Scotch Plains Local, Patriots Pitcher Opens Baseball Academy

SCOTCH PLAINS, NJ — Scotch Plains resident and former Somerset Patriots pitcher Nate Roe is sharing his expertise and talents with rising athletes at his new baseball academy.

Roe recently opened the Nate Roe Baseball Academy at 1001 Lincoln Blvd. in Middlesex, to provide baseball/softball training services to all ages and skill levels.

The idea to open his own training facility came from his passion for baseball. Roe played while attending Rutgers University and after he graduated he was signed to the Rockland Boulders.

During his offseason, Roe was looking for ways to make some money and decided to start giving lessons at D-BAT in Mountainside.

"I was there for six off-seasons. I accumulated clientele and from there my training spread through word of mouth. I was giving more and more lessons and found myself more and more excited to get back to my athletes and get back in the rhythm of giving lessons," said Roe.

Roe also continued to play professionally, most recently as a right-handed pitcher out of the bullpen for the Patriots in the 2018 and 2019 seasons before retiring.

Roe said he always liked watching kids develop their training with baseball and decided to pursue his training on his own.

"It was fun to watch the kids develop and mature. There are a lot of things baseball teaches you as far as life skills and it made me embrace being a mentor," said Roe. "I thought why not take advantage of the skills I have that are in high demand," said Roe.

Roe officially opened the doors to his academy in November during the pandemic for kids ages 8 to 18. He took every precaution to deliver a safe environment for kids including offering virtual classes and in-person lessons with sanitization stations and cracking the garage door for fresh air.

He keeps group lessons to 12 people but also offers cage rentals and one-on-one training. He also brings in some of his professional friends such as Alex Vargas, who also plays with the Patriots, to help train the kids.

"I want kids to know they are capable of doing whatever you want to do... Baseball is beautiful like that it will teach to fail and figure it out, get back up and keep fighting," said Roe. "It is a humbling experience that can be used in your life experience. That is why I really love baseball."

For more information on Nate Roe Baseball Academy visit nateroebaseball.com, call 908-795-2393 or email [email protected].

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