Tyler Bellan rarely touches the field during Kettleer games aside from pregame activities or warming up a pitcher before an inning. Heck, he barely ever has the time to sit in the dugout. But Sunday, the bullpen catcher from Wheaton College got the opportunity of a lifetime to start and for Cotuit against Hyannis. Bellan went on to score the only run in a 1-0 victory over the Harbor Hawks
Bellan is no slouch of a baseball player. He has been the starter behind the dish in all three years of his career with the Lyons, totaling up to 102 games of experience. He has also improved in each of his seasons, culminating with a .297 batting average and .339 on-base percentage this year as a junior. Even behind the dish, his defense is stellar and Bellan did not commit an error all season in 2026 for Wheaton.
That being said, hitting .297 in Division III baseball is vastly different from competing in the CCBL, where the best of the best from Division I baseball come to play. Despite this, Bellan was not nervous when told he was going to start. He was excited and grateful for the opportunity of a lifetime.
“It was one of the craziest things that’s ever happened to me because I grew up coming to these games,” Bellan said. “To be a part of the team in this way was amazing and I’m so grateful to have done this.”
In many ways, this was a full-circle moment for Bellan, who grew up attending games on the Cape as a kid. One distinct memory Bellan has from his earlier days was seeing future big league catchers like James McCann play for the Kettleers.
Bellan stepped up to the plate for the first time in the top of the third inning to face Michael Meckna (Oregon). Meckna retired eight of his first 13 batters, but not Bellan. The Franklin, Mass. native did what he did just eight times for the Lyons in 2026 and walked. He felt that it was a big relief and a surreal moment all at the same time.
“I was so happy to get that first at-bat out of the way and get on base,” Bellan said. “Walks have been rare for me at college so it was ironic to have that be my first at-bat up here.”
Most coaches might hesitate to throw a Division III player into a game of this magnitude, but not Coach Rob Cooper. He knew how much Bellan had worked to be in this position, and trusted him to represent the team well.
“He loves being a part of this team and he’s the only guy who’s caught all of our pitchers,” Cooper said. “It makes sense to bring in someone who would love to have this experience and can help us win. He caught his tail off too.”
The reason Bellan got to play is that Will Plattner (Alabama) recently joined the injured list and Jesse Di Maggio (Dallas Baptist) has caught every inning the last two games and desperately needed some rest. Though the pair wished they could be on the field, they are both incredibly happy Bellan got the opportunity to play at this level.
“I thought it was awesome to see Tyler out on the field…” Plattner said. “He’s done so much for the other catchers and the pitching staff that he deserves this shot.”
Watching Bellan in the stands was his father, brother, nephew, and some teammates from Wheaton. Bellan was grateful that such a crowd could watch him on such short notice.
Bellan finished the day 0/2, walking twice and scoring the winning run for Cotuit. Thousands of players have put on the maroon and white over the years, and more than a few have had a similar statline to his tonight. But, there may never be another Kettleer truly like Tyler Bellan.
