NASHUA – They left the area last spring as two of the top high school pitchers around, but both former Alvirne High School standout Tyler Brown and Hollis Brookline’s Cam LaFleur had an idea they’d return to pitch at Holman Stadium for the Nashua Silver Knights.

“It was always in the back of my head,” LaFleur, the 2014 Telegraph All-Area Player of the Year who just finished up his freshman season at Merrimack College. “I used to watch (Merrimack College’s) Logan Gillis play.”

Brown, meanwhile, watched a lot of Silver Knights games last summer hanging out near the bullpen talking with his former rival from Trinity, Carmen Giampatruzzi.

“I came here all the time,” he said. “I had a feeling I might play here.”

Thus here they are. For Brown, it’s a chance to pitch competitively, something he hasn’t done since fall baseball at Northeastern University, since he was redshirted. It wasn’t easy watching.

“I missed it a lot this year,” Brown said. “Not being able to help out the team. But I tried to stay in the game as much as possible, helped out the team verbally. It stunk but I’m excited to be back out on the field this summer.”

Brown put on about 20 pounds in the weight room, and was either with the Huskies for the bulk of their games or was working with the team trainer. He did a lot of leg and shoulder work.

“I feel much stronger than I did at the beginning of the year,” Brown said.

He also was with the Huskies when they squared off against the Red Sox in spring training, although it qualified as a game that counted on NU’s record so he couldn’t participate as a red shirt player.

“It was a great experience,” Brown said. “Just hanging out with David Ortiz before the game, it was a lot of fun.”

Brown came home a couple of weeks ago and started throwing to get his arm in shape for the summer.

How will he be used? “Right now I don’t know, I’m just working in,” Brown said. “I’ll just try to capitalize on every chance I get.”

The lefty LaFleur, like Brown, should get plenty of chances but he won’t have as much rust to shake off. At Merrimack he appeared in five games out of the bullpen, not allowing a run in three of those. His 2.65 earned run average was the best out of Merrimack’s pen.

“It was definitely a learning experience,” LaFleur said. “The talent level (in college) is a lot better, you learn something new every day.”

LaFleur dealt with lineups that are good from top to bottom, but felt he improved as a pitcher.

“I think I got a lot more consistent, and worked on the finer parts of my mechanics,” he said. “I learned from the older guys on the staff to just pound the zone and be consistent.”

LaFleur enjoyed challenge of the Division II competition, including Franklin Pierce and Southern New Hampshire Universities. The NE-10 provided a steady stream of impressive foes.

“I liked it a lot,” LaFleur said. “This will help me get ready for next season. I can definitely learn a lot from the guys and improve on all aspects of my game.”

Notes

WELCOME BACK: One of only two returnees from last season, it’s almost like a new start for Ryan Sullivan. His collegiate career has taken a complete turn. Sullivan left the University of Connecticut and enrolled at Bunker Hill Community College in Boston, as he switched to a hospitality major.

He played for Bunker Hill this past spring. Sullivan wasn’t on scholarship at UConn and the cost was prohibitive. He’s taking a couple of courses this summer at Bunker Hill to speed things up.

“Nashua’s the one consistent thing I’ve got,” he said. “It’s great to be back.”

There’s been some talk Sullivan, who played mainly at third last year, could see some outfield time with the Knights. “I’m comfortable in the outfield,” he said. “At UConn, they worked me there a little bit.”

CUE CURRLE: Manager Ted Currle met with the Silver Knights players for the first time on Tuesday in the Holman Stadium clubhouse. Afterward, pitchers threw in the visitors bullpen – the right field pen was too muddy – and position players either threw in the outfield or hit in the batting cage behind the outfield wall.

Currle said he and the coaches will mull over the roster in the next day before setting the lineup and pitching rotation to start the season. The team has its annual Media Day on Wednesday at 6 p.m. at Holman and opens Thursday night at Portsmouth. The home opener is Friday at 6:45 p.m.