.

“I can always trust them. I don’t have to worry,” Roche said of his fielders.

Thoesen said Roche and Swift were a couple of great arms to have in the rotation, and they gave the Hawks a nice one-two punch at the top of the rotation.

Swift, who has the same repertoire of pitches as Roche, went 46 innings, struck out 51, and had an ERA of 1.76 in his junior campaign. He pitched 40 innings and compiled 72 strikeouts while pitching to a 3.67 ERA this past spring.

Swift committed to Avery Point and is looking to study something in the physical therapy field, but he has an eye on a possible future in baseball if things work out.

“I’d like to play at the next level,” Swift said. “You have to be realistic. It’s kind of tough. Millions of kids are in the same position I’m in.”

Current Nighthawk, infielder Todd Petersen, also has his college plans lined up. Petersen, who will be a senior this coming fall, will attend the University of Connecticut in 2019. He played in 26 games this past spring and batted .364; collected 28 hits, including nine doubles and a homer; and scored 33 runs. That was made possible by patience at the plate as Petersen worked 24 walks compared to just a dozen strikeouts.

“I’m so excited. It’s a great program — a great baseball program, great academics, awesome coach. It’s like a dream school,” said Petersen, who will play for UConn Coach Jim Penders.

For now, Petersen has a season of high school ball to look forward to.

“I’m excited for next year. We should have another good year — hopefully take home a championship,” Petersen said while working as an instructor at the Ian Thoesen Baseball Camp at Glander Fields in late July.

The Newtown High baseball team, in large part due to the efforts of these college-bound athletes, reached the South-West Conference championship two springs in a row, winning the title in 2017.

“They work hard in school. They work hard on the baseball field. Overall, they’re great kids, and they deserve it,” Thoesen said of the five Newtown ball players making their college plans. “It’s a testament to those kids because they’re excelling in school and on the baseball fields.”