Staff photo by TOM KING A lot of eyes will be on new Silver Knights first baseman-outfielder Ryan Berardino this summer, including those of his grandfathers, former Red Sox outfielder Dwight Evans and former Sox coach/Lowell S;pinners manager Dick Berardino.

NASHUA – Ah, there’s nothing like having great baseball bloodlines.

Just ask Nashua Silver Knights first baseman-outfielder Ryan Berardino.

The Bentley University junior is the grandson of both noted former Red Sox right fielder Dwight Evans and former Sox coach/minor league coordinator Dick Berardino. Both are player consultants with the Sox.

“It’s unbelievable,” Berardino said as players reported to Holman Stadium for the first time on Monday. “One thing that’s special between us is after every game I’ll call them, run through my at-bats, break down the game, break down the pitches. There’s nothing better than working with them. I use that to my advantage.”

Berardino says he usually starts with Evans and then talks to Dick Berardino. And what’s the advice he gets?

“Dwight and I will break down the mechanics the most,” Berardino said. “His big thing is keeping the head still.And this year we really worked on mentality and approach.”

The Sudbury, Mass.native hit for average a couple of years ago. This year, as a Falcons sophomore, he hit for more power, batting .289 with five homers and 36 RBIs. “But the average went down,” he said. “I’m trying to put both together for this year.”

Berardino has watched film and YouTube clips of Evans playing during his heyday in the 1970s and ’80s. Evans was known as one of the best defensive right fielders of his time.

“I watch it all the time,” Berardino said. “And I’ll read articles about him, watch video. It’s unbelievable. I wish I could have seen (Evans play) in person.”

That’s because it’s tough for grandson to pry a lot of stories out of his grandfather’s playing success.

“He’s a very humble guy,” Berardino said. “He doesn’t like to talk a lot unless you pick his brain. But to see that (film), to click on the TV and see “Red Sox Classics” and see him out there in right field, and see him bat, it’s special.”

Berardino has seen and met a lot of Evans’ former teammates going down to spring training with him a couple of times in the last four or five years. “I get to work with them, I’m very blessed,” Berardino said.

Meanwhile, his other grandfather has never been shy about speaking his mind.

“Oh yes he will,” Berardino said with a chuckle about the former Lowell Spinners manager who has made a career out of evaluating minor league talent. “He’s always got new stories. Always. And base running, that’s his thing.”

Berardino the grandson’s thing is going to be getting used to Holman and working on his craft all summer.

“I pulled in, saw a little bit of the field, you come in, look down on the ballpark, I’m very excited to play here,” he said.

And with those bloodlines, he had to play baseball this summer, especially after missing last summer with an injury.

“I better,” he said. “Nowhere else I’d rather be.”

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Silver Knights manager B.J. Neverett got a pleasant surprise Monday as among those reporting was Silver Knights outfielder/reliever/playoff standout Cam Cruz, who was expected to miss the entire season recovering from right ankle surgery after breaking it in February playing for Eastern Michigan.

But Cruz said while the original prognosis was four or five months, a recent examination showed he may be ready by July.

“(Tuesday) will be eight weeks out of surgery, two months,” Cruz said. “They think that in three months I might be ready to play. I may be able to pitch and then ease into the field going forward from there. It should be a good summer. I’m coming back, a little sooner than expected.”

Cruz milled around with the players wearing only a brace on the ankle. He said the swelling and post-op results were much better than expected.

“It was good news,” Neverett said. “I thought it would be the whole summer, so we’ll be lucky to have him back at some point. A good addition.”

“It’ll be good, I’m excited,” Cruz said. “I’d be pretty bored just hanging around, so I’m excited to get after it again.”

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There will be a big feeling out process for Neverett and pitching coach Kyle Jackson for a few reasons:

One, pitchers didn’t throw on Monday, and they will be piece mealed a couple of innings at a time for the first few games, although Neverett made it official, naming former Seacoast hurler Luke Dawson as Friday night’s Holman opener starter.

The roster is well short of what it will be in a couple of weeks. All the high school graduates can’t report by rule yet. Northeastern got an at-large NCAA tourney berth, Hartford just won America East so they’ll be in the tourney, and Southern New Hampshire University is currently in the NCAA Division II College World Series. Stetson also is in the post season. That adds up to about a dozen players who aren’t here.

“We only have 11 position players for the week,” Neverett said. “That’s just the way it is. We’ll make the best of it. We’ll be all right. The other teams are in the same boat. It’s a week earlier than we should be starting, but to get 56 games in, you have to.”

As for pitchers, Neverett said for the season opener at Worcester “I think you’ll see five or six guys throw in that game. We’ll piece it together. We’ll just get them out there, get their feet wet, and try and start a rotation the following week.”

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Following a workout, the Knights will play their annual Alumni Game Tuesday at 6:05 p.m., and it will probably go three or four innings. “It’s really up to us,” Neverett said…

The team signed Rochester’s J.D. Funk out of last Friday’s Holman FCBL tryout. Funk, an outfielder, is a St. Thomas alum who played this spring at Cheshire Academy and will be headed to Tennessee Tech in the fall…

Exeter’s Kyle Maurice was hitting bombs over the left field wall in batting practice. He may start behind the plate on Wednesday.