NECBL preview: Roster breakdowns, 2023 outlook for all 13 teams

Jake Studley will return to the Ocean State Waves after collecting 57 RBIs during a transfer season at UConn. (Kyle Prudhomme/NEBJ)

A busy summer collegiate slate across New England continues filling up this week with Tuesday’s start of the New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL) play.

The NECBL is set for a 44-game regular season from June 7 through the end of July, with teams and games across all six of the region’s states. The league gets set for 2023 with 13 teams playing in a three-division format that was instituted last summer.

NEBJ previews a new summer of New England League action with team-by-team previews.

The Coastal Division was new to the NECBL in 2022 and includes the reigning league champion Martha’s Vineyard Sharks and the North Shore Navigators, who will host the annual All-Star Game on Sunday, July 23 in Lynn, Mass.

COASTAL DIVISION

MARTHA’S VINEYARD SHARKS

Home field: Vineyard Baseball Park, 110 Edgartown Vineyard Haven Rd., Oak Bluffs, Mass.
Web: www.mvsharks.com
Twitter: @MV_Sharks

Manager: Billy Uberti (first season)

Who’s back: RHP Jack Beauchesne (Northeastern/Chelmsford, Mass.), C Matt Maloney (Dayton/Windham, N.H.), OF Aiden Tierney (Mount St. Mary’s)

Who’s new: 1B/OF Carsten Sabathia (Georgia Tech), OF Jayden Hylton (Stetson), OF Carson Wells (USC), IF Gio Colasante (Harvard), IF Nolan Nawrocki (Clemson), OF Nathan Hall (Clemson), C Beck Milner (Yale), C Max Kaufer (Texas A&M), RHP Dan Snyder (Louisville), RHP Gavin Van Kempen (West Virginia), LHP Camden Mounts (Catholic), LHP Chris Scinta (Miami), OF Caden Shapiro (Princeton)

Outlook: GM Russ Curran is excited about the power bats and arms that will be on display as the Sharks look to build upon winning their first-ever NECBL championship in 2022. The roster is once again littered with players from major programs, including an MLB draft pick out of high school in Van Kempen and Stetson’s strong first baseman in Hylton. Colasante and Milner are both coming off playing key roles as freshmen in the Ivy League. Beauchesne went 3-0 with a 3.82 ERA in 13 games last summer. Sabathia (son of former MLB pitcher CC) and Shapiro (son of Toronto Blue Jays president Mark) bring pro bloodlines to the island. Uberti, the head coach at Division 3 Lasell University, returns to the Vineyard to manage the club after formerly spending time as an assistant coach.

MYSTIC SCHOONERS

Home field: Senator Thomas J. Dodd Memorial Stadium, 14 Stott Ave., Norwich, Conn.
Web: www.schoonersbaseball.com
Twitter: @mysticschooners

Head coach: Phil Orbe (10th season)

Who’s back: IF Sam Kirkpatrick (Belmont), OF Mike Bello (Auburn), LHP Bowen Baker (Fairfield/North Stonington, Conn.), RHP Rian Schwede (Endicott/Hanson, Mass.)

Who’s new: 3B Anthony DePino (Rhode Island/Madison, Conn.), C Danny Melnick (Rutgers), C Matt Brinker (Northeastern/Norfolk, Mass.), OF Alex Luccini (UMass Lowell/Hopedale, Mass.), OF Caleb Shpur (Connecticut/East Canaan, Conn.), OF Drew Kron (Connecticut/Hebron, Conn.), 1B Maddix Dalena (Connecticut), RHP Connor Podeszwa (Tufts/Waterford, Conn.), RHP Alec Sachais (Rider), OF Caleb Stelly (Louisiana), IF Jack Haley (Cal State Fullerton)

Outlook: With a roster centered around plenty of New England-based talent, the Schooners will look to extend the NECBL’s longest active streak of playoff appearances to 10 years in 2023. Orbe says the roster was built around the typical strengths of pitching, defense and team speed. Along with players from UConn, Northeastern and Endicott, returnee Bello and the Cal State Fullerton, Louisiana and Rider representatives all experienced recent postseason play with their college programs. Melnick is a former All-New England catcher who transferred following an impressive breakout season in the Nutmeg State, hitting .333 with 11 homers as a Quinnipiac sophomore. The Endicott group just back from the D3 College World Series is led by Shpur, the two-time CCC Player of the Year who is headed to UConn as a grad transfer.

NEWPORT GULLS

Home field: Cardines Field, 20 America’s Cup Ave., Newport, R.I.
Web: www.newportgulls.com
Twitter: @NewportGulls

Head coach: Frank Holbrook (second season)

Who’s back: OF Kolton Freemen (Dartmouth), 2B Trent Farquhar (Michigan State), 3B Slate Alford (Mississippi State), IF Luke Beckstein (Northeastern/Tyngsborough, Mass.), C Bryan Broecker (Michigan State), C Jake Burley (Brown), 1B Sam Kulasingam (Air Force), RHP Kevin Seitter (Quinnipiac), RHP Garrett Simpson (Wright State), LHP Grant Umberger (Virginia Tech)

Who’s new: OF Dakota Jordan (Mississippi State), 1B Michael Anderson (Rhode Island), SS Kolby Branch (Baylor), RHP Aiven Cabral (Northeastern/Lynn, Mass.), RHP Joe Allen (Clemson/Hampton Falls, N.H.), LHP Caleb Leys (Maine/Middletown, R.I.), RHP Ryan Andrade (Rhode Island/Middletown, R.I.), LHP Zach Fogell (Connecticut/Cumberland, R.I.), OF Niko Brini (Connecticut/Plymouth, Mass.)

Outlook: The Gulls return an incredibly large number of players from the 2022 team that won the regular-season title in the talented Coastal Division. Among them is the reigning NECBL Newcomer of the Year in Alford, a .346 hitter with nine homers and 40 RBI. Farquhar and Seitter were also 2022 All-NECBL picks, and Umberger was a 2021 All-Star who did not pitch last summer. The depth and experience of the roster includes plenty of talented locals like Cabral, who was one of the top Division 1 pitchers in New England as a freshman. Leys, Fogell and Andrade are two Rhode Island natives who had a major impact on the success of their NCAA-bound clubs. A transfer from Brown, Fogell broke UConn’s single-season record for appearances and went 8-0 with a 1.89 ERA.

NORTH SHORE NAVIGATORS

Home field: Fraser Field, 365 Western Ave., Lynn, Mass.
Web: www.nsnavs.com
Twitter: @NSNavigators

Head coach: Bob Macaluso (fourth season, third in NECBL)

Who’s back: IF/OF Jake McElroy (Holy Cross/North Andover, Mass.), IF/OF Stan DeMartinis III (Bentley), LHP Nate Espelin (Dayton/Belmont, Mass.), LHP Cooper Smith (Stetson)

Who’s new: LHP Evan Blanco (Virginia/Woburn, Mass.), IF Henry Kaczmar (Ohio State), IF Jake Berger (Harvard/Boston, Mass.), OF Peter Messervy (Harvard/Weston, Mass.), IF Ivan Arias (Vanderbilt/Boston, Mass.), C Jacob Jarrell (Clemson), OF Evan Griffis (Stetson), RHP David Hagaman (West Virginia), IF Luca Trigiani (Saint Joseph’s)

Outlook: After finishing at the bottom of the Coastal Division last season, the Navigators are excited about the team that is rostered for 2023, including McElroy as a returning NECBL All-Star and two of their top strikeout pitchers from last summer in Smith and Espelin. President Derek January believes this edition of the team is well balanced and includes multiple future pro prospects and some big arms. The outfield group including Griffis and Messervy is strong offensively and boasts great speed. Berger and Arias were exciting late additions. Trigiani spent the last two years with NECBL foe Upper Valley. On the mound, the staff looks deep with Hagaman coming off being an All-Big 12 Honorable Mention pick as a redshirt freshman at West Virginia. Kaczmar was Ohio State’s starting shortstop and a Big Ten All-Rookie honoree.

OCEAN STATE WAVES

Home field: Old Mountain Field, 875 Kingstown Rd., South Kingstown, R.I.
Web: www.oceanstatewaves.com
Twitter: @OceanStateWaves

Head coach: Eric Hirschbein-Bodnar (third season)

Who’s back: OF Khyree Miller (College of Charleston), OF Jake Studley (Connecticut/Barrington, R.I.), RHP Jack Erbeck (Fairfield), SS Alex Ramirez (Rhode Island/Warwick, R.I.), IF Brodey Heaton (Belmont), IF Drew Holderbach (Rice)

Who’s new: LHP AJ Colarusso (Boston College/Leominster, Mass.), RHP Wyatt Lungsford-Shekman (East Carolina), RHP Brad Lombardi (Boston College/East Greenwich, R.I.), RHP Braeden Perry (Rhode Island/North Kingstown, R.I.), C Rob Butler (Rhode Island/Foster, R.I.), C Matthew Graveline (Ohio State), OF Eric Genther (Rhode Island)

Outlook: Three of Ocean State’s top regular hitters return from last summer to provide always-important veteran experience. Studley hit a team-best .306 leading into his outstanding grad transfer season at UConn over which he drove in 57 runs. Holderbach had the Waves’ third-best average, and Miller led the offense with 10 homers and 23 RBI. The group of starting pitchers is young including the likes of Perry and Colarusso, while Erbeck is one member of a veteran bullpen who has worked considerably for Fairfield in recent years. Rhody shortstop Ramirez returns as an anchor for a veteran defense that will be backstopped by strong catching. Graveline was a Big Ten All-Freshman Team member after leading the Buckeyes with 45 runs scored while hitting .287.

NORTH DIVISION

KEENE SWAMPBATS

Home field: Alumni Field, 77 Arch St., Keene, N.H.
Web: www.swampbats.com
Twitter: @swampbats_keene

Head coach: Shaun McKenna (third season)

Who’s back: IF/OF Garrett Rice (Missouri), RHP Joel Rodriguez (Pasco Hernando State), RHP Cole Stallings (Stetson)

Who’s new: OF Devin Taylor (Indiana), IF Jacob Starling (East Carolina), LHP Kayden Campbell (Louisville), RHP Jordan Kolenda (Kent State), C Greg Bozzo (Northeastern), IF Carmelo Musacchia (Northeastern), IF Patrick Roche (Boston College/Milton, Mass.), RHP Peter Haas (Stonehill/Hancock, N.H.), RHP Michael Poncini (Quinnipiac/Hebron, Conn.), RHP Frankie Sanchez (Southern New Hampshire), OF/RHP Alec Ritch (Cal)

Outlook: The SwampBats look for a rebound summer after finishing last in the Northern Division last season. The high on-base offense figures to be led by Taylor, the Big Ten Freshman of the Year who hit .316 with 16 homers and 59 RBI at Indiana. There is representation from several New England schools including BC and Northeastern, where Bozzo and Musacchia were a part of a historic spring after helping the Nashua Silver Knights win the Futures League last summer. Also familiar with the Granite State is Sanchez, who has emerged as one of SNHU’s top pitchers on a Division 2 World Series team. Keene High graduate Haas is on the roster after Tommy John surgery sidelined him for Stonehill’s first D1 season. Rice is the only returnee from 2022.

SANFORD MAINERS

Home field: Goodall Park, 14 Roberts St., Sanford, Maine
Web: www.sanfordmainers.com
Twitter: @Sanford_Mainers

Head coach: Nic Lops (third season)

Who’s back: IF Devan Bade (Binghamton/Southington, Conn.), OF Kevin Skagerlind (UMass/Holden, Mass.), LHP Zach Given (UMass), RHP Bryce Afthim (Southern Maine/Hollis Center, Maine), RHP Jack Mullen (Bowdoin/Freeport, Maine)

Who’s new: 1B Jeremiah Jenkins (Maine), OF Bryce Madron (Oklahoma), IF Nick Roselli (Binghamton), OF Jack Toomey (Holy Cross/Wellesley, Mass.), RHP Colin Fitzgerald (Maine), RHP Noah Lewis (Maine/South Portland, Maine), LHP Jacob Jette (UMass Lowell/Franklin, Mass.)

Outlook: GM Aaron Izaryk is especially excited about his team’s middle of the order, with Jenkins being a highlight after winning America East Player of the Year honors and helping Maine reach the NCAA tournament with 21 homers, 76 RBI and 1.248 OPS. The Mainers also welcome in the Patriot League Rookie of the Year (Toomey) and an All-Big 12 Honorable Mention pick (Madron) who both hit above .300. Jenkins’ teammates Fitzgerald and Lewis were also All-America East selections and provide experience to the staff. Southern Maine ace Afthim logged a 5-1 record and 1.01 ERA in 44 ⅔ innings as a NECBL All-Star starter last summer. Lops was the 2022 Joel Cooney Manager of the Year after leading the Mainers to a 22-win record and an upset victory over Coastal Division-leading Newport in the playoffs.

UPPER VALLEY NIGHTHAWKS

Home field: Maxfield Sports Complex, 120 Leslie Dr., White River Junction, Vt.
Web: www.uppervalleynighthawks.com
Twitter: ‎@uvnighthawks

Head coach: Mat Pause (first season)

Who’s back: RHP Randall Alejo (Saint Rose), OF Adarius Myers (Louisiana Tech)

Who’s new: 3B Pat D’Amico (Seton Hall/Lynnfield, Mass.), RHP Brendan Walker (Stetson/Woodsville, N.H.), C Kevin Bruggeman (Hofstra/Trumbull, Conn.), 1B Jake Bullard (Stetson/Hampton, N.H.), OF Mason Manners (Jacksonville State), OF Kyle Mock (Troy), OF Ryan Cesarini (St. Joseph’s), OF/RHP Nick Monistere (Southern Miss), RHP/UT Griffin Hugus (Cincinnati)

Outlook: Upper Valley boasts a veteran roster including two strong returnees from last summer and only five college freshmen. President Noah Crane believes the team’s experience and versatility will be a winning combination. Alejo had a 1.54 ERA in 23.1 innings while Myers was a .345 hitter over 10 games in 2022. The team’s New England-based presence includes Stetson teammates Walker (35 ⅓ innings as a freshman) and NECBL veteran Bullard, while D’Amico earned a starting role for each of his first two years at the Big East’s Seton Hall and hit above .300 in the Futures League following his freshman season. Monistere and Hugus are expected to make an impact on both sides of the ball, contributing to a powerful offensive outfield group and on the mound.

VERMONT MOUNTAINEERS

Home field: Montpelier Recreation Field, 1 Ballpark Rd., Montpelier, Vt.
Web: www.thevermontmountaineers.com
Twitter: @MountaineersVT

Head coach: Mitchell Holmes (second season)

Who’s back: IF Tyler Cox (Dartmouth), UT Evan Fox (Stony Brook), OF Nic Notarangelo (Endicott/Taunton, Mass.), RHP Brendan McFall (Northeastern), LHP Max Parker (Le Moyne), LHP Luke Carpenter (Dartmouth), RHP Jack Metzger (Dartmouth), RHP Mitchell Pascarella (Connecticut), RHP Jack Pletter (Bryant/Orange, Conn.), IF Santino Rosso (Hofstra)

Who’s new: IF Luke Cantwell (Fairleigh Dickinson), RHP Nathan Knowles (William & Mary), C Nathan Waugh (Cornell), OF TJ Williams (Notre Dame), OF Grant Voytovich (Bucknell)

Outlook: Ten players return to Vermont from the 2022 team that started 21-2 and ultimately won 32 games, tying for the most in the league’s single-season history. Holmes says the team took a similar approach to building this summer’s roster, signing some of the top players from “smaller” schools. NECBL All-Stars Cox and Fox both hit well above .300 in college this spring, with the latter setting a Stony Brook record with 39 stolen bases. McFall was 7-0 in 13 relief outings for Vermont and joined that duo as a midsummer honoree. McFall (from Tufts) and Pletter (from Colby) will both be preparing for D1 graduate years. Like every NECBL roster, there is certainly representation from high-profile schools as well, including Notre Dame’s freshman leadoff hitter and starting center fielder in Williams.

WEST DIVISION

BRISTOL BLUES

Home field: Muzzy Field, 35 Muzzy St., Bristol, Conn.
Web: www.bristolbluesbaseball.com
Twitter: @BristolBluesCT

Manager: Tim Binkowski (second season)

Who’s back: OF Griffin Arnone (Northwestern/New Canaan, Conn.), RHP Jagger Duquette (Wagner/Bristol, Conn.), OF/P Joey Rios (Central Connecticut State/Newtown, Conn.), RHP Peter Phillips (Southern Connecticut State/West Simsbury, Conn.), RHP Alec Couture (Hartford/Plainville, Conn.), RHP Peter Ostensen (Fairfield), IF Cal Parrillo (Rhode Island College/Johnston, R.I.), RHP Mason Ulsh (Quinnipiac)

Who’s new: IF Ryan Daniels (Connecticut), OF Cam Maldonado (Northeastern/Wolcott, Conn.), C/1B Derek Jackson (Jacksonville State), C Keegan O’Connor (Quinnipiac/Andover, Mass.), RHP Cole Hansen (Seton Hall)

Outlook: The Blues matched Vermont’s 32-12 record by the end of the 2022 regular season and now bring back many of the key contributors to the team’s success. A transfer from Elon to Northwestern, Arnone was a second-team All-NECBL outfielder with 16 stolen bases, which tied for the fourth-most in the league. Rios hit .272 with 17 RBI as a regular last summer and also gives the team two-way ability. Bristol’s veteran presence is especially apparent on the mound, where its 3.17 ERA was the league’s best. Ulsh and Duquette were incredibly impressive, allowing just eight earned runs combined over their six starts apiece with the Blues. Ulsh had a 0.99 ERA in 27 ⅓ frames. There is super New England power among the team’s newcomers as Maldonado and O’Connor each socked 13 homers on the way to CAA Rookie of the Year and first-team All-MAAC honors, respectively.

DANBURY WESTERNERS

Home field: Rogers Park, 5 Mountainville Ave., Danbury, Conn.
Web: www.danburywesterners.com
Twitter: @danbwesterners

Head coach: Conor Farrell (first season)

Who’s back: IF Mike Becchetti (Fairfield), RHP Curtis Clark (Capital), OF Harrison Feinberg (Northeastern/Greenwich, Conn.), OF Billy Gerlott (Penn State), RHP Ryan Higgins (Duke/New Canaan, Conn.), IF Sam Mongelli (Sacred Heart), C Joey Skarad (Sacred Heart/Stamford, Conn.)

Who’s new: IF Brant Baughcum (Georgia Tech), 1B Luke Boynton (Georgia State), RHP Jake Brink (College of Charleston), OF Jakobi Davis (Cornell), RHP Pat Gleason (Pace), IF/OF Javon Hernandez (Jacksonville State/Danbury, Conn.), C Aidan Jolley (Georgia Tech), RHP Tyler Roche (St. John’s), RHP/1B Anthony Steele (Penn State/Shelton, Conn.), IF Drew Wyers (Stetson), OF Bobby Zmarzlak (Maryland/Stamford, Conn.)

Outlook: Director of Player Personnel Alex Giobbi says the Westerners have a greater veteran presence in their lineup with Northeast Conference Player of the Year Mongelli and fellow All-New Englander Becchetti both returning. Mongelli, who was one of five Danbury players that logged double-digit homers in college, was a 2022 NECBL All-Star with his .311 average. Several local natives like Hernandez and Zmarzlak have long been on the team’s radar. Roche and Keenan are NECBL veterans, while Gleason brings in an impressive D2 resume as a reigning Northeast-10 Pitcher of the Year. Giobbi is excited about the speed and defense that Davis can bring to Rogers Park. Feinberg hit seven homers last year and is back in a Danbury uniform following his first season at Northeastern.

NORTH ADAMS STEEPLECATS

Home field: Joe Wolfe Field, 310 State St., North Adams, Mass.
Web: www.steeplecats.com
Twitter: @SteepleCats

Head coach: Ryan Abel (first season)

Who’s back: IF Kyle Hannon (Penn State)

Who’s new: OF Sam Tackett (Virginia Tech), OF DM Jefferson (Notre Dame), OF Ben Watson (Virginia Tech), RHP Nate Chudy (Holy Cross), RHP Ryan Dromboski (Penn), IF Tremayne Cobb Jr. (Troy), C Gunnar Johnson (Wofford/Newington, Conn.), LHP Jonathan Peterson (Monmouth), OF Jake Reinisch (Wake Forest), IF John Taylor (Louisiana), IF Sam Sherman (Merrimack/Pittsfield, Mass.),

Outlook: The SteepleCats put an emphasis on upgrading their roster witmore players from Power Five programs after finishing at the bottom of the league table last summer, according to GM Paul Procopio. Hannon is the lone returnee from 2022, but he will be joined by representatives from a number of ACC programs including No. 1 Wake Forest, Notre Dame, Clemson and Virginia Tech. Reinisch has seen action off the bench for the top-ranked Demon Deacons. Outside of major programs, Dromboski was the Ivy League Pitcher of the Year with seven wins, a 3.17 ERA and 97 strikeouts in 71 innings as a sophomore at Penn, while Watson was a D3 All-American this season and will transfer to Virginia Tech. Sherman is a local product out of Pittsfield’s Taconic High School.

VALLEY BLUE SOX

Home field: MacKenzie Stadium, 500 Beech St., Holyoke, Mass.
Web: www.valleybluesox.com
Twitter: @ValleyBlueSox

Head coach: Pedro Santiago (second season)

Who’s back: OF AJ Guerrero (Washington), C Kohtaro Shimada (Western New England/Woburn, Mass.), RHP Terry Murray (Rhode Island College/Norfolk, Mass.)

Who’s new: 1B Matthew Bergevin (Fairfield), RHP Jake Cubbler (USC Upstate), RHP Cohen Feser (TCU), IF Eliot Dix (North Carolina), RHP Jason Arrigo (Salve Regina), 1B CJ Willis (Western New England/Auburn, Mass.), RHP Marcus Cashman (Niagara), IF/RHP Sean Scanlon (Holy Cross)

Outlook: While the Blue Sox finished 16-28 last summer, Guerrero returns as one of the team’s top players after hitting .378 with 10 extra-base hits, 16 RBI and 19 runs scored during his 2022 NECBL All-Star campaign. He was also the leading hitter for Washington’s NCAA-bound club this spring. The team expects to have a hard-hitting group of infielders including Bergevin (44 RBI for Fairfield) and Dix (two-time All-Big South player at Longwood). Back for his second summer with Valley, Murray brings along the Little East Pitcher of the Year honor that he earned after going 8-2 with a 2.57 ERA in 12 games at RIC. Former CCC Rookie of the Year Willis has been one of the region’s top power hitters at the D3 level, posting a .384 average, 27 homers and 100 RBI in just two seasons.