Nathan Hall’s 2024 can be summarized into one word— patience.

He displayed it in the batter’s box against the Harwich Mariners in his first at-bat on Thursday, sitting on soft stuff from Danny Macciarola until he saw a slider well out of the hand and over the heart of the plate, and deposited it over the left field fence at Whitehouse Field for a three-run homer.

He had to show it for the first four games of the Cape League season, riding the pine in a Kettleers uniform but not as part of the active roster, wondering if he was even part of the long-term plans in Cotuit.

And he exhibited it at Clemson this past spring, after seeing his playing time take a severe dip while the Tigers played their way to host a Regional and Super Regional in the NCAA Tournament.

“Being patient has taught me a lot,” said Hall. “It's taught me ways to get better, besides just playing, which has been hard for me early on, but that's been very beneficial.”

Hall, a South Carolina native, committed to Clemson out of Lexington High School where he was a highly touted recruit in the Palmetto State. Perfect Game ranked him as the No. 11 player and No. 3 outfielder in South Carolina.

He carried his weight as a freshman with the Tigers, serving essentially as their 10th man, leading the team with 23 games off the bench and appearing in 39 contests overall. Hall logged 74 at-bats and batted .231 with a .321 on-base percentage on a very good Clemson squad that hosted a Regional in the 2023 national tournament.

“Coming out of high school I was a bit arrogant. I was ready to get in there and be the star of the team,” said Hall. “And I think I was just pushing a little too hard. I did play a bit my freshman year, not as much as I liked.”

Clemson could not advance to the supers in Hall’s freshman year, which must not have been satisfactory for head coach Erik Bakich. Clemson brought in fifth-year transfers like utility man Jimmy Obertop out of Michigan and outfielder Alden Mathes from Richmond for the 2024 season, sliding Hall down on the depth chart.

Hall managed to see the field just 12 times in the spring with only 27 plate appearances, putting up rather pedestrian numbers in the limited opportunities.

There were tough conversations between Hall and the Clemson coaching staff throughout the season as both parties knew the sophomore was not playing at a level they knew he was capable of, but none of them were as rough when Bakich broke to the sophomore that he wasn’t going to be part of his postseason plans.

“When I got called in and he said I wasn't with the team for the regional, it was hard,” said Hall. “But I wasn't playing anyway.”

So Hall made the trip north to the Cape, preparing for the season with the Kettleers, ready to fight for a spot on the roster once Opening Day rolled around on June 15. He started both exhibition games the same weekend Clemson hosted Florida in the Super Regional round.

Merely an hour apart from the final out in Clemson to the top of the third inning on Martha’s Vineyard on June 8, Hall made the moment count against his former summer league team with a two-run shot into the trees beyond left field at the Shark Tank.

“It brings a smile to my face just thinking about it. I remember watching the Cotuit Instagram and seeing him hit the homer in a scrimmage against the Vineyard team we played for last year brought me to tears, honestly,” said Nolan Nawrocki, Hall’s roommate at Clemson. “I’m just really happy for him, I know he’s been through a lot. It's good to see his success.”

The next day as Clemson fought to the very end against the Gators but ultimately could not stave off elimination in 13 innings, Hall was watching every pitch he possibly could, just as he did the entire postseason.

“All those guys supported me heading out early, and they knew it was the best thing for me to do. But I'll always love those guys,” said Hall. “I watched every inning of every game. The connections I had with those guys all season long, even though I didn't play, they're like brothers to me.”

The brotherhood was felt back at home in Clemson and the Tigers dugout too, especially Hall’s absence in moments like Cam Cannrella’s game-tying home run in the top of the ninth and game-saving catch with his back completely turned to the infield in extras.

“He's my roommate, so I was alone at the house,” said Nawrocki. “It was definitely weird, but I knew it was probably the best for his career. I support him all the way.”

But Hall has seized the moment given to him as a Kettleer. He hit safely in his first three games, going 6-for-17 at the dish with a .918 OPS as Cotuit emerged victorious in every game he’s played. Now in the transfer portal, whatever school picks him up should be very pleased with the talent that joins their roster.

“At the end of the day, I can put all the blame on the coaches or the program, but I'm the one to blame. I didn't play like I should have at the end of the day, it just didn't give me the playing time that I needed,” said Hall. “But I used it as an opportunity to grow and to learn and find ways to get better outside of just playing and trying to play through hard times. So I think here, it's just paying off a bit, the hard work. It's just fun to be back out on the baseball field.”