2016 NECBL Preview: Newport Gulls

Newport is the winningest franchise in NECBL history, but a significant shakeup happened this offseason. Long-time manager Mike Coombs, who led the Gulls for 11 years, stepped down to give way to hitting coach Al Leyva. Leyva has big shoes to fill, but has a typically strong pitching staff and several intriguing hitters. Once again, you can expect Newport to challenge for the NECBL title. The last two even-year seasons, 2012 and 2014, Newport pulled it off.

Notable

Villanova's Hunter Schryver returns for his third summer in the NECBL

Senior southpaw Hunter Schryver (Villanova) returns for his third summer in Rhode Island, and second with the Gulls after a year in Ocean State. Schryver has a 3.00 ERA over 66 career innings in New England, but enters this summer as one of the top pitchers out of the Big East. Schryver was the Wildcats ace, making 14 starts and posting a 2.63 ERA with a 1.23 WHIP...Senior Nate Mondou (Wake Forest) was an All-ACC First Team selection, and is coming off of a summer spent with the Chatham Anglers on the Cape. Mondou slashed .303/.385/.410 this spring, hitting 14 doubles and scoring 50 runs...Sophomore Chris Chatfield (South Fla.) struggled in his first year in D-I, but was a 2015 Perfect Game All-American and a 23-round draft pick of the San Diego Padres. He’s a top prospect and talented outfielder, making it interesting to see how he’ll rebound from this spring in the NECBL...Sophomore Kevin Strohschein (Tennessee Tech) had an incredible freshman campaign. He was seven points shy of hitting .400 for the Golden Eagles, and ranked near the top of D-I in several categories - .393 average (17th), .707 slugging percentage (6th), 90 hits (15th), 73 RBIs (fourth), 21 doubles (30th), 15 home runs (31st), and 162 total bases (fourth). He earned a Louisville Slugger Third Team All-American honor and was both the OVC Freshman of the Year and Player of the Year.

Pitchers
Garrett Barker - SO - UCLA - Recorded one out this spring for the Bruins
Derik Beauprez - JR - Miami - Third year in the NECBL, had 2.96 ERA with 9.22 K/9, 25th rd draft pick
Denny Brady - SO - East Carolina - Coughed up 11 earned runs over 10 relief appearances
Kris Bubic - SO - Stanford - Third on team with 21 appearances, 3.26 ERA over 47 innings
Blake Cairnes - SO - Georgia - 5:1 K/BB ratio over 30 innings with two saves
Jake Cousins - SR - Penn - Struck out a batter an inning over seven starts, walk-on with Cape last summer
Andrew Gist- SO - Georgia - Split time between bullpen and rotation, 2.6 K/BB ratio but 5.18 ERA
Jackson Goddard - SO - Kansas - Started 14 games and struggled with command, 41 walks in 55 innings
Travis Howard - SO - Santa Clara - 39th round draft pick, made 20 appearances and struck out 27
Matt McGarry - SO - Vanderbilt - Struck out 12 in 11 innings of work, described as having “electric arm”
Zach Prendergast - SR - Seton Hall - In North Adams in 2014, made 14 starts this spring (3.97 ERA)
Remey Reed - SR - Oklahoma St - Reliable reliever with 11.3 K/9 and 2.8 K/BB ratio over 23 outings
Hunter Schryver - SR - Villanova - Philadelphia Big 5 Co-Pitcher of the Year, third year in the NECBL
Brendan Spagnuolo - JR - Vanderbilt - Returning Gull whose described as having “tremendous potential”
Andrew Summerville - JR - Stanford - Split time between the rotation and bullpen, 2.90 ERA over 59 IP
Bradley Wilpon - JR - Penn - Returning Gull whose thrown just six innings his first two years
Adam Wolf - SO - Louisville - Dominated out of the pen, with 14 strikeouts and a 1.38 ERA over 13 innings

Catchers
Ben Breazeale - SR - Wake Forest - Walked two more times than he struck out (41 total), hit .246
Charlie Carpenter - JR - USC Upstate - Hit .306 with 13 doubles, six home runs, and 24 RBIs

Infielders
Jake Brodt - JR - Santa Clara - First basemen who hit just .231 over 43 games
Connor Kaiser - SO - Vanderbilt - Starting shortstop who hit .261 with five stolen bases
Devin Mann - SO - Louisville - Sparkplug second basemen who hit .303 with nine doubles
Shane Matheny - JR - Washington St - Struggled offensively, hitting .226. Played with Keene last summer
Nate Mondou - SR - Wake Forest - Played in the Cape last summer, hit .302 this spring
Mark Powell - SR - Bucknell - Hit .240 with a 4 K/BB ratio and just three extra base hits
Gabe Snyder - JR - Wright St - Power hitter, with nine doubles and 10 home runs for a .259 average

Outfielders
Chris Chatfield - SO - South Fla. - Hit seven home runs, but dipped below the Mendoza line at .184
Stephen Scott - SO - Vanderbilt - Managed just two hits in 22 at bats for the Commodores
Kevin Strohschein - SO - Tennessee Tech - Ridiculous spring, slashing .393/.447/.707
Travis Young - SO - Wichita St - Hit .317 after redshirting, swiped six bases and drove in 17 runs

2016 NECBL Preview: Upper Valley Nighthawks

Former Laconia general manager Noah Crane has branched off to start the Nighthawks, an expansion team in Crane’s hometown of Hartford, Vermont. Crane’s reputation as one of the top GM’s in the league is well-deserved, as the 37-year-old former baseball player has built a well-stocked roster. His teams are always competitive, and this year should be no exception. The pitching staff has several intriguing prospects, and a lot of offensive potential in the lineup. The Muskrats were perennial contenders, so it'll be no surprise if Upper Valley has a strong inaugural season.

Notable

UNCW's Brian Mims had a breakout season this spring, earning nationwide recognition.

Sophomore Cullen Dana (Seton Hall) had an excellent freshman season, earning All-Big East Second Team honors. The hard-throwing left-hander made 12 starts for the Pirates, striking out 66 and allowing just 52 hits in 72 innings of work. He posted a 2.75 ERA and a minuscule 1.06 WHIP...Crane brought junior Brian Mims (UNCW) with him from Laconia, where he hit .303 last summer. He exploded this spring for the Seahawks, and is in the running for the Dick Howser Trophy, which is given to the top player in college baseball. Mims slashed .370/.443/.614 with 16 doubles, 14 home runs, 63 RBIs, and 70 runs scored...Sophomore Walker Grisanti (Vanderbilt) earned kudos from coach Tim Corbin after launching a home run to lift the Commodores past Texas A&M in the SEC tournament. Grisanti only had 43 at-bats, but showed his talent by hitting .350 for Vanderbilt.

Pitchers
Cordes Baker - SO - USCL - Juco pitcher with 11.3 K/9 and a 3.56 ERA out of the bullpen
Mike Coss - JR - Marist - Second on team in appearances (21) with impressive 4.8 K/BB ratio
Cullen Dana - SO - Seton Hall - Made 12 starts with a 2.75 ERA while allowing just 6.5 hits per nine
Dakota Edwards - JR - Bridgeport - Had a 4.65 ERA, threw a no-hitter for North Adams last summer
Wes Engle - SO - Texas St - 10+ ERA over seven innings of work
Nick Jones - SR - Kansas St - Second on team in appearances (26) as a matchup reliever
Brian Lau - SR - St Josephs - Catcher/pitcher who had an ERA over 6 in 14 innings
Billy Layne - SO - Seton Hall - 37th round draft pick who didn’t pitch this spring
Joseph Levasseur - SR - St. Anselm - Made nine starts with a 2.1 K/BB ratio, 4.24 ERA over 57 innings
Bill Maier - SR - Iona - Strong reliever last year for Laconia, but had a 7+ ERA over 13 starts this spring
Luke Reilly - SR - La Salle - Power starter who made 12 starts with a 7.6 K/9 and 3.1 K/BB ratio.
Ryan Takacs - SO - Manhattan - Walked 31 in 33 innings, contributing to a shaky 9.62 ERA
Dylan Verdonk - SO - Seton Hall - Nine shutout innings this spring for the Pirates
Jarod Yoakam - JR - Cincinnati - Has made a team-high 49 appearances the last two years, but control issues

Catchers
James Morisano - JR - St. Louis - Hit .262 with six home runs, 19 RBIs, and 25 runs
AJ Walden - JR - Ala. Huntsville - Crushed 14 home runs, 12 doubles, and drove in 53 runs

Infielders
Sean Breen - SO - Iona - Aggressive hitter (.291) who struck out just 13 times in 175 at bats
Grayson Byrd - JR - Clemson - Transfer from LSU who sat out this spring, 39th round draft pick
Zach Canada - JR - UNCW - .303 average with 13 extra base hits and 28 RBIs
Charlie Concannon - SO - St Joseph’s - Piled up 19 doubles and 38 RBIs with a .282 average
Matt Maul - JR - St Joseph’s - Saw his batting average dip as a sophomore, but still hit .249 with five SB
Brian Mims - JR - UNCW - Talented second basemen in the running for the Dick Howser Trophy

Outfielders
Joey Denison - SR - Troy - Team-high .322 average with 14 doubles and seven stolen bases
Walker Grisanti - SO - Vanderbilt - Came off the bench for 43 at bats and hit .349/.481/.605
Alex Hanson - JR - St. Petersburg - Second on team with .370 average, team-best 37 stolen bases
Trent Leimkuehler - SR - St. Louis - Slugger who hit 13 doubles, 10 home runs and had a .502 SLG
Grayson Padgett - SO - Houston - Hit .300 in 20 at bats for the the Cougars

2016 NECBL Preview: Mystic Schooners

The reigning Southern Division champions came up just shy last season, and they’ll carry that status over as a team to beat. In 2015, the key was a stellar pitching staff that ranked first in ERA and strikeouts -- but the offense also ranked third in team average. Expect more of the same this year on the mound, but the lineup will be loaded. The Schooners are bringing in a talented group of hitters who led their respective teams this spring, including eight players who hit over .300.

Notable

Oklahoma State's J.R. Davis is a five-tool player who will slot in at the leadoff role. /NewOK

Senior J.R. Davis (Oklahoma State) had quite the spring campaign for the Cowboys, helping guide them to a super regional appearance. An All-Tournament selection at the Clemson regional, Davis hit .360/.441/.457 with 12 doubles, nine stolen bases, and a 1.3 BB/K ratio. Standing just 5-9, Davis is a sparkplug atop the Oklahoma State lineup, and is currently working on a 19-game on-base streak...Sophomore Tim Cate (UConn) was the AAC Conference Rookie of the Year, bursting onto the scene and establishing himself as a mainstay in the Huskies rotation. A southpaw, Cate held opponents to a .193 batting average against, piled up 101 strikeouts, and earned the nod to start the Huskies regional opener...Senior Zach Goldstein (SNHU) will be a force to be reckoned with, as he’s coming off a stellar spring. Goldstein slashed .345/.447/.528, slugged 17 doubles, five triples, and five home runs. He also was 26-of-27 on stolen base attempts, drew 30 walks, and scored 68 runs (15th in D-II)...A pair of returning infielders catch my eye. Richard Slenker (Yale) hit .325 in 29 games for the Schooners last year, then came back to New Haven and led the team with a .342 mark. Nick Mascelli (Wagner) was one of the hardest players to strike out in D-I, going 17.7 at bats in between each one. He finished with a team-high .374 average and drew threw more walks than strikeouts.

Pitchers
Matt Ardente - SO - Seton Hall - Dominant out of the bullpen, with 1.73 ERA and 23 K’s in 26 innings
Tyler Buffet - SR - Oklahoma St - 66 strikeouts in 67 innings over a team-high 34 appearances
Justin Cashman - SO - Hartford - Struggled out of the pen with an ERA just under five
Tim Cate - SO - UConn - Stellar starter, 5-1 record with 2.73 ERA over 13 starts
Ryan Connolly - SO - Nebraska - Didn’t pitch as a freshman in Lincoln
Kellen Croce - JR - New Haven - Struck out 44 over 45 innings and eight starts
Doug Domnarski - SR - UConn - Go-to matchup reliever with team-high 29 appearances
Kyle Dube - SR - Fairfield - Moved to the rotation and made 15 starts with a 4.09 ERA
Mason Kukowski - JR - Yale - Hybrid starter/reliever who posted a 5.89 ERA over 44 innings
Kevin Magee - JR - St. Johns - Went 1-5 in eight starts with a 4.72 ERA
Zach Ours - SO - Little Rock - Walked 13 batters in 11 innings with a 6.35 ERA
Willie Rios - JR - Miami - Transfer to FSW and had 64 strikeouts in 54 innings
Joe Rivera - JR - UConn - Posted a 1.93 ERA over nine relief appearances and 14 innings
Carson Teel - SO - Oklahoma St - Struck out 16 in 15 innings with a 2.93 ERA
Ryan Thomas - SR - Marist - Has 29 career saves for Marist, including 12 this spring (23rd in D1)

Catchers
Brett Bond - JR - Missouri - Hit seven home runs and five doubles, but had a subpar .219 average
Rob Sprafke - JR - UConn Avery Point - Hit .250 over 68 at bats
Zac Susi - SO - UConn - Jumped into a starting role as a freshman and hit .250 with eight doubles

Infielders
Scotty Bradley - SO - Indiana - Slashed .257/.313/.343 in 43 games as a freshman
J.R. Davis - SR - Oklahoma St - Offensive juggernaut atop the Cowboys lineup
Zach Goldstein - SR - SNHU - Dominated D-II, hitting .345 with 17 doubles and 26 stolen bases
Chase Lunceford - SR - La. Tech - Hit .311 with 11 home runs and 10 doubles
Nick Mascelli - SR - Wagner - Struck out just 11 times in 195 at bats, team-high .374 average
Richard Slenker - SR - Yale - Team-high .342 average with 18 doubles, 10 stolen bases

Outfielders
Casey Baker - SR - Stony Brook - Led team with a .314 average and drove in 31 runs
Martin Figueroa - SR - Rhode Island - Great season, hitting .327 with 43 RBI, 22 doubles
CJ Moore - SR - Grambling St - Hit .240 for Monroe College and will transfer to Grambling St
Pete Papcun - JR - Monmouth - Hit .309 but struck out almost a third of the time
Ryan Ramiz - JR - Seton Hall - Raised his average 18 points, swiped 13 bases
Taishi Terashima - SR - St. Bonaventure - Struck out just 12 times in 199 at bats, eight stolen bases

2016 NECBL Preview: New Bedford Bay Sox

All the way back to their Torrington Twisters days, the Bay Sox are still searching for their first championship in franchise history. New Bedford bounced back in 2015 after two straight losing seasons, but were swept out of the first round of the playoffs by Mystic. The Bay Sox strength this season comes from lower division talent, as a few impact players are coming from D-II and D-III. They have several returning players from last year’s 22-20 squad, so it’ll be interesting to see how they can come together.

Notables

St. Bonaventure's Brandon Schlimm had a strong spring. 

Junior Brandon Schlimm (St. Bonaventure) was one of the top pitchers in the Atlantic 10 conference, finishing with a 2.11 ERA (33rd in D-I), three complete games (37th), and a 1.00 WHIP (34th). He made 13 starts and totaled 94 innings, so his workload will be light in New Bedford this summer...Junior Dan Southerland (Wheaton) had a 2.60 ERA over eight appearances out of the bullpen for the Bay Sox last summer, and returns after a stellar spring. He finished with a 2.27 ERA and ranked near the top in D-III in several categories. An All-New England First Team selection, Southerland had a 0.77 WHIP (second in D-III), 1.14 BB/9 (24th),  and a 5.33 K/BB ratio (44th)...Outfielder Ryan Baldwin (Barry) was named an Honorable Mention on the D-II All-American Team, hitting a team-best .369 and he tied for 4th in the SSC in home runs, fifth in the SSC in walks, and eighth in the SSC in RBI.

Pitchers
Austin Cline - SO - Dayton - 2.11 K/BB ratio over 10 starts and 72 innings of work
Chris Cobb - SR - North Georgia - 8.7 K/9 with a 3.49 ERA as a starter and reliever
Dylan Collett - SR - St. Leo - Gave up seven home runs and had a 6+ ERA over 80 innings
Adam Fournier - SR - Franklin Pierce - Gave up six runs in 4 1/3 innings this spring
Matt Leon - JR - Seton Hall - Reliable reliever with 3.1 K/BB ratio over 26 appearances
Evan McMahon - SR - Nevada - Team-high 25 appearances with six saves and 5+ ERA
Nick Miceli - SR - Wesleyan - Starter/reliever who went 6-1 with four saves and a 3.46 ERA
Derrick Pickvet - SO - North Georgia - Reliever who had a 2.03 ERA over 19 outings
P.J. Poulin - SO - UConn - Made 14 appearances and had a 2.00 WHIP with a 4.15 ERA
Darrien Ragins - JR - Delaware St. - Had an ERA just under seven but averaged 11.2 K/9
Gabriel Rodriguez - SO - Eastern Florida St - 11.7 K/9 with a 4.05 ERA over 20 innings of work
Brandon Schlimm - JR - St. Bonaventure - Stellar starter with a 2.11 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, and 2.78 K/BB ratio
John Sostarich - SR - Sacred Heart - Reliable starter who went 4-3 with a 3.98 ERA over 10 starts
Daniel Southerland - JR - Wheaton - Excellent starter for Wheaton, who went 7-2 with 2.27 ERA
Michael Young - JR - Stonehill - Followed up an excellent freshman season with a solid sophomore campaign

Catchers
Jacob Friar - SR - Sacred Heart - Hit just .136 last summer with the Sox, but hit .288 this spring
Andrew Penner - JR - LA Valley Col - Slugged .379 with 25 RBIs, 20 runs scored

Infielders
Chandler Debrosse - SO - CCSU - Only had 18 at bats this season, his first in Connecticut
Robbie Doring - JR - Dayton - Slugged 13 doubles and eight home runs, swiped 10 bases
Connor Hoover - JR - North Georgia - Extremely patient, with 45 walks in 51 games
Zach Perry - JR - Northeastern - Hit .275 with nine doubles and 19 RBIs over 100 at bats
Ted Shaw - SR - Sacred Heart - .256/.368/.338 for the returning Bay Sox, had .273 average last summer

Outfielders
Ryan Baldwin - JR- Barry - Team-high .369 average with 15 doubles, 13 home runs, 12 stolen bases
T.J. Dixon - SR - Samford - Returning Bay Sox hit .262 last summer, boosted it to .299 this spring
Keith Kelbart - SR - Sacred Heart - Played six games for Mystic last season, hit .250 this spring
Alex Mata - SR - St. Leo - Piled up 23 doubles and a team-high .388 average with nine home runs

2016 NECBL Preview: Danbury Westerners

Danbury enters the 2016 season searching for their first postseason appearances since 2012. The last few years, simply put, haven’t been pretty. In 2012, they went 23-18 and lost in the league finals, but they’ve gone a league-worst 43-84 since then, good for a .339 winning percentage. What doomed them last year was their pitching, as they finished last in the league in ERA (5.42), almost a point-and-a-half worse then the next-worst team. The bullpen will be a strength this season, but several incoming pitchers have struggled with control, so the Westerners could lead the league in walks and hits batsmen. Offensively, there are several standouts, so it’ll be interesting to see if they can provide enough run support. A .500 season would be a good place to start, as they’ve gone 13-29 and finished last each of the past two seasons.

Notable

Lafayette's Steven Cohen provides some pop in the Westerners order. /Lafayette Athletics

Starter/reliever Bryce Conley (Georgia State) either has overpowering stuff or shaky command. He finished third in D-I baseball with 23 hit batsmen in 59 innings, and 37th in strikeouts-per-nine with 10.68. It’ll be interesting to see what stuff he brings to Danbury....The Westerners lineup could struggle with putting the ball in play, as multiple players had very high strikeout rates...Junior infielder Steven Cohen (Lafayette) was a Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American and followed it up with an excellent sophomore season, hitting .327 and earning All-Patriot League Second Team honors...Redshirt sophomore outfielder Frank Maldonado (Pitt) drastically improved on a rough freshman season. He raised his batting average 142 points to .330, showcased his speed with seven triples (good for seventh in D-I0, was hit 13 times, and didn’t commit an error in 96 chances...College teammates Justin Snyder (Bryant) and Ross Weiner (Bryant) will be a formidable duo in the back of the Westerners bullpen. Snyder will be a contender for reliever of the year, coming off a stellar spring where he led the Bulldogs with 10 saves and averaged 10.4 strikeouts-per-nine, while Weiner had a reliable 2.39 ERA over 15 appearances.

Pitchers
Jake Collins - SR - Mercyhurst - Held opponents to a .226 average over eight appearances out of the bullpen
Bryce Conley - SR - Georgia St - Finished third in D-I with 23 hit batters, but 70 strikeouts in 59 innings
Billy Devito- SO - Hartford - Compiled a 3.86 ERA over 23 innings out of the bullpen
Nick Gallagher - SO - Binghamton - Struggled with 6.53 ERA and and 1.63 WHIP in swing role
Will Jahn - JR - Northeastern - 7.16 ERA over 28 innings out of the Huskies pen
Randy Polonia - SO - UConn - Overpowering with 38 strikeouts in 25 innings
Justin Synder - JR - Bryant - Saved 10 games with a 2.35 ERA in a team-high 26 appearances
Dylan Stock - JR - Binghamton - Saved three games, but coughed up 12 earned runs in 18 innings
Ryan Testani - SR - Seton Hall - Had a strong freshman season but only threw nine innings as a junior
Alex Vargas - SR - Quinnipiac - Serious command issues with 43 walks in 29 innings
Ross Weiner - JR - Bryant - Two saves and a 2.39 ERA out of the bullpen
Tyler Zombro - SR - George Mason - 16th in BB/9 with 3.75 ERA over 14 starts

Catchers
Jason Agresti - JR - Binghamton - Slugged seven home runs and boasted a .484 slugging pct
Tyler Dietrich - SO - South Fla. - Second-leading hitter on S. Florida with .287 average
Nick Gatewood - SO - Georgia St. - Had limited at bats as a freshman and hit .171

Infielders
Shawn Blake - JR - Elon - Sat out this spring after transferring to Albany
Steven Cohen - JR - Lafayette- Had a tremendous spring, hitting .327 with 14 doubles
Coco Montes - SO - South Fla. - Struck out 25% of the time with a .218 average
Ryan Nelson - SR - Quinnipiac - Hit .291 in 100 at-bats for the Bobcats
Tyler Panno - SO - Bryant - Had four hits in 19 at bats as a freshman
Sebastiano Santorelli - SO - Seton Hall - Managed just two hits in 26 at bats as a freshman
Eddie Silva - JR - FIU - Hit 18 doubles and drove in 29 runs with a .293 average
Michael Van Degna - SO - Campbell - Struggled in limited at bats, hitting .152
David Villar - SO - South Fla. - Struck out 62 times in 55 games, hitting .239

Outfielders
Giovanni Dingcong - JR - St. Thomas Aquinas - Led team with a .356 average and six home runs
Kolby Follis - SR - FIU - Swiped 15 bases and hit .284 atop the order
Frank Maldonado - SR - Pitt - Finished seventh in country in triples (7), second on team with .330 mark
Jesse Uttendorfer - JR - NJIT - Third on team with .274 mark, 12 doubles, 13 stolen bases