June 10, 2011
NECBL: Navigators charting a course for success
Binghamton first baseman David Ciocchi returns after powering the Danbury Westerners last year. (photo: RC Shaw)
Editor’s note: This story originally appeared in the June 2011 issue of New England Baseball Journal.
The North Shore Navigators won the New England Collegiate Baseball League championship and took the Fay Vincent Trophy last year, which makes them a team to watch this year. But the summer collegiate game is different from the pros or even college, which makes repeating even more difficult.
There is a lot of turnover in the ranks from season to season — in fact, this year, the North Adams Steeplecats and the Vermont Mountaineers have no players returning from last season’s squad.
Still, Navigators general manager Pete Delani thinks his team has a good mix of returning players, such as pitcher Crayton Bare, and newcomers.
“Certainly, familiarity is a good thing,” Delani said. “I think if you have a combination of returning players who bring that familiarity with them and also an infusion of new players, I think it’s a healthy combination.”
Having a coach such as Jeff Waldron helps, too. Waldron played at Boston College and in the Cape League, and worked his way through the minor leagues.
“He certainly gets it, has been through it and understands what the summer collegiate experience is all about and also understands what the pro game is all about,” Delani said. “That’s invaluable.”
The Newport Gulls and Danbury Westerners were playoff contenders last year and should be back in the mix again this year. Gulls general manager Chuck Paiva says his team’s challenges will be defining roles on the pitching staff and getting into playoff shape.
“We have a lot of quality arms that are very good, but we do not have an experienced closer on this staff,” he said. “The real challenge is making the playoffs and then peaking at the right time. It is not how you start but how you finish, you want to be playing well at the end of the season and into the playoffs.”
The Westerners have a supportive fan base that’s willing to travel with the team to important away games. General manager Terry Whalen says his team will bring back its coaching staff and a few key players to help them compete.
“Our recruiting is getting more and more effective, and we have collegiate coaches who believe in our program,” he said. “If the chemistry is as good as last year, and the recruited players stay healthy, we have a chance to make a good run at the Fay Vincent Trophy.”
DANBURY WESTERNERS
Home field: Rogers Park, 81 Memorial Drive, Danbury, Conn.
Web: www.danburywesterners.com
Tickets: $5 for adults, $3 for seniors, free for children under 16
Manager: Jamie Shevchik (fourth season)
Who’s back: OF David Ciocchi (Binghamton), 1B Anthony Hajjar (Fairfield)
Who’s new: RHP Mike Ford (Princeton), LHP Eric Luksis (Manhattan)
What to watch for: Westerners GM Terry Whalen says the hallmarks of this year’s squad will be team speed and “pitchers who pound the strike zone.”
Don’t miss: Ciocchi, whom Whalen calls “electrifying with the bat.”
HOLYOKE BLUE SOX
Home field: Mackenzie Stadium, 303 Beech Street, Holyoke, Mass.
Web: www.holyokesox.com
Tickets: $6 for adults, $4 for kids (6-12), $3 for seniors, free for children 5 and under
Manager: Daryl Morhardt (fourth season)
Who’s back: P Brett Yarusi (Wesleyan)
Who’s new: P Ryan Harvey (Seton Hall), IF Trey Mancini (Notre Dame), IF Sam Eberle (Jacksonville State), C Tom Murphy (Buffalo)
What to watch for: General Manager Kirk Fredriksson says the team has “two of the most talented catchers in the country” with Murphy and Ronnie Freeman. He’s also looking for a talented infield anchored by Mancini and Eberle.
Don’t miss: Harvey, who logged 56 strikeouts in 33 innings this spring at Seton Hall.
KEENE SWAMP BATS
Home field: Alumni Field, Arch Street, Keene, N.H.
Web: www.swampbats.com
Tickets: $4 for adults, free for children under 10
Manager: Marty Testo (fourth season)
Who’s back: 1B Brett Barrett (Keene, N.H./Southern Maine), P Brad Monroe (Hampton, N.H./Southern New Hampshire), P T.J. Ferguson (Westmoreland, N.H./Franklin Pierce)
Who’s new: P David Mahoney (Colchester, Conn./UConn), P Ryan Thompson (Franklin Pierce), 3B Ryan Fuller (Lyme, Conn./UConn), OF Kevin Brown (Northboro, Mass./Bryant), P Anthony Cervone (St. John’s)
What to watch for: Swamp Bats president Kevin Watterson likes the pitching staff, with Scott Silverstein, Jeff Thompson and Ryan Thompson. The Swamp Bats will play Team USA on June 23, and its Independence Day game always draws a crowd.
Don’t miss: Ryan Thompson, a native of Calgary, Alberta, once pitched for Souhegan High in Amherst, N.H. The Swamp Bats consider him one of the top small college pitchers in the country, with good reason. Last year, he had a 9-1 record with a 0.74 ERA, 96 strikeouts and 11 walks in 73 innings.
LACONIA MUSKRATS
Home field: Robbie Mills Memorial Field, 15 Eastman Road, Laconia, N.H.
Web: www.laconiamuskrats.com
Tickets: $5 for adults, $3 for students (11-17) and seniors (64-plus), free for children and active military
Manager: Matt Alison (first season)
Who’s back: IF Chris Costantino (Lincoln, R.I./Walters State CC), Mike White (Lisbon, N.H./Stonehill)
Who’s new: 1B Chad Wallach (Cal State Fullerton), OF Pat Smith (Middle Georgia College), IF LB Dantzler (State College of Florida), LHP Dylan Clark (Manchester, N.H./Elon), LHP Tyler Barrett (Lewis-Clark State)
What to watch for: GM Noah Crane likes the Muskrats’ mix of older players and freshmen, and his pitching depth with six left-handed pitchers. He points to four previously drafted players including two whose fathers played in the big leagues — Chad Wallach (Tim Wallach) and Jake Woodward (Rob Woodward).
Don’t miss: Costantino missed most of the last NECBL season with a spleen injury, but he’s healthy and coming off a good season at Walters State Community College in Morristown, Tenn.
MYSTIC SCHOONERS
Home field: Fitch High School, 101 Groton Long Point Road, Groton, Conn.
Web: www.mysticbaseball.org
Tickets: $5 for general admission
Manager: Ray Ricker (first season)
Who’s back: 1B Scott Kelleher (Farmington, Conn./Lafayette College), OF Stephen Maier (Orange, Conn./Williams College)
Who’s new: IF David Perkins (Duke), P Colin O’Keefe (Virginia Tech), P Ricky Hodges (Virginia Tech)
What to watch for: The Schooners have a new name and a new home, transitioning from last year’s Bristol Collegiates. “The team will have great pitching on the mound, and in a wood-bat league, that will create the opportunity to win some ball games,” Ricker said. “Offense looks solid and will try to scratch out some runs to hopefully compete for a playoff spot.”
Don’t miss: RHP Sahil Bloom of Stanford, who pitched for the New Bedford Bay Sox last season.
NEW BEDFORD BAY SOX
Home field: Paul Walsh Field 230 Hathaway Road, New Bedford Mass.
Web: www.nbbaysox.com
Tickets: $5 for adults, $3 for seniors/children (under 16), free for children under 6
Manager: Derek Viveiros (first season)
Who’s back: IF Dan Haugh (Andover, Mass./Wheaton), F Bret Botsford (Leymone), C Andy Lalli (Central Connecticut State)
Who’s new: IF Alex Baldock (SUNY Buffalo), IF Brad Shaban (James Madison), C Trevor Edwards (UNC-Greensboro), RHP Greg Terhune (Seton Hall)
What to watch for: Bay Sox GM Andrew Cormier is looking forward to a crack infield this season. The Bay Sox this year should have one of the best infields in the league, anchored by Baldock and Haugh. “Bret Botsford should be the sparkplug for the lineup and one of the best centerfielders in the NECBL,” Cormier said. He’s also confident the pitching staff should help the team make some noise in the playoffs.
Don’t miss: Alex Baldock of SUNY Buffalo
NEWPORT GULLS
Home field: Cardines Field, 40 America’s Cup Ave., Newport, R.I.
Web: www.newportgulls.com
Tickets: $4 for adults, $2 for children (13-18)/military/senior, $1 for children (12 and under)
Manager: Mike Coombs (seventh season)
Who’s back: OF Kyle Johnson (Washington State), RHP Dexter Price (South Carolina)
Who’s new: LHP Eddie Campbell (Bridgewater, Mass./Virginia Tech), RHP Brandon Sinnery (Franklin, Mass./Michigan), LHP John Pedrotty (Portsmouth, R.I./Holy Cross), 2B Conor Keniry (Orange, Conn./Wake Forest), 1B Tim Kiene (South Windsor, Conn./Maryland), OF Conrad Gregor (Vanderbilt), OF Robbie Ort (Indiana State), RHP TJ Pecoraro (Vanderbilt), RHP Tanner Poppe (Kansas)
What to watch for: Coombs is an asset, with a 191-96 record, the best in the NECBL over that time. GM Chuck Paiva expects the club to have “a balanced attack of speed, average and power” with a deep bench and talented starting pitching. “The question will be who becomes the closer from this talented group of arms,” he said.
Don’t miss: Gregor, the Vanderbilt freshman and former White Sox draft pick.
NORTH ADAMS STEEPLECATS
Home field: Joe Wolfe Field, 310 State St., North Adams, Mass.
Web: www.steeplecats.com
Tickets: $5 for adults, $3 for students/seniors, $1 for children (6-12), free for children (5 and under)
Manager: Clayton Kuklick (first season)
Who’s back: The SteepleCats have no returning players.
Who’s new: RHP Gray Carden (Georgia Southwestern), OF/1B Drew Gadaire (Davidson), 3B Cameron Cockman (UNC-Wilmington), CF Justin Leeson (Georgetown)
What to watch for: The SteepleCats finished first in the Western Division last season, something GM Sean McGrath says will be difficult to repeat. The SteepleCats don’t like to bring back too many players, and that can make it hard to develop a consistent team culture. “We’ll bring this roster together like we do every year and spend a lot of time and effort putting them in a position to develop their own chemistry,” McGrath said. “If they take to one another, it with allow their talent to speak for itself and play for the name on the front of the jersey and our community.”
Don’t miss: Carden will be the Steeplecats closer this year. “We will be confident going into the ninth inning with a lead and the ball in his hand,” McGrath said.
NORTH SHORE NAVIGATORS
Home field: Fraser Field, 365 Western Avenue, Lynn, Mass.
Web: www.nsnavs.com
Tickets: $8 for field box, $7 for premium, $6 for general admission
Manager: Jeff Waldron (second season)
Who’s back: SS Cody Dent (Florida), P Dan Patrick (Palm Beach State), P Kevin Kyle (Georgia Perimeter), OF Dario Pizzano (Saugus, Mass./Columbia), P Crayton Bare (Baylor)
Who’s new: 2B Mike Dunster (Greenwich, Conn./Clemson), 1B Jon McGibbon (Clemson), P Dan Slania (Notre Dame), 3B Eric Jagielo (Notre Dame), CF Chad Taylor (South Florida), P Garret Levsen (Point Loma), SS Drew Dahlberg (Oklahoma), OF Matt McGovern (Boston College)
What to watch for: The Navigators are defending NECBL champions partly due to 2010 Coach of the Year Waldron’s performance in his first season. He’s back this year, and GM Pete Delani has been fostering relationships with top-20 college programs such as Clemson, Florida, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Notre Dame, Tennessee, Baylor and Boston College. There were some great battles between the Gulls and Westerners last year.
Don’t miss: Crayton Bare was an NECBL All-Star last year, and earned an important win for the Navigators in Game 2 in the championship series.
OLD ORCHARD BEACH RAGING TIDE
Home field: The Ballpark at Old Orchard Beach, 16 E Emerson Cummings Boulevard, Old Orchard Beach, Maine
Web: www.ragingtide.com
Tickets: $5 for general admission, $3 for seniors, free for children (under 12)/military
Manager: Inaki Ormaechea (first season)
Who’s back: P Chris Carmain (Methuen, Mass./Northeastern), C Tim Quinn (Paxton, Mass./Assumption)
Who’s new: P Matt Cook (Hamilton, Mass./Northeastern), IF Tom Verdi (Warwick, R.I./UConn)
What to watch for: The Raging Tide moves from Lowell (where they were the All-Americans) to a 5,000-seat stadium in southern Maine. GM Doug Ayotte says the team has “a great combination of power, speed, pitching and defense.” He also notes the team is big (with more than 20 players over 6 feet tall) and local (with more than 20 players from New England).
Don’t miss: Freshman CF Tom Bourdon of Boston College is a former Red Sox draft pick.
SANFORD MAINERS
Home field: Goodall Park, Roberts Street, Sanford, Maine
Web: www.sanfordmainers.com
Tickets: $5 for adults, $3 for students/seniors
Manager: Aaron Izaryk (third season)
Who’s back: IF Marlon Calbi (Villanova), P Will Clinard (Vanderbilt), IF Brett Mollenhauer (Radford)
Who’s new: OF Mike Montville (Portsmouth, N.H./Maryland), RHP Nate Jones (Portsmouth, N.H./Wake Forest), LHP Jonathan Balentina (Maine)
What to watch for: GM John Webb says to look for “a talented pitching staff paired with an older group of position players.” Pitchers include Eric Stevens from Boston College and Vinny DePierro from UMass-Lowell.
Don’t miss: Franklin Pierce outfielder Nick LaCroix (Grafton, Mass.) was a runner-up for Northeast-10 Conference Rookie of the Year. He also swings a wood bat at Franklin Pierce, which gives him an advantage over other players trying to adjust from aluminum bats.
VERMONT MOUNTAINEERS
Home field: Montpelier Recreation Field, 1 Ballpark Road, Montpelier, Vt.
Web: www.thevermontmountaineers.com
Tickets: $5 for adults, $3 for seniors/students/military
Manager: John Russo (sixth season)
Who’s back: The Mountaineers return no players this season.
Who’s new: OF Anthony Aceto (Providence, R.I./UConn), OF Jeff Cammans (Jamestown, R.I./Rhode Island), 1B Rob Griffith (Bridgeport, Conn./Sacred Heart), SS Dan Kemp (Sturbridge, Mass./Franklin Pierce), LHP Greg Lutton (New Haven, Vt./Albany), LHP Anthony Marzi (Berlin, Conn./UConn), LHP Fred Shepard (Pelham, Mass./Amherst), P Matt Whitehouse (UC Irvine)
What to watch for: The Mountaineers have reached the NECBL finals five of the past nine seasons and are hoping to be competitive again. GM Brian Gallagher believes the team’s strength is its pitching depth.
Don’t miss: Freshman Aceto was a standout player at North Providence High School, where he was the Rhode Island Gatorade Player of the Year as a senior in 2010. He led the state with a .607 batting average.
Nick A. Zaino III can be reached at feedback@baseballjournal.com
