Little League Day at the Shark Tank. —Nicholas Vukota. 
The first pitch, thrown by a Little League player on the Red Raiders. —Nicholas Vukota 
Griffin Crain make contact at the plate for the Sharks. —Nicholas Vukota 
The Martha’s Vineyard Sharks played the Mystic Schooners in their home opener at the Shark Tank. —Nicholas Vukota 
Sharks pitcher, Callen Powers, a senior at UMass Amherst, started on the mound against the Mystic Schooners. —Nicholas Vukota 
Sharks pitcher, Callen Powers, throws from the mound as a Mystic Schooner attempts to steals a base behind him. —Nicholas Vukota 
Griffin Crain makes contact for the Martha’s VIneyard Sharks. —Nicholas Vukota 
Little League Day at the Shark Tank. —Nicholas Vukota 
Sharks players signed jerserys. —Nicholas Vukota 
Little League players from around the Island played pass and fielded ground balls with the Sharks. —Nicholas Vukota 
Young Martha’s Vineyard Sharks’ fans race across the field in between innings. —Nicholas Vukota 
Little Leaguers from around the Island took the field at the Shark Tank before the Sharks’ home opener against the Mystic Schooners. —Nicholas Vukota
The Martha’s Vineyard Sharks wasted no time opening their 2026 season, playing three official games over the weekend that left the Sharks with a 2-1 record. The Sharks play in the New England Collegiate Baseball League.
At the Sharks’ first practice last Tuesday, players and coaches told The Times they shared the same ambition: to win a championship. But for many, summer ball on Martha’s Vineyard also creates a unique opportunity for players: playing the sport they love with new friends on a beautiful Island.
The Sharks fell to the Mystic Schooners 3-2 in a close home opener Friday night at the Shark Tank in Oak Bluffs, but they bounced back with a 5-3 win over the Newport Gulls on Saturday at home. They closed the weekend by defeating the Bristol Blues 7-4 on Sunday in Bristol. They also played an exhibition game against the Yankees scout team last Thursday, which they won 5-4.
The home opener on Friday against Mystic was a close battle. The Sharks last played the Mystic Schooners in the semifinals of the NECBL playoffs last season and defeated them 5-2 at the Shark Tank.
In the first inning on Friday, the Schooners put runners on first and third with one out, but the Sharks’ Madux Iovinelli (No. 32) made a jumping catch at the outfield fence, getting the team out of the early inning.
Mystic took a 2-0 lead in the second inning. Jamie Zee hit a home run for the Schooners, and Troy Reader singled for a run batted in. The Sharks responded in the bottom of the second, when Jackson Taylor singled and drove in the Sharks’ Adam Torch, but the Schooners got another run in the top of the eighth to widen the gap. Casey Wensley for the Schooners drove in Bryce Detwiler to bring the score to 3-1. The Sharks almost came back in the bottom of the ninth, netting a single run when Jaylen Hernandez grounded out to second base. The play drove in Taylor, but they couldn’t find the equalizer.
The Sharks return to the Shark Tank on Wednesday, June 10, against the North Adams SteepleCats. First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 pm.
My husband and I moved here in January and are first time hosts for 2 Sharks players. What a fun experience it’a been to get to know the guys. They are polite, easy going, and helpful (it’s great to have people who are 6’4” and 6’3” around!). We’ve enjoyed talking with them about baseball and their first-time experiences on MVY (like the middle of the night ride on The Patriot). We don’t have any kids at home, but that is not a requirement, so we urge you to open your homes now and next season.