Frayne making his pitch for Central Bucks East after playing for Ireland last summer

Damian Frayne jumped at the opportunity.

Since dad Bill is an Irish citizen and both of Damian's paternal grandparents are Irish, Frayne, who grew up in Bucks County, applied for and got Irish citizenship in addition to being a United States citizen.

That allowed the tall right-hander to pitch for Ireland in the July 2023 U18 European Championship Qualifying Tournament in Ashbourne, Ireland.

Frayne started the opening game for Ireland, going five innings and allowing five earned runs in a 12-2 loss to Croatia.

While Ireland didn't advance, it was an experience he'll never forget.

"It was fantastic," said Frayne, a Central Bucks East senior. "Some of my dad's family made the three- or four-hour drive from County Mayo. It was great to see (them)."

Roughly six months earlier, Frayne "didn't even know there was a baseball field in Ireland," a country not known for its prowess on the diamond.

Frayne's private pitching coach Frank DiMichele recommended him to a former player on the Irish team who contacted Ireland head coach Jay Murphy. Murphy added Frayne to the team. Everybody else on the roster was solely Irish.

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Frayne landed in Dublin last July 24, practiced for two days with the team and made his start on July 27.

"(My Irish teammates) constantly asked me questions," said Frayne, a Doylestown resident. "Baseball is more of a developing sport over there."

Frayne is also an effective starting pitcher for 9-3 CB East, which leads the Suburban One League Colonial Division with an 8-1 record. He's 4-0 with a 3.89 ERA and 25 strikeouts in 20 innings after limiting SOL Patriot Division-leading Neshaminy to two earned runs in five innings during Wednesday's 5-2 home victory.

"I feel like I'm executing every time I go on the mound," Frayne said.

Frayne's best pitch is his changeup. He also throws a fastball, slider and occasional curve.

"I think (the Ireland experience) opened his eyes to what it takes to compete at a very high level," said East head coach Kyle Dennis. "I noticed a positive change in him. He started paying more attention to what and how he ate and getting into the weight room with a plan multiple times a week."

Dennis raves about the 6-foot-6 Frayne's temperament when he pitches and how he's "everyone's best friend on the team" between starts.

"There isn't a single guy on our roster that doesn't love him," Dennis said. "He is team-first in everything. You will constantly hear him supporting his teammates and he brings an incredible sense of humor and wit to the dugout."

Frayne has committed to Division III College of Wooster in Wooster, Ohio, and is eager to head there late this summer.

But first the Patriots have put themselves in position to win their first SOL Colonial championship since 2013, which was 17th-year head coach Dennis' sixth season as CB East head coach.

"Our team plays with so much heart and energy," Frayne said. "We came out absolutely swinging this year."

That Frayne has been playing with six of his East teammates since the age of 6 or 7 for the Doylestown Tigers makes this season even more satisfying.

Getting to pitch for the Irish National Team wasn't too bad, either.

Tom Moore: tmoore@couriertimes.com; @TomMoorePhilly is a sports columnist for PhillyBurbs.com. Support our journalism with a subscription.

This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: Frayne helping CB East after pitching for Ireland in European tourney