COTUIT, Mass. — The first pitch made a loud thud. It was a perfect pitch thrown to coach Mike Roberts, the catcher, by former assistant coach Brian Scott. It was a reunion eight years in the making.

Brian Scott assistant coached from 2010-2016 either as the bullpen or bench coach in Cotuit. He was a part of the 2010 and 2013 Cape Cod League championship teams, plus the 2012 team with one of the best records in Kettleers history. He was introduced for the first pitch as a “Kettleer for life” by public address announcer Roy Reiss.

Scott came from an education and baseball background, teaching environmental science. He also was a pitcher at DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana, with his team placing third in the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference tournament in 2006. After the school year ended, Scott was looking for a summer job.

“As the summer approached, I started to look at summer jobs,” Scott said. “What does it hurt if I send my resume to all the teams? Coach Roberts had an opening at that point. We talked a couple of times on the phone, and he liked my background of working with kids and having a baseball background. He gave me a chance.”

When asked why he hired Brian, Roberts said he was the best candidate available and saw that in him.

“We had no idea that we would be so fortunate to have him for seven years,” Roberts said. “He’s just a phenomenal human being.”

Some of Scott’s primary responsibilities as assistant coach were maintaining the field, operating the clinics and supporting Roberts. He also helped players who wanted early work in pitching, hitting and throwing. His favorite duties to share with outsiders of the Cape were teaching players how to sign autographs and demonstrating how to slip 'n slide.

Roberts said that Brian’s love of the environment led him to go around and recycle every water bottle after the games, adding another task to his workload.

“He would pick up all of the water bottles and cans and take them to recycling,” Roberts said. “He would go around the ballpark. We had red barrels back then that were recycling barrels, and Brian would take them in his vehicle. He was always trying to do the little things that a lot of other people would overlook.”

The main highlights of assistant coaching for the Kettleers for Scott was winning the Cape Cod Baseball League championship in 2010 and 2013.

“That was really fun to end the year with a win and be crowned the Cape League champions,” Scott said. “The team in 2012, we didn’t win the championship, but we had over 30 wins. It was a really talented team.”

He also reflected fondly on the Cotuit traditions he participated in, such as the Fourth of July parade and ballpark festivities, but his favorite was working the clinics.

“The clinics with the kids were really fun to do,” Scott said. “And seeing the kids at the games was one of the highlights.”

“He has a teacher’s heart,” Roberts said. “If a youngster didn’t feel very good at camp and wasn’t sure if they wanted to come back the next day, Brian was always the one to console them and try to put a positive spin on it.”

When asked about working with Roberts, Scott said he learned a lot and enjoyed working with him.

“I was able to spend so many summers improving and taking on more responsibilities,” Scott said. “Hopefully supporting [Roberts] and the Kettleers more as I became more comfortable and better in those things. I think that was a dynamic relationship that changed. It was different in 2010 versus my last summer in 2016.”

Roberts also spoke highly of working alongside Brian.

“I thought we worked very cohesively,” Roberts said. “No matter what I asked Brian to handle as responsibilities, he always did more than I asked. After about a year here, his last six years, I didn’t have to ask ever, he had already had it done. That’s what you love in an assistant coach.”

Scott still keeps in touch with players, coaches and volunteers he met when with the Kettleers, talking to old friends while he was visiting. He’s wanted to return since he left in 2016 to raise his family in Minnesota.

“It kind of worked out for us as a family to be able to visit and see other parts of the Cape,” Scott said. “And to catch a couple of games.”

Brian Scott loved the Kettleers, and the Kettleers loved him back. And they still do; fans gave much applause when introduced. He is a Kettleer for life.