Spring opener highlights both a community staple and a milestone for a Red Sox prospect.
One of the most underrated traditions in all of Boston sports is the Boston Red Sox opening their spring training slate of games against Northeastern University - a Division 1 program that plays their home games just 1.3 miles from Fenway Park.
Competing in the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA), Northeastern is far from an all-time powerhouse on the diamond. But in recent years, they’ve picked up momentum as one of the better college teams in the region, making the NCAA Tournament in three of the last five seasons and winning the CAA twice (2023 & 2025).
Maybe their greatest example of how far they’ve come as a program was their development of hometown villain Cam Schlittler, who ended up putting an end to the 2025 Red Sox season with an all-time classic performance in Game 3 of the Wild Card Round at Yankee Stadium.
How he handled himself online in the aftermath of that performance? That’s a different topic for a different day.
The Red Sox showing a willingness to give a group of high-end college baseball players - most of whom will never lace ’em up in the big leagues - this showcase is a nice sign that the organization still does have some humanity and understanding of its impact on the community. With the way this franchise has operated in recent years, huge portions of Red Sox Nation would tell you they feel otherwise.
The Boston Red Sox played a spring training exhibition game between the Boston Red Sox and Northeastern University at JetBlue Park on Friday 2/22/2019. Red Sox Vs Northeastern University (Andrew West/Fort Myers News-Press/USA TODAY NETWORK FLORIDA)To be fair, they’re probably not wrong. But like Schlittler’s online behavior, that’s also a topic for a different day.
On Wednesday, Red Sox manager Alex Cora announced that when his big league club takes on the Huskies on Friday, minor league pitcher Tyler Uberstine will be getting the start.
Here’s what my friends at Baseball America have to say about the Red Sox prospect:
“Uberstine carved his own path in baseball after first attempting to walk on to the baseball team at Southern California, and then transferring to Northwestern when his initial plan didn’t pay dividends. With help from specialized baseball training, an understanding of analytics, and veteran Joe Beimel, the 6-foot-1, 200-pound righthander earned his shot with the Wildcats and posted a 4.75 ERA over 60.2 innings with 36 strikeouts in his two seasons at Northwestern. He’s shown decent stuff and needs continued development.”
Uberstine was drafted in the 19th round (556th overall) in the 2021 MLB Draft, and signed with the club for $97,500.
Between his time spent with both Worcester (AAA) and Portland (AA) in 2025, Uberstine had a 3.58 ERA across 120.2 innings pitched, giving up just 18 home runs and striking out 137 batters. He had a 1.260 WHIP and averaged 3.1 walks per 9.
While being the first starting pitcher to be handed the ball for a game against another team in spring training is far from the honor of being an Opening Day starter, it’s a cool moment for a 26-year-old still trying to find his way into the majors.
It might not be a big deal for Sox fans, but it’s undoubtedly something Uberstine won’t forget.
Feb 17, 2026; Lee County, FL, USA; Boston Red Sox pitcher Tyler Uberstine (79) poses for a photo during media day at JetBlue Park. (Kim Klement Neitzel/Imagn Images)JOIN THE CONVERSATION:
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Tom Carroll is a contributor for Roundtable, with boots-on-the-ground coverage of all things Boston sports. He's a senior digital content producer for WEEI.com, and a native of Lincoln, RI.