Original link: https://www.wickedlocal.com/story/swampscott-reporter/2022/04/16/swampscott-brothers-learn-each-other-grade-school-college/7346075001/
A sibling rivalry is inevitable with two brothers so close in age competing on the same college baseball team. At the same time, they are also each other’s biggest supporters.
“I have the same genes as you, so why can’t I throw the ball as hard as you?”
That’s what Tyler Marshall, 19, often jokes about when it comes to his older brother Luke, 22.
Both Swampscott High School graduates, Tyler followed Luke to Stonehill College to play on the school’s Division II baseball team.
Tyler and Luke, who stand at 6-foot-3 and 6-foot-4, respectively, have been playing baseball since they were in elementary school, and have always pushed each other to be the best athletes they can be.
Older brother Luke, a senior, has always known baseball was his passion.
On the other hand, Tyler has not always loved baseball the way that Luke has. He recalls his older brother encouraging him to play catch in the backyard when they were younger. Luke lived and breathed baseball, but Tyler wanted to keep the sport on the diamond and not think about it at home.
The pair played together on Swampscott Big Blue varsity baseball team for just one year when Luke was a senior and Tyler was a sophomore in 2018, but they did not expect to play together again at the collegiate level.
While Luke always knew that he was going to play baseball at the next level, Tyler was not so sure until his junior year in high school, where he was a two-sport standout athlete at Swampscott in baseball and football. Tyler received scholarships to play both sports, and ultimately decided to continue playing baseball with Luke as a Skyhawk.
Tyler was initially hesitant to attend Stonehill with Luke, because he did not want to annoy his older brother at the same school. However, Luke was supportive of his younger brother’s decision to become a Skyhawk, and is thrilled that they have been able to share such a positive experience at Stonehill together since the fall of 2020.
Luke, on the other hand, never had any doubts about playing collegiate baseball. The right-handed starting pitcher is one of the best Northeast-10 hurlers, Stonehill’s conference, and is one of the most talented Skyhawks overall, according to head coach Pat Boen.
“It’s always very helpful for a coach when your best pitcher is also your hardest worker,” Boen said. “He's willing to put in as much hard work or work harder than anybody else.”
Luke struggled on the mound in his freshman year, something he has taken with him to not only improve his own game, but also guide Tyler and other underclassmen through the first year perils.
“I take pride in leading by example,” Luke said of his leadership role on the team.
Tyler, a right-handed relief pitcher, admittedly tries to emulate his older brother through his pitching mechanics and mindset. However, he also acknowledges that Luke is known as one of the best pitchers in the NE-10, and Luke’s younger brother is proud of that.
Tyler also says that his older brother influenced him when it comes to his growth as a pitcher over the years, and his decision to continue playing baseball, instead of football in college.
Nonetheless, Tyler and Luke each possess unique skill sets that have led them to where they are now, competing together in a Division II baseball program.
Tyler helped get Luke into lifting weights when they were younger, something that the two enjoy doing together.
During school breaks, since Tyler and Luke live together at home, they are natural workout buddies. They push each other to be better in the gym. The pair has worked out together for as long as they have been playing sports. They have a special connection and unique ability to push each other to be the best they can be as athletes.
As brothers just two years apart in terms of age and also in school, they were born competitors, and have always been tough on each other in a positive way. Being honest with each other’s work on the mound with constructive criticism has helped them get to where they are now at Stonehill.
“It’s been good to be able to give what I have learned through my experiences to him,” Luke said.
Both have also cherished the fact they have been able to watch one another develop as athletes. They agree that they have witnessed the other’s progress on and off of the field, and that they enjoy reflecting on their accomplishments.
While the brothers take baseball seriously and have dedicated their lives to the game, Tyler and Luke make sure to take time to remember that they are still family.
“I just consider Luke one of my best friends,” Tyler said. “He’s my brother off the field just as much as he’s my friend and teammate on it.”
Just like many other siblings, they talk to each other about everything, and enjoy spending time together off the field.
“Going out to eat and being together with other teammates is honestly my favorite part of it,” Luke said. “It's nice to be on the field together, but the memories made off the field are what make it worth it.
This season will be the last for Tyler and Luke as teammates, both could not be happier that they have been able to experience playing alongside each other at the Division II level.
As for Boen, the Marshall brothers are not the first siblings that the longtime Skyhawks manager has coached in his 25 years there. Between 2009 and 2012, he had two out of three Shepard brothers – Brendan, Kyle and Colin – on his roster. They hailed from Boxford.
Eldest brother Brenden was drafted by the Red Sox in the 2011 MLB Draft, and the next sibling up Kyle was signed with the Cubs in 2012. Boen anticipates Tyler and Luke should experience the same type of pro success as the Shepard brothers had out of college.
Luke will attend Fairfield University in the Fall of 2022 as a member of the Stags’ Division I baseball program, hoping to continue his baseball career for as long as possible.
“I feel I have more to give, and my love for the game hasn’t changed,” Luke said. “I’ll continue to push myself to see how far this sport can take me.”
During the summers of 2020 and 2021, Luke played for the New England Collegiate Baseball League’s North Shore Navigators in Lynn, where he had the chance to match up against athletes in all three NCAA divisions across the country. He has proven he has what it takes to pitch at the next level once he completes his time at Stonehill.
As for Tyler, who is only in his second collegiate season, he was recently accepted into Marine Officer Candidate School, and will spend six weeks this summer, as well as the following summer enrolled in courses in Virginia. Upon completion, he will be offered a commission in the Marines as a second lieutenant.
The courses will be extremely physically and mentally demanding, and is considering serving in the Marines upon graduation. As a former star football player and a talented pitcher, Tyler is certainly up for the challenge.
Regardless of what the future holds individually for Tyler and Luke, they will continue being each other’s biggest fans, while unconditionally support one another and each other’s dreams. That will always remain the case, even if Luke throws the baseball a little harder than his younger brother.
Kaley Brown is a journalism student at Endicott College.
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