The Martha’s Vineyard Sharks, the Island’s new collegiate baseball team, signed their first Vineyarder to the team this week. Tad Gold will play center field for the inaugural 2011 season starting in June.

“I’m just excited to get started,” Tad said yesterday afternoon. “It’s exciting to be playing in front of my home fans again on the high school field . . . I don’t know what to expect. Go out there and win games is what it’s all about at this point.”

Tad is a freshman at Endicott College and came highly recommended to the Sharks by his baseball coach, Bryan Haley. “He will likely lead off [this season] due to his exceptional speed and ability to get on a base,” Mr. Haley said in a statement. “However, I wouldn’t be surprised if he ended up in the three or four hole for us. He has great hands and tremendous power.”

Tad played baseball and hockey at the regional high school, and a year of baseball at Bridgton Academy after graduation.

“It’s a great day for the Sharks with the signing of a local kid,” Sharks’ general manager Jerry Murphy said. “We added quite a bit of speed to our lineup along with a player who has a reputation as a solid defensive center fielder. From all accounts, Tad is one of the best baseball players to come through [the high school] in recent years. He establishes the benchmark for younger players on the Vineyard to strive for.”