In 2022, Owen Tahnk played the role of a reluctant spectator when he watched his Newburyport High (Mass.) baseball team, a 10th seed, fall in the MIAA Division 3 state championship game against Austin Prep.
Prior to the 2022 Newburyport season, Tahnk suffered a back injury that curtailed his ability to pitch for much of the season. In fact, he only took the mound twice. That injury, in part, changed the trajectory of Tahnk's commitment to Harvard, which he made before his junior season in 2021.
Tahnk, a 6-foot-3, 200-pound right-handed pitcher, will begin a postgraduate year at Phillips Exeter Academy next month.
“I decided to do a PG year because I wanted another year to mature as a pitcher and as a student,’’ said Tahnk. “I chose Phillips Exeter because of the strong academics and baseball program, which I thought could prepare me for Harvard. It also helps that it is 20 minutes away from my home.”
