3+ Hours of Ejections, Stolen Bases and Walks

(Photo Credit Roger Crowley)  Danbury's Daniel Spingola steals second base.

Last night, the Danbury Westerners arrived at Recreation Field to play the Vermont Mountaineers for a 6:30 game. Three and a half hours later, three ejections by the same team and a hidden ball trick made up the Westerners wild 10-9 victory, which included 22 hits, 15 walks and 24 strikeouts between the two teams.

There was only one word to describe the play of both teams last night.

"Unique," as anybody who was there would have described it.

A hectic seventh inning proved to be the difference, as the Westerners added three runs to go ahead for good. The first two batters reached on a leadoff triple and a walk, then slugger Riley Palmer knocked in two with a single. Westerner outfielder Zachary Blanden slid in with a close play at the plate, which drew Mountaineer manager Joe Brown out of the dugout.

Brown argued the call, believing that Blanden was out. Home plate umpire Mike Torr threw him out after he yelled in disagreement.

The game started off with the Mountaineers jumping out to a 4-1 lead through two innings of play. It was a back and forth game, with five lead changes throughout.

Danbury followed up with a stretch where they scored two runs in three straight innings to go up 7-6 going into the bottom of the fifth, but a RBI single by Kevin Krause, followed by a two-run home run for Mark Podlas put Vermont up 9-7.

Fireworks started in the 7th when Brown was ejected, and continued throughout the rest of the game.

In the top of the ninth, Daniel Spingola's single started the Westerners off. He stole second, then the very next play swiped third. It was a very close play at third, and it drew Mountaineers Assistant Coach Justin Fredenburg out to argue. Fredenburg's temper rose, and he was the second Mountaineer thrown out.

Later in the inning, with one out and runners on second and third, Westerner Alex Tuccio lined out to Mountaineer shortstop Thomas Roulis on a diving play. The Westerner at second, Riley Palmer moved off the base when he believed Roulis had thrown the ball back to Mountaineer pitcher Pat Delano.

Palmer was promptly tagged out by Roulis, as they executed the hidden ball trick to perfection.

This caused Westerners manager Jamie Shevchik to come out of the dugout in protest, which in turn brought Mountaineers General Manager Brian Gallagher out. Gallagher, when reached for comment, "I just wanted to get the game going."

Gallagher was ejected after coming out to home plate, where Shevchik and Torr were discussing. This marked the third Mountaineer to be ejected.

The fireworks ended with the Mountaineers going 1-2-3 in the bottom of the ninth. Danbury's Rob Blanc (3-2, 2.97 ERA) got the win, while Vermont's Joey Graziano took the loss (2-3, 5.85 ERA)

The final line might have been the craziest numbers in the NECBL this summer. The two teams combined for 73 at bats, 23 hits, 19 runs, 13 stolen bases, 24 strikeouts and 15 walks. Woah.

The Best 2013 NECBL Championship Matchups

There are many different scenarios that could happen for the 2013 NECBL Championship series, but there are certain matchups people are rooting for to see. Teams shooting for their first appearance, while others attempt to continue stretchs of dominance. Regardless, here are my top five matchups I would like to see battle it out for the Fay Vincent Trophy.

5. New Bedford Bay Sox vs. Danbury Westerners

The Westerners are the oldest team in the NECBL, and have made four appearances without a championship. The Bay Sox were formerly the Torrington Twisters and also made four appearances without a championship. Between these two teams, they're a combined 0-for-8 and would make the series interesting- who can pull in the first championship for there team? The Westerners, the oldest team in the league or the Bay Sox for the Twister fans out there?

4. Saratoga Brigade vs. Ocean State Waves

Expansion franchises! Imagine the two new guys on the block battling their way through the older teams and taking on each other in the championship series. Playing in the championship in their first year of play would really expand the fan bases, as well be motivational in case the NECBL ever expands again. The Waves are also really good hitters, and Saratoga is as well so it wouldn't be a pitchers duel. Runs galore!

3. Sanford Mainers vs. Danbury Westerners

The Mainers and Westerners matchup is unlikely, seeing as Danbury is in the cellar of the Western Division and Sanford sits in fifth, but one can only hope. These two teams are always the consistently good teams, the teams that make it into the playoffs but always end up getting beaten out by teams like Keene and Newport. Sanford's won twice, however to Danbury's zero. The Westerners have made four appearances, but have lost every time. This would be a pretty interesting matchup between two teams that are almost always good, with the exception of a few years. 

2. Keene Swamp Bats vs. Newport Gulls

Three of the past four championships have belonged to one of these two teams, and from 2000-2002 they were the only two teams who made it to the championship. Newport took two of the three (back-to-back) and now are trying to win two straight once again. This would be the fourth matchup between Newport and Keene, and would be a battle of the past two champions. Who wouldn't want to see this series?

1. Vermont Mountaineers vs. Newport Gulls

It's kind of like the Yankees-Red Sox rivalry, just in different divisions. Come August, you will almost always see these two teams gearing up for a championship matchup. This would be the fourth faceoff between these two in the championship, with the Gulls taking two of those. In the past 13 years, the Gulls and Mountaineers have combined to appear 13 times in the playoffs, including winning seven titles between the two of them. Why would this matchup not be good?!?

Colleges in the NECBL

The NECBL is exactly what its name suggests, a collegiate baseball league. The league is composed of 13 teams with over 400 players from tons of different colleges across the country, and what many people may not realize is that a lot of players have teammates in the league as well, or even on the same team. In a fun piece, I decided to break down the top five colleges with the most representatives in the league this season. Each college has a brief snippet on their regular season and a piece on their highest ranked player in my smart rankings this year. The rankings are separated by pitchers and hitters.


T1. Vanderbilt University
NECBL Members: 9
Notable Member: P Steven Rice, Sanford Mainers (rank: #1)
Information: Vanderbilt is tied for the most players in the NECBL this year with nine. The Commodores went 54-12 and won the Southeastern Conference championship while earning the #2 overall seed in the D1 baseball tournament. Vanderbilt won the Nashville regional before being eliminated by Louisville in the super regional. They lost 5-3 and 2-1 to the Cardinals.



T1. Franklin Pierce University
NECBL Members: 9
Notable Member: P Paul Covelle, Keene Swamp Bats (rank: #21)
Information: Franklin Pierce also has nine players represented in the NECBL. The Ravens won the Northeast Division of the NE-10 conference, going 37-19 overall as well as a 22-6 conference record. Franklin Pierce went down in the first round of the NE-10 championship, but were back at it in the D-II college world series. The Ravens made it to the final six teams, but took a loss to Grand Valley State by a score of 10-5 that knocked them out.

2. Fairfield University
NECBL Members: 8
Notable Member: OF Ryan Plourde, New Bedford Bay Sox (rank: #5)
Information: In second in players represented with eight, the Fairfield Stags went 20-29 and faltered in the first round of the New England-10 championship. The #1 Northeast seed, the Stags went down 4-1 to #4 Merrimack.

T3. Louisville University
NECBL Members: 7
Notable Member: P Robert Strader, Vermont Mountaineers (rank: #32)
Information: The Louisville Cardinals had a great year, going 51-12 and earning the #1 seed in the Big East Conference championship. They lost in the first round to the eventual champion UConn 3-2 in a 12-inning affair, sending them to the losers game. They were pounded by Rutgers, 9-1 to be eliminated. The Cardinals did, however earn a #1 seed and hosted the Lousiville Regional in the D1 championship. Louisville went 3-0, and then beat Vanderbilt 5-3 and 2-1 to knock out the Commodores and earn a spot in the World Series. In the World Series, the Cardinals lost to Indiana 2-0, and were eliminated by Oregon State the next day in the losers bracket, 11-4.

T3. Hartford University
NECBL Members: 7
Notable Member: Brian Hunter, Keene Swamp Bats (rank: #11)
Information: Hartford didn't qualify for the America East championship, going 17-36. The Hawks have sent seven members to the NECBL, including Swamp Bat starter Brian Hunter who is 2-2 with a 2.16 ERA.

Next 15

RK	SCHOOL	#	NOTABLE PLAYER
T4.	Central Connecticut	6	JP Sportman, Keene Swamp Bats (#1H)
T4.	Michigan	6	Mick Van Vossen, Newport Gulls (#52P)
T4.	Rhode Island	6	Joe Landi, North Adams Steeplecats (#8H)
T4.	Virginia	6	Nathan Kirby, Keene Swamp Bats (#2P)
T5.	Arizona State	5	Brett Lilek, Newport Gulls (#41P)
T5.	Bryant	5	Kyle Wilcox, Newport Gulls (#12P)
T5.	Binghamton	5	Zachary Blanden, Danbury Westerners (#9H)
T5.	Boston College	5	Chris Shaw, New Bedford Bay Sox (#5H)
T5.	Hofstra	5	Matt Ford, Keene Swamp Bats (#17H)
T5.	Maine Orono	5	Troy Black, Sanford Mainers (#48H)
T5.	Maryland (College Park)	5	Kevin Martir, North Adams Steeplecats (#41H)
T5.	Seton Hall	5	Tyler Boyd, Mystic Schooners (#6H)
T5.	Southern California	5	Vahn Bozoian, Holyoke Blue Sox (#55H)
T5.	Southern New Hampshire	5	Riley Palmer, Danbury Westerners (#26H)
T5.	St. Johns	5	Matthew Clancy, Keene Swamp Bats (#24P)

NECBL.com Smart Rankings July 27th

The weekly top five hitters/pitcher rankings have come out for July 27th, and Keene's JP Sportman takes the top hitting spot, while Sanford's Steven Rice holds the top pitching spot for the second straight week. 

Hitters 

1. JP Sportman, Keene Swamp Bats (Last Week: 2) When you look at the Keene Swamp Bats, and their complete turnaround from worst to first, their hitting stands out, and no one more than JP Sportman. The speedy outfielder has all the tools, as he leads the league in average with a .349 mark and has also hit 11 doubles to go with four home runs. Sportman's swiped 11 bases as well, and knocked in 28 runs to go with 23 runs scored. A probable finalist to win the Rick Ligi MVP award, he has been crucial for the Swamp Bats going 20-4 to salvage a season they started at 3-11. 

2. Ben Roberts, Newport Gulls (Last Week: 1) The Newport Gulls are 23-11 and sit atop the Eastern Division with solid pitching and just as good hitting. Leading the charge is outfielder Ben Roberts, the league leader in multiple categories, including runs scored and total bases. Roberts has a .321 average, and has scored 33 runs, a mark that is just 12 runs from the NECBL record, set last year. Roberts has also tied the record for doubles in a season with 16, and has plenty of games left to break it. He's also knocked in 24 runs and walked 19 times, as well as leading the league in extra base hits with 19. Another early pick for the MVP award, it may come down to Sportman v. Roberts in the NECBL championship as both Keene and Newport lead there divisions. 

3. Joe Torres, Laconia Muskrats (Last Week: 4) The fan favorite at the 2013 All-Star game in  Laconia, Joe Torres didn't get the start in the outfield but might have deserved it. The league leader in both stolen bases with 23 and walks with 28, Torres gets on frequently and is a danger on the base paths. A spark for the Muskrats offense, the 5-7 Torres is second in on base percentage with a .478 mark and has a .336 average as well.  

4. Caden Bailey, Ocean State Waves (Last Week: 3) Argaubly the most reliable player in the league, Ocean State's Caden Bailey leads the league in games played wiith 38 and is among the league leaders in various categories. Third in the league in at bats with 142, Bailey is also second in both hits with 44 and in runs with 29. The Waves sit just three games back of the Gulls, and a part of that is Bailey playing in every single game.  

5. Ryan Plourde, New Bedford Bay Sox (Last Week: Honorable Mention) The New Bedford Bay Sox are 16-21 and 3.5 games out of a playoff spot, but Ryan Plourde is doing everything he can to get them in again. A .439 on base percentage, 29 runs scored and 25 walks all put him near the top of the leaderboards. Plourde has been crucial for the Bay Sox and there offense, which ranks near the top of the league. New Bedford may have the worst team ERA in the league at 4.81, but they're hitting .259 as a team and pick up their pitching when it struggles. Plourde leads the way, hitting .303 with 15 RBIs. 

Pitchers 

1. Steven Rice, Sanford Mainers (Last Week: 1) Steven Rice returns to the top of the pitcher rankings for the second straight week, as he's been dominant out of the pen for the Mainers. The 5-7 closer from the University of Vanderbilt has posted great numbers, with a 4-1 record, five saves and a 0.82 ERA. Rice has also struck out 40 to just seven walks over 22 innings of work. 

2. Nathan Kirby, Keene Swamp Bats (Last Week: 3) The Keene Swamp Bats may be one of the best hitting team in the league, but that's not the only reason for their worst-to-first turnaround. The Swamp Bats have a 3.11 team ERA, third in the league, and Nathan Kirby leads the charge. 2-0 over six starts, Kirby's thrown 35 innings and struck out 53, as well as holding a 2.02 ERA. He's given up just 24 hits, and has walked 17. Kirby has slid up into second in this weeks rankings. 

3. Michael Burke, Holyoke Blue Sox (Last Week: Honorable Mention) The Holyoke Blue Sox recently hopped over the Saratoga Brigade into fourth place in the West, and in line for a playoff spot. The Blue Sox are lead by a 3.14 team ERA and Michael Burke is their ace. Burke, through seven starts, has thrown 56 innings and has a 3-0 record. Fifth in the league in strikeouts with 44, Burke has also thrown two complete games, one of which was a shutout. The league leader in innings pitched, he threw nine and a third innings back in June against North Adams. Later on, he struck out 13 against Sanford. One of the top pitchers in the league, Burke has leaped up to third on the rankings after earning a honorable mention last week. 

4. David Hickey, Vermont Mountaineers (Last Week: Unranked) John Miles (below) is viewed as the Mountaineers ace, but another pitcher has joined the fray on the Western Division's best pitching staff. David Hickey, senior lefty from Yale University is 1-0 over five starts. A 1.00 ERA, Hickey's thrown 27 innings and struck out 33 to just 3 walks, a 11:1 ratio. Hickey was unranked last week, but got everyones attention with a dominant performance in Saratoga. He went seven innings, gave up just on run (unearned) on three hits while striking out nine and walking none.  

5. John Miles, Vermont Mountaineers (Last Week: 2) Another Mountaineer rounds out the top five, with ace John Miles taking fifth. Miles has dropped to fifth from second last week as he was roughed in Holyoke on Wednesday, picking up his first loss. Regardless, Miles is still one of the best pitchers in the NECBL. A 3-1 record over five starts and 35 innings, Miles has a 1.29 ERA and has given up just 17 hits and 11 walks. Opponents are hitting just .136 against him, as well as .80 WHIP and a 2.73 strikeout to walk ratio.

Revised NECBL Final Standings Predictions

I incorrectly ran a simulation, and this is my revised version of the standings predictions. Updated on July 26th, 2013.

The final games of the season are coming up on August 2nd, just seven days from now. Some teams will finish up on the first, and the playoffs start on the 4th, with eight teams competing to win the championship. However, we still have a week of baseball to go and it's up in the air about who will emerge from each division. Team's like Sanford and Holyoke are right on the fringe, while others fight for higher seeding. Here are my final predictions for when the last out is recorded on the 2nd.

Eastern Division

Team	W	L	PCT	GB
NEWPORT	32	12	0.727	0
OCEAN STATE	26	18	0.591	5
LACONIA	22	21	0.512	8.5
SANFORD	22	22	0.500	9
MYSTIC	21	23	0.477	10
N. BEDFORD	18	25	0.419	12.5
PLYMOUTH	12	32	0.273	19

The Newport Gulls take the top spot with a projected 32-12 record. The Gulls are one of the most dangerous teams in the league, near the top of both pitching and hitting categories. A 2.04 ERA so far this year, and a .268 team batting average puts them in position for their second championship trophy in as many years. Outfielder Benny Roberts breaks the doubles and runs scored record, and first baseman Steve Anderson sets the record for the most RBIs in an NECBL season.

In my projections, the Ocean State Waves stay in second, not catching up with Gulls, but finishing with a 26-18 record. The Gulls distanced themselves from the Waves by building a four game lead, but still could meet them in the Eastern Division Championship Series. The Waves are led by solid offense, which helps their average pitching. Hitting .268 as a team, Ocean State is anchored by infielders Caden Bailey, Christian Muscarello and outfielder Michael Gerber.

Following up behind the Waves are the Laconia Muskrats, six back of Newport. Lead by All-Star game MVP Joe Torres, the Muskrats are projected for a 22-21 finish and a #3 seed, set for a matchup with the Waves in the first round. In the middle of the pack in both pitching and hitting, Laconia quietly gets the job done and finishes just above .500.

The last team to make the playoffs are the Sanford Mainers, ahead of the fifth place team by just one game. A 22-22 record earns Sanford a series against the #1 seed Gulls, a task that will not be anywhere close to easy. The Mainers, in the middle of the pack in both hitting and pitching are helped into the playoffs by All-Star closer Steven Rice.

The Mystic Schooners finish in fifth place, just one game out of a playoff spot. A 21-23 record puts them 10 out of first, but two and a half ahead of the next team. The Schooners catch some tough luck, as a loss to Sanford in the last couple of days of the season knocks them out.

New Bedford and Plymouth take the last two spots, finishing with 18-25 and 12-32 records. The Bay Sox end 12.5 games out of first, while the Pilgrims possess the worst record in the NECBL and finish 19 behind the Gulls.

Eastern Division Playoffs
#1 Newport Gulls vs. #4 Sanford Mainers
#2 Ocean State Waves vs. #3 Laconia Muskrats

Western Division

KEENE	28	16	0.636	0
VERMONT	26	18	0.591	1
NORTH ADAMS	25	19	0.568	2
SARATOGA	20	24	0.455	7
HOLYOKE	17	27	0.386	10
DANBURY	16	28	0.364	11

The Keene Swamp Bats continue their incredible stretch and finish 28-16, and a game up on second place Vermont. After starting 3-11, Keene went on a 25-5 run and flew from the bottom of the Western Division to the top. Led by the best hitting team in the league, potential MVP JP Sportman and company take the #1 seed in the playoffs.

The Vermont Mountaineers started 15-4 and were the best team in the West, but finished 11-14 and dropped to second by just a half game with a 28-16 record. Still one of the top teams in the league, Vermont grabbed the #2 seed with their solid pitching. Starter John Miles is a finalist for the Robin Roberts top pitcher award, and their pitchers behind him help them in the postseason.

The North Adams Steeplecats take third, finishing 25-19. Rainouts and cancellations have plagued the Steeplecats, but it doesn't phase them as they fly into third, five up on the team behind the. All-Stars Scott Squier and Joeanthony Rivera lead the Steeplecats pitching staff, and the subpar hitting is picked up by their aces. Six games above .500 gets them just one game back of #2 Vermont to grab the #3 seed.

Rounding out the playoff field is the Saratoga Brigade, in their first season of play. The second expansion team to grab a spot in the postseason (Ocean State is the other), the Brigade finish 20-24 and in fourth place by five games. Near the bottom in both hitting and pitching categories, Saratoga sneaks into the playoffs thanks to the two teams behind them, who go a combined 3-11 over the last week.

The Holyoke Blue Sox (17-27) and the Danbury Westerners (16-28) finish in the bottom of the Western Division, seven and ten games out of playoff spots. The Westerners have been here most of the season, but the Blue Sox fell from fourth place to lose out on a playoff berth.

Western Division Playoffs

#1 Keene Swamp Bats vs. #4 Saratoga Brigade

#2 Vermont Mountaineers vs. #3 North Adams Steeplecats

Benny Roberts: Pursing NECBL Records

Newport outfielder Benny Roberts has been incredible for the division leading Newport Gulls, and is on track to break two NECBL records. Roberts is just one double away from breaking the record for doubles in a season at 16, and is 12 runs away from the runs scored record set in 2012. Infographics are a great way to show this kind of thing, so I layered Roberts pace through 34 games against the NECBL Record (He's currently tied with the doubles record, which is why you can't see his line past 25 games). See below!

BENNY ROBERTS: PURSUING RECORDS | Infographics

The NECBL Rounds Third

The season is coming to a close in New England, with a little over a week left in the regular season. Divisional races, playoff spots are more in play now than they will ever be.  Both divisions are very closely packed, with the fifth team who's trying to get a playoff spot just a half game or so back.  Teams like the Keene Swamp Bats have gone from worst to first, and others like the Sanford Mainers are just a half game from sneaking into the playoffs.

The NECBL regular season is always exciting. Frantic finishes, flashes of dominance accompany every season. Hitters who set new records, pitchers who ace their way through shutouts- the NECBL has it all. And on August 3rd, it is stepped up to another level- playoffs.

It's no surprise that the Newport Gulls are currently top in there division, in line to win the East and take the #1 seed in the playoffs. Since 2009, the Gulls have gone 118-48 and been the #1 seed in the East for four straight years. They've also been in the championship series eight of the last ten, and have won five titles.

Last summer, the Gulls went 31-10 and won 11 straight at the end of the season cruising through the playoffs. They lost their first game before going 6-0 to sweep through the East and beat the Westerners for the title.

This summer is no different, as Newport holds the best record in the NECBL once again and in a recent ranking by Perfect Game USA, came in sixth out of all of the summer collegiate baseball teams in the country.

Rounding out the East are the second place Ocean State Waves. An expansion franchise in their first year, the Waves hold a 22-14 record and are just two games out of first place.

The Laconia Muskrats and Mystic Schooners follow in third and fourth, respectively but one team has been on a tear as of late.

The Sanford Mainers, possessors of a 17-18 record, are digging themselves out of a hole with a five game winning streak. The Mainers, now only a half game back of fourth place Mystic, are trying to continue their streak of making the playoffs. Sanford has made the playoffs every year dating back to 2007, where after a 19-24 record they shaped up and have made it for five straight years. They won in 2008, but haven't made it back to the championship since then.

Falling farther and farther back are the sixth and seventh teams in the Eastern Division, the New Bedford Bay Sox and another new team, the Plymouth Pilgrims. New Bedford has gone the other way after reaching the division championship last summer, where they fell to Newport.

Plymouth, on the other hand has struggled mightily in their first NECBL season, currently holding the worst record in the league, a 12-25 mark.

In the West a familiar face sits atop the standings, the Keene Swamp Bats. A miraculous run has brought them here, even after starting 3-11 on the season and in the bottom of the division. Keene has been good for a long time, and have been the #1 seed three out of the past four years, including winning in 2011.

Following up in their footsteps is the Vermont Mountaineers, who've been on a cold streak of late. Previously holding the best record in the league, the Mountaineers have gone 4-6 over their last ten and have dropped to a game and a half behind Keene. Vermont has made the playoffs the previous two years, but were knocked out in the first round both times.

As of now, the North Adams Steeplecats are in third place. The #1 seed back in 2010, North Adams has never won a NECBL title or even make it to the championship series. Behind North Adams and currently holding on to the #4 seed are the Saratoga Brigade, in their first NECBL season.

The Brigade are 16-18 and a game up on the Holyoke Blue Sox behind them in what looks to be an exciting race for the last playoff spot. Behind the Blue Sox, the Danbury Westerners sit two games back. Like the Bay Sox, the Westerners have almost reversed their last season when they went to the NECBL championship as the #2 seed and lost to Newport.

All in all, few teams are "out of the playoff race" and it makes for an exciting last week of baseball.