Gulls vs. Swamp Bats: NECBL Finals Preview

SERIES IN BRIEF
Newport got two days off, due to a rainout and a game three in the Western Division Finals. They also played the minimum number of playoff games in there two series with four, while Keene has played the maximum of six. This causes a problem for Keene, as Newport will have some of their best pitchers ready to go, while Keene has had to use them up. These two teams have appeared in 13 finals between the two of them, with Newport winning five and Keene winning three. They've faced off three times (including once when Newport were still the Rhode Island Gulls), from 2000-2002. Newport won two of the three.

KEENE SWAMP BATS - 27-17, #1 seed in the Western Division (0 games back)
Keene started 3-11, but rattled off 24 wins in their final 30 games, backed by the best hitters in the league and solid pitching as well. They earned the #1 seed, and worked hard to get here, going three games in both series. They've been here frequently before, including three matchups with Newport. Keene has good pitching, even better hitting but errors have hurt them at key times.

HOW THEY GOT HERE
First Round: Beat the #4 Holyoke Blue Sox in three games, 5-4, 2-4 and 16-1
Second Round: Beat the #2 Vermont Mountaineers in three games, 4-2, 2-3 and 9-8 (10 inn.)

PROJECTED LINEUP (SEASON STATS)

1. Zach Lucas-DH- .331/22R/17RBI
2. Matt Ford-2B- .272/24R/21RBI
3. JP Sportman-CF- .340/24R/31RBI
4. Brian O'Grady-RF- .297/23R/26RBI
5. Tommy Monnot-C- .263/12R/11RBI
6. Zachary Lauricella-LF- .248/21R/14RBI
7. Eric Gutierrez-1B- .226/19R/15RBI
8. Robbie Cafiero-3B- .341/9R/11RBI
9. Dylan Moore-SS- .243/29R/9RBI

NEWPORT GULLS - 30-14, #1 seed in the Eastern Division (0 games back)
The Gulls are almost a guarantee to make the championship series each year. It's no different this year, as they cruised to the best record in the league and have won four straight playoff games to get here. A balance of the best pitching and some of the best hitting, as well as surefire defense have placed them just two wins away from their second straight title and sixth all time.

HOW THEY GOT HERE
First Round: Swept the #4 Sanford Mainers, 11-4 and 4-0
Second Round: Swept the #3 Mystic Schooners, 5-1 and 3-1

PROJECTED LINEUP (SEASON STATS)
1. Shea Donlin-2B- .274/14R/11RBI
2. Adrian English-3B- .296/19R/12RBI
3. Trace Tam Sing-SS- .312/36R/15RBI
4. Ben Roberts-LF- .312/43R/35RBI 
5. Steve Anderson-1B- .236/25R/42RBI
6. Timmy Robinson-RF- .279/19R/22RBI
7. Brett Winger-DH- .247/9R/8RBI
8. Ethan Ferreira-C- .266/10R/12RBI
9. Cody Jones-CF- .261/32R/13RBI



SERIES PROJECTED STARTERS
Newport's Brett Graves (Missouri) vs. Keene's Nicholas Kozlowski (Hofstra)
Newport's Sean Hartnett (Washington St) vs. Keene's David Sosebee (Georgia)
Newport's Mark McCoy (Wake Forest) vs. Keene's Brian Hunter (Hartford)

Mendick's Clutch Single Gives Vermont 3-2 Walkoff Win

MONTPELIER, VT- For most of July, it seemed that the Mountaineers couldn't keep up with the division leading Swamp Bats. That all changed on Thursday night, as Danny Mendick (left) lined a walkoff single into the gap to tie up the series and force a game three.

After the lights in left field went out with a runner on first and nobody out, a 15 minute delay followed. When play resumed, Keene reliever John Birckbeck struck out two straight, but Brad Kaczka, who led off the inning with a walk made his way to third. Kaczka swiped second, and a throwing error by Swamp Bats catcher Tommy Monnot (his third of the game) put him on third with one out.

Mountaineer Kyle Smith, who has been struggling most of the season, went down looking to set the stage for Mendick. A late arrival, Mendick played his first game on July 22nd, and came into last nights game hitting just .000 in the playoffs, 0-8. He came through, however, as he delivered with a no-doubt line drive into the left-center gap that hit the bottom of the fence, below the scoreboard.

Kaczka jogged home and joined the Mountaineers surrounding the unlikely hero. Mendick, from Monroe Community College, hit .250 in the 12 games he played after getting the call from teammate Brad Kazcka, who informed them they needed a guy.

Vermont, who was plagued with injuries and losses, picked up Mendick and it payed off.

Hard throwing Vanderbilt righty Pat Delano came on in relief to earn the win, throwing two innings while allowing just one hit. Delano came in after Central Connecticut University's Cody Brown went seven strong, allowing two earned runs and five hits. Brown took the no decision, as did Keene's starter Paul Covelle.

Covelle, from Franklin Pierce University, threw six innings of two run ball (just one earned) while striking out five. He handed the ball over to Birkbeck, who threw two and two thirds before giving up the walkoff, and took the loss.

An interesting sidenote was that Brown got to face fellow CCU Blue Devil JP Sportman, the star center fielder for the Swamp Bats. In three at bats, Sportman flew out, hit a single and lined into a 5-4 double play.

Meanwhile, Monnot stayed active behind the plate. The Mountaineers continued their agressive baserunning, attempting to steal seven bases, with two being thrown out by Monnot. He didn't catch speedster Chandler Brock, however, who stole another two bases to raise his total in the postseason to five.

Keene built an early 2-0 lead going into the bottom of the fourth on Matt Ford's RBI groundout and Monnots sacrifice fly, but errors got the Mountaineers back in it. With runners on first and third, AJ Ryan took off for second and a bad throw brought in Brock from third. The next at bat, Ryan advanced to third on a wild pitch and came home on another Monnot error.

The series is all tied up at one apiece, and the two teams meet for game three tomorrow night in Keene. The Swamp Bats will send their ace, University of Virginia left hander Nathan Kirby. Vermont counters with fellow Virginia lefty David Rosenberger. First pitch at 6:30 at Alumni Field.

Newport strikes early to take Game 1, 5-1

Timmy Robinson, USC 

NEWPORT, RI- Wild pitches and errors plagued the Schooners in the first inning, as the Gulls scored three in the first on their way to a 5-1 victory.

Three runners scored during outfielder Timmy Robinson's at bat, on a wild pitch and his reach on error. The early scoring backed starter Mark McCoy, who went six strong and didn't allow any runs while striking out six. McCoy picked up the win, while Mystic starter Anthony Galan was hit hard. Galan made it just three and a third, allowing five runs (all earned) on eight hits and struck out four, and was handed the loss.

After the first inning outburst, the Gulls struck again in the bottom of the third. Ty Moore knocked in Robinson with a RBI single to go up 4-0. The very next inning, Steve Anderson had a RBI single of his own, driving in Shea Donlin to lead 5-0.

Newport wouldn't score again, however, as the combination of four different pitchers over the next four and two thirds innings held the Gulls to just three hits. Tucker Panciera, Eric Morse, Nick Donatiello and Michael Eckerle finished the game out for Mystic.

Mystic threatened in the top of the eighth by scoring off a Nico Darras RBI single, but Gulls reliever Tyler Ferguson worked out of a jam and got the Schooners to strand three baserunners.

Ferguson threw two innings in relief after McCoy left, striking out four while allowing one earned run on three hits. Kyle Wilcox came on for the ninth, walking one but shutting down any Schooners threat.

Newport leadoff hitter Donlin finished the day 3-4 with a walk and a run scored, as him and #2 hitter Adrian English combined to go 6-9 with three runs scored.

Schooners cleanup hitter, first basemen Nico Darras went 3-4 with a RBI, while Brandon Cipolla continued his hot streak (.357 in the playoffs) with a double and a run scored.

Newport has a chance to sweep the Schooners and have the oppurtinity to win back-to-back NECBL championship in tonights game at Fitch High School in Mystic. The Gulls will send Michigan State junior Mick Van Vossen (3-0, 2.45 ERA) to the hill to face off against Rider junior Kurt Sowa (3-2, 3.04 ERA) for the Schooners.

Keene jumps ahead in eighth to win Game 1, 4-2

Eric Gutierrez, Texas Tech 

KEENE, NH-- Eric Gutierrez's clutch RBI single and a throwing error when he took off for second brought in two runs to go ahead.

Gutierrez's single and the throwing error when he stole second pushed Brian O'Grady and Zachary Lauricella across the plate, putting the Swamp Bats up for good. The Texas Tech sophomore gave Keene the lead, and closer James Connell finished it off in the ninth.

The first playoff matchup between the two teams since last summer, where the Swamp Bats drubbed Vermont 22-0 in the first round, was exciting from start to finish.

Keene added another two runs in the sixth on a Lauricella RBI single and on an error by Mountaineer second basemen Danny Mendick. Matthew Clancy picked up the win, going three strong in relief while Cameron Sorgie earned the loss for Vermont.

Clancy appeared in relief for starter Brian Hunter. Hunter went five strong, allowing two runs (both earned) on four hits and four walks while striking out six, earning the no-decision. Clancy came in the sixth, down 2-1 but the offense picked him up with the two run sixth and got the victory.

David Hickey started off the game for the Mountaineers, going five and a third while allowing two earned runs and allowing eight hits and two walks, as well as adding two strikeouts. Sorgie came in the sixth and had smooth sailing until the eight. He finished with the loss while walking two, allowing two runs (one earned) and striking out two.

Former Vermont Mountaineer Brian O'Grady scored two runs for Keene, going 0-1 but walking twice. He also got hit by a pitch, something he was very frustrated with seeing as he had been plunked the previous game against Holyoke.

Lauricella also came up big, going 3-3 with three singles, a RBI and a walk as well as one of the pivotal runs scored in the eight inning.

Mountaineer Chandler Brock went 1-3 with a single and a walk, as well as three stolen bases and a run. Thomas Roulis also went 2-4 and knocked in a run. Vermont's agressive baserunning came through, as they swiped four bases.

However, they were a little too agressive. In the sixth inning, Kevin Krause was thrown out at the plate after a ball four got by Swamp Bat catcher Monnot. Pitcher Hunter sprinted to the plate and Monnot chased down the ball and threw out Krause, who rounded third when he saw the ball go through.

Krause did do well behind the plate, gunning out three Keene baserunners, including Matt Ford . Ford was thrown out when their were runners on the corners in the 7th with just one out.

The Swamp Bats picked up a huge game one win, and now have the opportunity to clinch it when they head back to Vermont tonight, with the first pitch at 6:30. Keene, looking for the clinch will send 3-1 righthander Paul Covelle from Franklin Pierce University, who boasts a 0.62 ERA, to face off against Vermont's Cody Brown, the lefthander from Central Connecticut University who is 4-1 with a 3.20 ERA.

Western Division Finals Preview

SERIES IN BRIEF
The Keene Swamp Bats and the Vermont Mountaineers have been battling for dominance in the Western Division since the Mountaineers came into the league in 2003. Since '03, Keene has two and Vermont as two, making this a challenge to see who can get into the finals and possibly go up one in the rivalry (Keene does have another championship but it came in 2000, before Vermont was in the league). The Mountaineers are also trying to avenge last years loss in the first round to Keene, where their star pitcher Alex Haines was pounded in game one. The Mountaineers lost 22-0 and then dropped the next game in the sweep.

KEENE SWAMP BATS - 27-17, #1 seed in the Western Division (0 games back)
Keene started 3-11, but rattled off 24 wins in their final 30 games, backed by the best hitters in the league and solid pitching as well. A .278 team batting average tops in the league as well as 36 home runs. The small Alumni Field and some of the top hitters in the league makes for a potent offense. The pitching is almost just as good, with a 2.87 team ERA that is the third and final sub-3.00 team ERA. Fielding isn't an issue either, as they rank third there as well. Three top three finishes make for an all-around talented team. The Swamp Bats got here by winning the first game narrowly, 5-4 after staving off a Holyoke comeback in the ninth. The Swamp Bats were held to two runs the next game, behind a dominant pitching performance by Blue Sox Michael Burke. In a crucial game three, the bats came alive in a 16-1 pounding to advance to the division finals.

PROJECTED LINEUP (SEASON STATS)

1. Zach Lucas-DH- .331/22R/17RBI
2. Matt Ford-2B- .272/24R/21RBI
3. JP Sportman-CF- .340/24R/31RBI
4. Brian O'Grady-RF- .297/23R/26RBI
5. Tommy Monnot-C- .263/12R/11RBI
6. Zachary Lauricella-LF- .248/21R/14RBI
7. Eric Gutierrez-1B- .226/19R/15RBI
8. Robbie Cafiero-3B- .341/9R/11RBI
9. Dylan Moore-SS- .243/29R/9RBI

VERMONT MOUNTAINEERS - 24-20, #2 seed in the Western Division (3 games back)
The Mountaineers started off strong but were plagued by injuries and losses in the second half of the season. They limped into the playoffs. with a 24-20 record, staving off third place North Adams by just two games. The Mountaineers have been boosted by their stalwart pitching, with a 3.11 ERA that ranks fourth in the league. Vermont's bats have been coming alive, as they've boosted their average to .252, which ranks fifth in the league. Not a power team, they get it done with frequent RBI singles. The Mountaineers took on the SteepleCats in the first round, and swept them. The first game, Trey Oest turned in a complete game performance for Vermont to win 4-1. The next game, both starting pitchers, John Miles for Vermont and Michael Murphy for North Adams went nine innings apiece in a 12-inning affair. A two run top of the 12th gave them a 3-1 victory and a spot in the division finals.

PROJECTED LINEUP (SEASON STATS)

1. Thomas Roulis-SS- .244/16R/12RBI
2. Mike Triller-LF- .211/8R/9RBI
3. Chandler Brock-CF- .339/22R/12RBI
4. Kevin Krause-C- .370/8R/6RBI (46 AB)
5. Kyle Smith-RF- .169/4R/6RBI
6. AJ Ryan-1B- .172/7R/7RBI
7. Brad Kaczka-3B- .264/14R/12RBI
8. Bret Dennis-2B- .255/15R/5RBI
9. Danny Mendick-DH- .250/3R/2RBI (32 AB)


SERIES PROJECTED STARTERS
Keene's Brian Hunter vs. Vermont's Sean Meekins
Keene's Nathan Kirby vs. Vermont's David Hickey
Keene's Paul Covelle vs. Vermont's Cody Brown

Eastern Division Finals Preview

SERIES IN BRIEF
The Mystic Schooners, in their third year after moving from Bristol, made the playoffs for the first time after going 9-31 a year ago. Their first matchup against Newport, the Gulls are looking to win their second straight NECBL championship in a row, as well as their league-leading sixth title. The Schooners as a franchise have won once, back when they were the Eastern Tides in 1998, but look for their first championship appearance under a new name.

MYSTIC SCHOONERS - 22-22, #3 seed in the Eastern Division (8 games back)
Mystic got here by staying out of the tiebreakers and hitting the ball well, something they struggled to do in the regular season, hitting just .237. They've broken out in the playoffs, scoring 18 runs in their first two games and upsetting the #2 seeded Ocean State Waves. The only upset of the first round, a majority of the Eastern Division will be rooting for them to take down the consistently good Gulls. The Schooners may have a low average, but they've hit 22 home runs, good for third in the league. There pitching is in the middle of the pack with a 3.53 team ERA, but they get the job done and its what counts. Just getting this far is huge for the Schooners, who as mentioned above, had two straight losing seasons after moving from Bristol.

PROJECTED LINEUP (SEASON STATS)

1. Keaton Flint-LF- .266/23R/9RBI
2. Brandon Cipolla-CF- .252/14R/21RBI
3. Alec Keller -2B- .291/16R/11RBI
4. Nico Darras-1B- .340/15R/12RBI
5. Tyler Boyd-DH- .270/27R/24RBI
6. Matt OHerron-3B- .204/6R/9RBI
7. Kyle Holland-C- .258/4R/7RBI
8. Byron Campbell-RF- .207/14R/15RBI
9. Anthony Turgeon-SS- .204/13R/9RBI

NEWPORT GULLS - 30-14, #1 seed in the Eastern Division (0 games back)
Just face it, the Gulls are always good. It's the same story this year, as Newport breezed into the division finals with a two game sweep of the #4 seeded Sanford Mainers. Near the top in both hitting and fielding, the Gulls are second in average and fourth in fielding percentage. Their shining point, however is their incredible pitching. A 2.18 ERA, which is a full 60 points ahead of the second place team and combined with their great offense make the Gulls once again a scary team to face off against.

PROJECTED LINEUP (SEASON STATS)
1. Shea Donlin-2B- .274/14R/11RBI
2. Adrian English-3B- .296/19R/12RBI
3. Trace Tam Sing-SS- .312/36R/15RBI
4. Ben Roberts-LF- .312/43R/35RBI 
5. Steve Anderson-1B- .236/25R/42RBI
6. Timmy Robinson-RF- .279/19R/22RBI
7. Brett Winger-DH- .247/9R/8RBI
8. Ethan Ferreira-C- .266/10R/12RBI
9. Cody Jones-CF- .261/32R/13RBI




SERIES PROJECTED STARTERS
Newport's Mark McCoy vs. Mystic's Kurt Sowa
Newport's James Mulry vs. Mystic's Anthony Galan
Newport's Brett Lilek vs. Mystic's Jeffery Stoddard

Top NECBL Teams of All-Time

The NECBL has been around since 1994, and over 200 different rosters have played under 35 different team names, logos and locations. Some teams have been incredible some years, and other times not as good. NECBL.com has stat archives that date back to the inception of the league, complete with standings, rosters and league leaders. With the division finals approaching tomorrow, and the championship just days away- now would be as good time as any to look back at the top three teams in the 20 years the NECBL has been around that have graced the fields across New England. 

1. 2006 Newport Gulls (32-10), lost in the Southern Division Finals

The Newport Gulls are consistently one of the best teams in the league, but in 2006, despite not winning the Fay Vincent Cup, the Gulls dominated in the regular season, setting the record for wins in a year with 32. The Gulls put together two huge winning streaks, two ten game streaks separated by just six games. Led by league MVP Jim Murphy and Manager of the Year Mike Coombs, the Gulls finished seven games ahead of second place North Adams, easily earning the #1 seed in the playoffs. 

Newport lost the first game against the Manchester Silworms before recovering and taking the next two to advance. They were swept by the Torrington Twisters in the divisional finals, who went on to fall to the Vermont Mountaineers in the championship.

Murphy (right) led the league in average with a .358 mark and in RBIs with 40, while teammates Chris Dominguez hit 11 home runs and Matt Bouchard scored 29 runs, all leading the league. Pitching wise, ace Pat McAney went 7-0 with a 1.74 ERA to lead the team. A little piece of history was also made on July 21st, when three Gulls combined to throw a no-hitter, allowing six walks and no errors, against the SteepleCats. The Gulls are in the record book multiple times for this season, but one mark that could stand for some time is their 2.03 team ERA.

2. 2012 Newport Gulls (31-10), NECBL Champions

Another Newport team takes second, as the 2012 Gulls were ranked the best summer collegiate baseball team all across the United States. "In winning their fifth NECBL title in 12 years, the Gulls fielded arguably the best club in their existence. They broke numerous team and league records, and dominated to such a degree that they were hailed as the No. 1 summer-league team in the country in 2012. Perfect Game USA bestowed that honor on the team in its final weekly ranking of the nation’s top summer clubs." Led by batting champion Jeff Melillo and four players on the All-NECBL First Team, the Gulls flew by any competition and swept the Danbury Westerners to win the NECBL title.

The Gulls earned the #1 seed in the West, finishing six and a half ahead of the New Bedford Bay Sox. The Sanford Mainers were their first test, and in a series that went all three games, the Gulls passed it by winning two straight after dropping Game 1. The second place Bay Sox were the next threat, but the Gulls swept them and then the Westerners for a six game winning streak that earned them their fifth Fay Vincent Cup.

Melillo set the NECBL record for batting average with a .404 mark, as well as leading the league in OBP (.548) and the pitching was anchored by First teamer Daniel Wright and Reliever of the Year Pete Kelich. Kelich earned his award after going 2-1 with a 2.20 ERA in 12 apperances and 41 innings pitched, while Wright went 6-0 with a 3.94 ERA and started the All-Star game for the East. Outfielder Yale Rosen was also a bright spot, earning the Freshman of the Year award and breaking the Gulls home run record with 12 before injuring his shoulder at the All-Star game.

3. 2003 Torrington Twisters (30-10), lost in the NECBL Championship

The Twisters moved and are currently the New Bedford Bay Sox, but in 2003 they were the best team in the NECBL. The Twisters went 30-10 and made it all the way to the NECBL championship. Torrington sent three players to the All-NECBL First Team, while Jeff Natale also earned the 10th Man of the Year award while leading the league in doubles. The Twisters lost more than one game in a row just twice, and pieced together a nine game winning streak around the middle of the season that pulled them away from competition.

Torrington swept the Middletown Giants in the first round, and followed with another sweep of the two-time defending champions Newport in the divisonal finals. They took on the Keene Swamp Bats in the final round, who had been denied the previous two years of a title. Keene eked out a 2-0 win in Game 1 and followed with a resounding 7-1 victory to clinch the title.

Natale (right with Triple-A Scranton Wilkes-Barre) led the team with a .322 batting average, and Jim Fasano knocked in 22 runs. Not a home run hitting or high scoring team, the Twisters relied on their league best pitching to pave the path to the finals. Matt Torra anchored their starting rotation, going 5-1 with a 1.37 ERA over seven starts. However, it was Randy Newson and the bullpen that played a huge part of the Twisters success. Newson, over 12 appearances had a 0.65 ERA and four saves. John Cronin played the role of closer, earning eight saves.

Also Receiving Consideration

YEAR	TEAM	W-L	OUTCOME
2009	Newport Gulls	31-10	CHAMPIONS
2002	Keene Swamp Bats	31-11	RUNNERS UP
1998	Torrington Twisters	30-12	RUNNERS UP
2005	Keene Swamp Bats	30-13	DIVISION FINALS
2012	Keene Swamp Bats	29-13	DIVISION FINALS