Nick Lepere used to play travel ball on his father’s team before he became too old. But this summer Lepere is playing for the Newburgh Nuclears’ senior American Legion baseball team for the first time.

“I like it a lot,” he said, last week prior to a double-header with Shrub Oak. “I’m excited for what this year has to bring, and hopefully we do good.”

Lepere started playing baseball when he was about five years old, and he just graduated from Beacon after starting in the outfield since he was a freshman.

“I enjoyed it, definitely,” he said. “I played centerfield all four years, and I just love the sport.”

Beacon is a Class A school, and the Nukes also have players from Marlboro. O’Neill and Highland, all smaller school districts.

At Beacon, Lepere played Class A ball in Section 1, which he said is difficult every spring against tough competition.

“Personally, I think Section 1 is one of the hardest sections to play in,” he said. “Section 9 is pretty tough, too, but Section 1 is very hard to play in.”

The Nukes have many players playing college baseball next year at D-I, D-II and D-III schools, and Lepere is one of them.

Lepere is headed to Western Connecticut State University, across the state border in Danbury. It is a D-III school, and Lepere will study history in addition to playing college baseball in 2020 not too far from his home in Beacon.