Senior Spotlight: Dylan Nolan

As Wells College puts a close to its 2019-20 season, the athletics department wraps up the past year with one final senior spotlight and one final all-decade team as the Express welcomes in new students for the 2020-21 school-year. Today's installment looks at the baseball program's most decorated player in a final senior spotlight for Dylan Nolan.

Dylan is a business major from Brick, N.J., who has been the team's catcher since the program began and achieved all-conference honors in every season that the NEAC made selections. He is also the only player from the program named Academic All-District by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). 

First-year Wells head baseball coach Ryan Stevens had the following to say about Dylan, "Dylan is a born leader and the foundation to the Wells Baseball program since the beginning. He has left his mark on the school and program forever, and I hope he continues to leave his mark on wherever his future takes him. He is a well-rounded student-athlete with great character."

Over his 107-game career at Wells, Dylan had 138 hits with 56 going for extra bases. Dylan scored 86 runs and batted-in 89 runners with a .371 batting average, a .449 on-base percentage and .602 slugging percentage. In the field, Dylan had 644 putouts and 72 assists with a pair of double plays for a .981 fielding percentage.

During the shortened 2020 season, Dylan recorded nine hits and six RBIs with a .310 batting average, a .487 on-base percentage and .414 slugging percentage while scoring seven runs during nine games. In the field, Dylan had 81 putouts and five assists for a perfect fielding percentage.

Dylan was one of six baseball team members announced in the inaugural class of Wells College's New York State Alpha Omicron Chapter of Chi Alpha Sigma, a national organization that recognizes student-athletes from accredited four-year institutions who excel in both the classroom and competition and is also a member of the 2020 Wells College All-Decade Team, which is available at: https://wells-express.com/sports/bsb/2019-20/releases/20200725vwpstr

Why did you choose Wells College?

Growing up, my passion for baseball increasingly became more important to me. I always knew I wanted to further my talents year after year and I knew it was possible to achieve those aspirations through dedication and perseverance. After being cut three years in a row in middle school, I obtained a lot of grit. I believed in myself more than others did and at this time of my life I was determined to always play baseball at the next level. Baseball was not just it though. I have always been interested in businesses and how interactions between currency and product is deemed essential to our livelihoods, which is why I had eventually wanted to study this subject in college. Business and baseball led me down the path to finding Wells and the opportunity that was present for me at that time. To be a part of a first-year baseball program in the history of Wells' 150 years of existence, to me felt like a legacy I needed to embark on. It was hard to pass up a college like this where I would be able to academically succeed in the classroom, as well as on the field. I am a firm believer in God and destiny and that this was the certain path for me. I didn't find Wells College, Wells College found me.

What is your favorite memory at Wells College as a student-athlete?

My favorite memory at Wells College as an athlete was my entire junior-year season. It was a special season for me and the guys because it was when we finally discovered what it was like to be a part of a family; not just a baseball squad. We saw our horizons and how much potential each and every one of us had individually and collectively. I feel that it took us until my junior year in 2019, to set the building blocks towards a culture that I hope flourishes and expands from there on out for many years to come. I chose the whole season because so much hard work, blood, sweat and tears were added into the equation. We started off that season with myself not being able to attend the spring break trip due to a sickness, but I bounced back as fast as I could. I recorded my 100th hit and 10th career homerun in the same at bat. We beat Keuka at their field to go to the playoffs. We beat Penn College at a minor league stadium, and we celebrated together like you couldn't imagine. The memory of 2019 baseball season will forever go down in history. We became brothers for life.

What are your plans after Wells College?

My plans for after college are to continue to further my athletic career next summer down in Alpine, Texas where I will be playing for the Alpine Cowboys in the Pecos League. I was supposed to be down there this summer, but due to COVID-19, well everyone knows the rest. In the time being, I will be working at a small business I used to work at before attending college. As far as I'm concerned, I will be playing baseball for as long as I can until someone pulls me aside and tells me I'm done. When that happens, I would love to either own, or partially own a small business while pursuing a career in Port Authority Police.

What advice would you give to the next person wearing your number?

I'm sorry but No. 15 has been retired.

If you had a favorite class during your time at Wells College, what was it and why was it your favorite?

My psychology classes were amongst my favorite types of classes because it was beyond fascinating how and why the human body does what it does. I felt like it would be interesting to learn about this stuff because understanding how someone feels or act the way they act helps you become a better person with more rational judgment. I felt that this could help while networking in business, as well as in criminal justice. In law enforcement, knowing psychology and its field of study goes a long way. Criminal psychology was a favorite of mine.

What will you miss the most about being a student-athlete at Wells College?

Being able to excel both on the field as well as in the classroom. Wells gave students that ability because being a small school it gave you that ability to perfectly manage academics and sports and not be lost in the crowd in doing so. At Wells, you are a part of a family whether it's within a sport or not. You aren't just a number like at any other big-name school. I am going to miss my late-night runs, my workout routine, my practices, my field, the faculty, the staff and the professors; I am going to miss it all. Wells gave me the most experience and for that I am going to miss it all.