Path to the Majors: LHP Cody Ege

2011 Mountaineer Cody Ege was called up last night by the Miami Marlins and made his major league debut, throwing an inning in relief against the San Francisco Giants. Ege faced four batters and gave up a run. Here's the first of a recurring feature, looking at Ege's path to the majors.

College

Ege celebrates the Vanderbilt win.

A star at Cherokee High School in Iowa, Ege was a prized recruit and moved on to perennial D-I power Louisville. He had mixed results out of the bullpen in his first two years, only accumulating 24 innings, but really excelled in his junior year. Ege set a Cardinals record with 38 appearances out of the bullpen, and was crucial in leading his team to a College World Series berth.

Ege had a 4-1 record and a microscopic 1.04 ERA over 34 2/3 innings of work, piling up 52 strikeouts. He struck out the last batter in Louisville's Super Regional clinching win against Vanderbilt, recording his first career save at the same time. The picture to the right captures the moment afterwards, which Ege recalled in an interview with the Sioux City Journal.

"I took my hat off and took my glove off and threw it in the air and I just dropped to my knees, and it felt like I was there for 10 seconds before anyone got to me," Ege said. "I looked up and here comes the whole dugout and they dogpile-tackled me."

Louisville had a short stay in Omaha, losing their first two games to Indiana and Oregon State, but the experience was memorable. He pitched in both losses.

Vermont Mountaineers (2011)

Ege came to Vermont in 2011 after throwing just nine innings as a freshman at Louisville. He split time between the rotation and bullpen for the Mountaineers, appearing in 13 games. He started seven and made six relief appearances, posting a 3.04 ERA with 25 strikeouts over 46 2/3 innings of work. Ege had some command issues, walking 21, but worked in and out of trouble.

In his second start of the year, Ege, who went 3-2, tossed a seven-inning gem. He struck out two and allowed just one run on five hits in a narrow 2-1 win over divisional rival Keene. Ege had three other quality starts over the course of the season, and retired the only two batters he faced in the postseason.

Draft

Ege decided to forego his senior season at Louisville, going out on a high note. The Texas Rangers selected the left-handed specialist in the 15th round of the 2013 draft, going 460th overall.

Minor League Stint with Texas

Ege made his minor league debut with the Short-Season Class-A Spokane Indians in Washington, and made five appearances with them before to Class-A Hickory and Class-A Advanced Myrtle Beach before the 2013 season was over.

In 2014, Ege made 37 appearances at Myrtle Beach, posting a decent 3.88 ERA. The impressive part, however, was 76 strikeouts in 62 2/3 innings, while walking just 17. He stayed at the level in High Desert to start the 2015 campaign, but his dominance in nine outings- 25 strikeouts in 13 2/3 innings- earned a promotion to Double-A Frisco. In Frisco, Ege struck out 37 in 31 2/3 innings before suddenly being traded at the deadline.

The Rangers sent him and catcher Tomas Telis to the Marlins for Sam Dyson. A two-time Reliever of the Month for Texas, Ege described the trade as a 'wild experience,'

"I had no idea I was going to be involved in any trades," Ege told Baseball Essential. "I got a phone call on the way to the ballpark one day saying I had been traded. They said I no longer played with the Rangers organization. After that phone call, I was officially part of the Miami Marlins."

Minor League Stint with Miami

After being traded, Ege headed to Double-A Jacksonville, where he only made five appearances before earning a promotion to Triple-A New Orleans. Ege didn't skip a beat, striking out 13 in 12 innings of work, issuing just two walks while posting a 0.75 ERA. It was an impressive transition for the left-hander, setting up his 2016 season well.

He appeared in his third spring training earlier this year, but got significant work. Over 10 outings, Ege threw 6 2/3 innings and struck out seven, posting a 1.35 ERA. After five appearances in Triple-A following camp, he was up in the majors when Martin Prado went on maternity leave.

Major League Debut

Ege made his debut yesterday, April 23rd. He faced four batters in the eighth, allowing a run on 12 pitches. He gave up a one-out triple to Gregor Blanco, who later scored on a sacrifice fly. Ege threw three pitches, showing a 86 mph sinker, a 78 mph changeup, and a 73 mph slider.

Evaluating the 2016 Roster: Vermont Mountaineers

Yesterday was Opening Day in college baseball, and that also means I'm back. The summer season may be months away, but it's never too early to look into the players coming to New England. Here's my first look at the Vermont Mountaineers roster, built by returning manager Joe Brown and GM Brian Gallagher.

“We’re going to have a target on our backs for sure,” Gallagher told the TA's Jim Higgins earlier this year. “I am the last person who would dare predict going back-to-back for fear of jinxing us. But we think the roster is very good. And if we get the majority of the guys that are on the current roster, I like our chances.”

Vermont excelled last season with a small-ball lineup, ranking near the middle of the pack in individual categories, but finishing atop the league in stolen bases (100) and sacrifice hits (43). It was a perfectly executed bunt that scored the go-ahead run in the decisive Game 3 of the league championship series. Pitching was another strength, as they were the only team that held opponents to a sub-.300 batting average.

Here's a look at the 2016 roster, grouped by pitchers, infielders, outfielders, and catchers. Full roster here.

Pitchers

The Mountaineers brought back a trio of pitchers, with Sean Callahan and Joe Rocchietti returning from the championship team, while Ty Wiest threw for them in 2014. Callahan pitched great out of the bullpen in both short and long relief, while Rocchietti won a big postseason game against North Adams last season. Wiest was crucial during the '14 postseason run, joining the team midway through June. He pieced together a 20-inning scoreless streak and finished with a 1.67 ERA over 10 appearances and 32 1/3 innings pitched.

Columbia's Ty Wiest.
Gene Boyars/CU Photo

Newcomers include several big pitchers, as Louisville's Sam Border (6 foot 6), Villanova's Woody Bryson (6-5) and Manhattan's Joseph Jacques (6-5) are all intimidating on the mound. Bordner was a highly-recruited right-hander out of Ohio, and has already made three appearances out of the bullpen for the fourth-seeded Cardinals.

There's three other freshman from D-I programs on the roster, all talented right-handers. Wright State's Ryan Weiss was a relative unknown entering his senior year in high school, but after tossing a no-hitter against a talented travel team, Weiss earned a scholarship to go play for the Raiders. Little Rock's Joe Corbett has worked his way into the rotation already, starting three games for the Trojans. Finally, Indiana's Chandler Sedat was an All-Michigan selection and has a good arsenal of pitches.

The staff has two other southpaws, with NYIT's Ben Wright and Stony Brook's Kevin Kernan. Kernan had his 2015 season cut short with an elbow injury, but had a promising 0.98 ERA over nine prior appearances.

Injuries have hampered St. Louis reliever Nick Vichio, as he's made just 15 appearances over his first two years. Eastern Michigan's Antonio Jacobs is a transfer from Spartanburg Methodist College, where he held opponents under a .250 batting average. UConn's Trevor Holmes spent his last two summers in the Futures League for Nashua and Martha's Vineyard, and is a reliable reliever for the Huskies. Finally, Little Rock's Jacob Boggess has started the year with four scoreless appearances as a redshirt sophomore.

Catchers


The Mountaineers have a plethora of talented catchers, both behind the plate and in the batter's box. It's hard to pick a top one, as all three have a lot of potential.

DiCaprio was a 2015 Perfect Game Honorable Mention All-American, and spent the summer after his senior year in the PGCBL. At just 18 years old, he was one of the youngest players in the league. He struggled at the plate, hitting just under .200, but established himself as a good defensive catcher with a strong arm, throwing out 20% of would-be base-stealers.

Pinkham hits against Princeton earlier this season.
Jeff Reinking Photo/ U of L

Fineman was also an Honorable Mention and played for the national 17U team. He's an outstanding defensive catcher with a very good bat, as is evidenced by a team-high .423 batting average across 10 games. He's only had 26 at bats at the D-I level, but has proven himself quickly- the freshman has 11 hits, four RBIs, and a 4:3 BB/K ratio.

Finally there's Pinkham, a left-handed hitter who will see limited time behind the plate at Louisville. There's a lot to like here, as Pinkham was the fourth-ranked prospect out of Kentucky in the Class of 2015. He had Tommy John surgery at the end of his senior year, but has successfully returned to the field.

Infielders


Like their catchers, the Mountaineers have quite a bit of depth in the infield. With players from top D-I programs, it's easy to see why Vermont's lineup could be very dangerous this season. They have a trio of shortstops, so it'll be interesting to see where they end up.

King during last season.

The top player in this group, based on stats, is the Billiken's King. A 6-1 shortstop, King earned the starting job as a freshman and excelled. He ended the season on a nine-game winning streak, hitting .291 with an almost-.400 on-base percentage.

Another strong shortstop is Stony Brook's Giles, who played in 50 games last season for the Seawolves. He hit .253 with an impressive .377 on-base percentage, drawing 31 walks. Eastern Michigan's Lett also started 50 games in 2015 as a freshman, and struggled offensively (.212 clip), but will surely adjust. He fits right into Brown's system, as he laid down 17 sucessful bunts and has some speed on the basepaths.

Little and Pittman are in similar positions at their respective schools, as neither will see much of the field. Little is a well-rounded player, with quick hands and good footwork in the infield, while he's also a threat on the basepaths.

Outfielders

Fairfield's Scocca during a 2015 game.

Vermont tapped into the Le Moyne pipeline for their outfield, picking up the starting three in the Dolphins lineup. All of them have had sucess offensively, led by DiNorcia's 2015 campaign in which he slashed .330/.477/.408 in 30 games.

DiNorcia has speed on the basepaths, with double-digit steals in his first two seasons. Levanti, a Northeastern transfer, hit just .225 in his first two seasons but has started the 2016 year off well on a new team. He's piled up 11 hits, three doubles, in his first nine games. Pittman is a patient outfielder who has bumped his average up 50 points in 2016 after a decent season the year prior.

Their are two non-Le Moyne players in the outfielder for Vermont. Fairfield's Scocca hit .262 last season in 40 games, swiping four bases and hitting eight extra-base hits. Little Rock's Meyn was a top prospect out of Oklahoma, as PG ranked him second in the state. He won't see much time this spring for the Trojans, who have a crowded outfield.

Pollock earns Gold Glove

AJ Pollock has a way of making things look easy in the outfield.

The former Vermont Mountaineers standout established himself as one of the best defensive players in the game during his first full MLB season with the Arizona Diamondback. Pollock was recognized for his efforts on Tuesday with the news that he was named a Gold Glove winner as the top center fielder in the National League.

Eight years removed from his time spent gracing the outfield at the Montpelier Recreation Field, Pollock rebounded from a season-ending injury in 2014 after playing in just 75 games. This past season he played in all but five games for the Diamondbacks, earning National League All-Star honors in a wildly successful year.

“He played the outfield for us and covered a lot of ground and got great reads on the ball off the bat,” Mountaineers general manager Brian Gallagher said. “It’s been great to follow his career as he’s done well at every level. He just keeps improving each year and works really hard.”

Pollock recorded a .315 batting average, a .367 on-base percentage and a .498 slugging percentage with 20 home runs and 39 stolen bases. But he had an even bigger impact on the other side of the ball, helping the Diamondbacks finish as the top defensive team in the major leagues. And Pollock was an anchor alongside fellow Gold Glove winner Paul Goldschmidt.

Pollock led all NL center fielders with 14 defensive runs saved, using a metric that rates individual players above or below average — with average being 0. Pollock also finished third in UZR, or ultimate zone rating, which is one of the most widely used defensive statistics as it attempts to quantify how many runs a player saved or gave up through their defensive prowess.

Winning this award was a big step for Pollock, who emerged as one of the game’s young stars at the age of 27. Many bloggers have jumped on the Pollock hype train, with headlines ranging from “AJ Pollock is absolutely a star player” to “The enigmatic superstar AJ Pollock.”

For Pollock, it is clearly a big honor.

“I’m out there trying to play good defense to help the team win,” Pollock told the Arizona Republic’s Nick Piecoro. “It’s pretty unique now getting recognition for doing it. You always hear, ‘Gold Glove center fielder’ or ‘Gold Glove second baseman’ — to be able to have that in front of my name is pretty special.”

Pollock edged out 2012 Gold Glove winner Andrew McCutchen of the Pittsburgh Pirates and Cincinnati Reds speedster Billy Hamilton. Gold Glove winners are selected by a vote of MLB managers and coaches (75 percent), as well as a statistical equivalent that ranks defenders called the SABR Defensive Index (25 percent).

Pollock became the first former Mountaineers player to win the elite defensive award.

“He was a key player on our 2007 championship team and really was a good team leader even as a freshman,” Gallagher said. “He is as good of a person as he is a baseball player, and he’s kept in touch with us and his host family.”

Pollock has accumulated many awards since his time with Vermont. In the Diamondbacks system, Pollock was an organizational All-Star in back-to-back years, was an All-Star in Double-A Mobile and has been named the National League Player of the Week three times.

Delaplane named NECBL Reliever of the Year

With a one-run lead going into the bottom of the tenth inning of the decisive Game 3 of the NECBL Finals, everyone knew who Vermont manager Joe Brown was going to turn to out of the bullpen. Eastern Michigan right-hander Sam Delaplane entered and finished off his 13th save of the summer, which the league rewarded by recognizing him as NECBL’s top relief pitcher.

Delaplane, who led the league with 10 saves in the regular season, joined Mountaineers alumni Mark Murray (2006) and McKenzie Willoughby (2004) as recipients of the league’s annual award. Current Washington Nationals starting pitcher Stephen Strasburg also won the award in 2007.

“It’s a real honor to win this award because their were a lot of great relievers in this league, including my teammates and especially Teddy Rodliff,” Delaplane said. “I’m humbled that the league recognized me, and it’s also an unbelievable feeling to say that I can share an award with someone of that caliber.”

He finished with a 3.29 ERA over 17 appearances, but take away his two roughest outings (five runs allowed each) and he has a 0.00 ERA. He gave up earned runs in just three of his outings and converted 10 of 11 save opportunities during the regular season.

“This year my four-seam and two-seam fastball were working as well as my curveball,” Delaplane said of his keys to success. “I was able to consistently throw them for strikes and work ahead in the count, and not falling behind led to the success I had this summer.”

Delaplane gave up three earned runs in Game 1 of the championship series against Mystic while pitching on zero rest, but rebounded after a rainout to strand the game-tying run at the third in the tenth inning. He induced a pop-up to the first base side from Schooners shortstop Aaron Hill, and Vermont first basemen Simon Rosenbaum caught it on the fly to spark a wild celebration.

“I can’t think of words to describe what it was like,” Delaplane said on closing out the franchise’s third championship. “It was the most fun I’ve ever had on a baseball diamond and I’ll easily remember it the rest of my life.”

He entered having thrown 40 innings of relief for D-I Eastern Michigan, posting a solid 2.93 ERA over 23 appearances. Delaplane recorded seven saves for the Eagles, and will be in the closer role yet again when he returns.

“I just have to do what I did before and when I was here,” Delaplane said on his next collegiate season. “I have to work hard and execute pitches, and not get too high or low in my outings. I will be more confident entering this next season.”

His summer was one of the best ever for a Mountaineer reliever. He became just the fifth reliever in Vermont history to reach double-digit saves in the regular season, joining a club that contains Murray, Willough, Dusty Odenbach and Kyle Grana. Out of that group, Delaplane led with 43 strikeouts and a 14.2 strikeouts per nine innings.

“Sam was our go-to-guy late in games and he had the ability to step up as a closer and go two inning, if need be, to save the game,” Vermont general manager Brian Gallagher mentioned. “He always arrived to the park early and worked hard all season.”

Mountaineers alums are climbing the ladder

Trey Amburgey is making waves with the GCL
Yankees (Rookie League). /Bryan Green Photo

As the 2015 NECBL season wrapped up with the Vermont Mountaineers claiming their third title in franchise history, the team’s long list of alums are still playing across the country. Just as many of this year’s class will move on to professional baseball, many players from the team’s 13-year history are currently enjoying strong starts to their minor league careers. Here is a rundown of eight of them, headlined by the players who’ve had the most success.

Each of these players have a shot at becoming the next player on the team’s “Made it to the Majors” banner. Currently, Christian Friedrich (Rockies), Nick Martinez (Rangers), David Carpenter (Nationals) and A.J. Pollock (Diamondbacks) are all in the highest level of baseball in the United States.

Hitters

Micah Johnson, 2B, White Sox
Current Level/Age: AAA/24,5’10”/185, S/R
Drafted: 291st overall (9th round) in 2012 out of Indiana by the Chicago White Sox

Johnson got his cup of coffee earlier this season and played in 27 games for the White Sox, hitting at a .270 clip. However, defensive woes saw him return to Triple-A Charlotte, where he’s hit the cover off the ball. Somewhat injury-prone, Johnson recently went on the disabled list with a hamstring strain after hitting almost .400 in the month of July. He boasts a .328/.383/.487 slash line, and White Sox assistant general manager Buddy Bell mentioned in an interview with the Chicago Sun-Times that his defense has been “really good” with the Knights. A return to the pros is almost inevitable once he returns from injury, as the White Sox current second basemen are tied for last in the majors in WAR (Wins Above Replacement).

Brian O’Grady, 1B/CF, Reds
Current Level/Age: A+/23,6’2”/215, L/R
Drafted: 245th overall (8th round) in 2014 out of Rutgers by Cincinnati

After a breakout first year with Rookie-level Billings, O’Grady continued to hit the ball well for the Class-A Daytona Dragons, but he’s since hit a wall with Cincinnati’s Advanced-A affiliate, the Daytona Tortugas. The center fielder is hitting just .135 through his first 28 games and has managed just two extra-base hits. O’Grady is remembered in Vermont as the Swamp Bat who knocked the Mountaineers out of the playoffs in 2013, but he stole a franchise-record 25 bases in 2011, his first year in the NECBL. As for his future, O’Grady is over-matched in A+ and most likely won’t be moving up the Reds ladder any time soon. One concerning stat is that his walk rate has plummeted to just 9 percent with the Tortugas while his strikeout rate is hovering near one-third at 29 percent.

Amburgey slides into third with Vermont last year.

Trey Amburgey, CF, Yankees
Current Level/Age: R/20,6’2”/210, R/R
Drafted: 393rd overall (13th round) in 2015 out of St. Petersburg by Nnew York Yankees

Amburgey caught many scouts’ attention with an impressive All-Star campaign in 2014 for the Mountaineers, and the Yankees snagged him in the 13th round. He signed, preventing him from returning to Vermont for a second summer — which would have turned an already dangerous lineup into the league’s best, easily. He’s started his professional career off on the right foot in the rookie-level Gulf Coast League, hitting a team-best .378 despite being half a year younger than the league-average. At only 20, Amburgey is already turning heads in the Yankees system as someone who has good bat speed, is a plus runner and is an athletic outfielder. He’s definitely a guy to watch in the coming years.

Matt Duffy, 3B, Astros
Current Level/Age: AAA/26,6’3”/220, R/R
Drafted: 610th overall (20th round) in 2011 out of Tennessee by Houston

Duffy is a big bat who can hit for both average and power, as evidenced by his .294/.369/.472 slash line over five years in the minor leagues. An All-Star in each of the past four seasons, Duffy has gradually moved up the ranks and sits in Triple-A Fresno with a .300 batting average and 16 home runs in 105 games. Currently blocked in the majors by the likes of Jed Lowrie, Luis Valbuena and Marwin Gonzales, Duffy still has a shot to get called up if one of them goes down. He’s improved his plate discipline this year as well, striking out almost five percent less while drawing walks more frequently.

Pitchers

Kyle Grana, RHP, Cardinals
Current Level/Age: A/24,6’4”/245, R/R
Drafted: Signed as a non-drafted free agent in 2013 out of Bellarmine by St. Louis

Grana was undrafted due to scouts questions on his size, as the big right-hander checks in at 245 pounds. He’s quickly proved them wrong in the Cardinals system, dominating opponents with Class-A Peoria. The closer, only 24, has moved up a level each year and has found success every step of the way. Despite having 30 saves and a 1.09 ERA over 63 career minor league appearances, Grana doesn’t appear on any Cardinals prospect lists and has been viewed largely as an organizational guy. St. Louis is also already grooming a pair of prospective closer in No. 11 prospect Sam Tuivailala and No. 26 Chris Perry.

Cody Ege, LHP, Marlins
Current Level/Age: AA/24, 6’1”/185, L/L
Drafted: 460th overall (15th round) in 2013 out of Louisville by Texas
 
After allowing just two earned runs over 19 appearances as a freshman out of Louisville’s bullpen, Ege was a reliable starter for the Mountaineers in 2011. He’s since returned to the bullpen and has found plenty of success after a lights-out junior year for the Cardinals. A 15th-round draft pick, Ege was recently dealt from the Rangers to Miami and has continued his excellent season. He’s thrown 52 innings across both organizations and has a 0.92 ERA while averaging almost 11 strikeouts per nine innings. There is plenty of MLB potential in Ege, as he’s only 24 and has already had plenty of success across five levels.
 
Robert Strader, LHP, Orioles
Current Level/Age: SS/21,6’5”/225, R/L
Drafted: 373rd overall (12th round) in 2015 out of Louisville by Baltimore

Just a year ago, Strader turned in his 19th appearance in a Mountaineers uniform as he spent two years in Vermont. His 2014 season was cut short due to an injury, but he finished with a 1.18 ERA over 38 innings of work with manager Joe Brown. A projectable southpaw, Strader has gotten off to a good start with Baltimore’s short-season affiliate Aberdeen. He has 17 strikeouts in 16 innings, and although walks are a problem, he’s getting used to the minors. Bottom line, Strader is only 21 and has already shown a lot of potential.

Cole Johnson, RHP, Twins
Current Level/Age: AAA/26,6’3”/200, R/R
Drafted: 1348th overall (44th round) in 2011 out of Notre Dame by Minnesota

Any kind of career out of a 44th-round pick is viewed as a success, and Johnson is certainly making a case to take that next step into the majors. Since being promoted midway to Triple-A midway through June, Johnson has a 2.89 ERA over 12 appearances and and 19 innings despite being a year younger than most of his teammates. He doesn’t have overpowering stuff but avoids walks and he should be ready to be tested in a bullpen role in the majors shortly.

Extra-inning thriller: Mountaineers claim first title since '07

When Vermont’s Ridge Smith came up to the plate in the top of the 10th with the go-ahead run at third base, he didn’t hesitate when manager Joe Brown gave him the bunt sign.

The All-Star catcher dropped a safety squeeze down the first base line and collegiate teammate Garrett Copeland raced home to secure the Mountaineers’ 3–2 extra-inning victory over Mystic in Game 3 of the NECBL finals.

The championship is Vermont’s first since 2007. By topping the Southern Division Schooners in 10 innings, the Mountaineers claimed their third Fay Vincent Cup in five tries for one of baseball’s signature organizations — moving them into sole possession of third place in league history.

“This was a very mentally draining game,” Vermont manager Joe Brown said. “It was a great college baseball game and fortunately we came out on top, which is tremendous. Ridge Smith had the courage and unselfishness to want to do that safety squeeze there, and I tip my cap to him.”

After blowing an early 2–0 lead, the Vermont bullpen tossed five scoreless innings. Vermont was countered by an equally solid effort from the Schooners, with reliever Jason Foley striking out seven batters and cruising into the 10th. However, he gave up back-to-back singles with one out to Copeland and Kevin Stypulkowski in the final frame and Copeland took the extra base to get to third.

Brown called for the safety squeeze, and it worked to perfection as Foley was handed the loss.

“There’s nothing better than being here this long this summer and being rewarded,” Smith said of the feeling. “I just was thinking to definitely not pop it up, and I stayed on top of it and did a good job. This was an awesome and amazing season.”

Joe Dudek opened the scoring for the Mountaineers with a first-inning RBI double just beyond the reach of a diving Derek Jenkins in center field. They added another run in the fifth as Mystic catcher Lou Iannotti’s throw to second on a double steal sailed high and wide, and Jack Parenty easily scored from third.

They gave a 2–0 lead to Tom Cosgrove and it looked untouchable for the first four innings. The left-hander who rejoined the Mountaineers after a two-week break didn’t allow a hit until one out in the fourth. He finished with five strikeouts. However, his own error cost him in the fifth.

After putting runners on first and second with two outs, Cosgrove induced a high-arcing popout in front of the mound. Smith came out from behind the plate but Cosgrove took his eye off of it for a moment and it nicked off a glove to bring in a run. After an intentional walk of Dan Hoy, Iannotti redeemed himself with a RBI single through the left side.

That would be all the scoring for the next four innings as both bullpens dug in. Mystic starter Joe Rivera and reliever Mike O’Rielly both gave up a run over three innings apiece, but once Foley came in, it was scoreless for four straight innings.

The Mountaineers secured the win with the bullpen combination Brown has relied on all summer long. Setup man Teddy Rodliff tossed four shutout innings and allowed just one hit to record the win, while closer Sam Delaplane picked up his biggest save of the summer.

Hoy reached via a one-out error in the bottom of the 10th for Mystic and worked his way around to third, but Delaplane induced a popout to first basemen Simon Rosenbaum, and the Mountaineers rushed out of the dugout and mobbed the mound.

Vermont has won the championship more times in the Northern Division than any team but the Keene Swamp Bats, breaking a tie at two with the Sanford Mainers and now-defunct Central Mass Collegians. Brown also became the first skipper in league history to win the title with two separate teams (Sanford in 2008) in addition to becoming the first to claim a national title during the spring collegiate season (the D-III championship with SUNY-Cortland).

“I give a lot of credit to these young men because this is a special thing,” Brown said. “I’ve been fortunate enough to be a part of this. To play on your last day in your college season and the last day here is a tremendous accomplishment.”

The last Mountaineers title came in 2007. For a franchise that made it to the divisional finals each of the past three years, the eight-year wait felt interminable. After undergoing constant turnover, including losing their best hitter in second baseman Thomas Roulis midway through the year, it was a resilient squad that pushed through for the title. Despite playing just.500 ball through June, the Mountaineers caught fire with the addition of multiple key players and won 10 of their last 13 regular season games to clinch the Northern Division for the second straight year.

They swept fourth-seed Laconia in the first round, then needed three games to dispatch No. 3 North Adams in the divisional finals before dropping Mystic. The Mountaineers became the first team since they joined the league in 2003 to drop the series-opening game and come back to win it all.

“They go home knowing they’re the champs,” Brown finished. “They go home and know that in two days they get their ring sizes. That’s a very special feeling. What an accomplishment.”

Schooners, Mountaineers face off in NECBL Finals

Lefty Casey Brown is Vermont's probable starter.

Tonight, the Vermont Mountaineers and Mystic Schooners will face off in Game 1 of the 2015 NECBL League Championship Series. It’s certainly not an improbable matchup, as the Mountaineers won their division and went 4-1 in the first two rounds of the postseason, but many expected perennial contender Newport to claim the South after posting a regular-season high 27 wins.

Instead, Mystic blew out the defending league champions, routing them 16-2 in the series-clinching Game 2. The Schooners racked up 41 runs in just four games in back-to-back sweeps of New Bedford and Newport, getting two days of rest as they returned to the league championship series for the first time since their inaugural season as the Eastern Tides in 1994.

It’s easy to make a case for the Schooners based solely on momentum, as they closed the regular season winners of seven of 10n and haven’t lost in over a week. They finished the regular season with a team ERA of 2.61, 60 points better than the next team, and that stat alone makes their impressive hitting even more scary.

Still, this is a Vermont team that is a talented, balanced bunch that overcome a lot this season. Manager Joe Brown has handled 49 different players that have come into town, and they’ve been able to beat their opponents in a variety of ways. He’s taken them to the division finals in all three years he’s been a manager, and this was the year that they finally got over the top.

Both teams have plenty going for them, which will make this series one of the more exciting matchups in recent memory. Here is several storylines for both teams that face off at Mystic’s Fitch High School tonight, with first pitching coming at 6:05 p.m.

Vermont’s rotation

By starting Rocchietti in the series-clinching Game 3 against North Adams, Brown didn’t have to use ace Casey Brown on four days rest. Instead, a refreshed Brown will likely start the first game of the league finals and the Mountaineers have their top three pitchers lined up to start. Right-hander Sean Leland could start Game 2 while southpaw Tom Cosgrove is positioned to start the potential third game.

Brown was among the best pitchers in the NECBL in the regular season as the All-Star left-hander finished nine points shy of the ERA title with a 1.25 mark. However, Cosgrove is the only member who’s faced the Schooners. He took the loss, allowing four runs on seven hits over five innings.

Mystic’s offense

Hoy (Mystic photo)

Vermont has their rotation lined up, but they will be dealing with the hottest offense at any point in the NECBL this year. The Schooners scored 41 runs on 54 hits in four games, slugging four home runs and 18 extra base hits. They also drew 21 walks to 19 strikeouts and were a perfect 8-for-8 on stolen base attempts.

Dan Hoy homered twice and drove in eight runs in the Schooners two regular-season wins against the Mountaineers, and was back at it in the postseason. The shortstop has already hit two homers through the first four postseason games and is 9-for-18 (.500) with 11 RBIs. Facing the Mystic lineup is going to be a tough task for Vermont’s pitchers, as Nick Mascelli also has two home runs this postseason and they’ve scored at an unprecedented rate despite their regular season star Ben Ruta having a mediocre postseason.

Schooners enter following a day off

Potentially, the league champion could play nine games in nine days after a day off following the conclusion of the regular season. Both Mystic and Vermont swept their first round opponents, but the Schooners were off Saturday night after easily dispatching the Gulls. However, teams that sweep the divisional finals don’t always find success. The last five times a team that swept the divisional finals played a team that went the whole three games, the team that swept won just once.

Bullpens

The finals in the NECBL often come down to the bullpen — which team can preserve the leads that they’re given. Both teams had considerable success during the regular season, as they combined to go 40-4 when given a lead after six innings. The Schooners bullpen posted a 1.29 through 14 innings so far this postseason, while Vermont has a similar 1.80 mark over 15 innings.

Vermont used closer Sam Delaplane twice against North Adams, one of them a two-pitch appearance, after not needing him in the Laconia series. Delaplane led the league with 10 saves in the regular season, becoming just the fourth Mountaineer in franchise history to record double-digit saves. All-Star Teddy Rodliff hasn’t allowed a run over 6 1/3 innings this postseason and three other relievers made scoreless appearances.

Mystic counters with an equally strong bullpen, as the combination of Jason Foley, Michael O’Rielly, Teddy Turner and Sean Keenan has a 0.90 ERA over 70 innings during the regular season. Foley has already recorded a pair of saves in August, while long reliever Joseph Rivera extended his scoreless innings streak to 10.

Brown at Cortland. 

Managerial Matchup

Mystic’s Phil Orbe completed his fourth year manning the Schooners helm and has had plenty of success, but he is overmatched. Vermont’s Joe Brown, the Division-III Coach of the Year, is coming off a national championship run with SUNY-Cortland. He also knows how to push the right buttons, whether by putting his relievers in the right spot, bringing the right guy off the bench at the right time, or executing an aggressive gameplan on the basepaths perfectly.

Brown also has NECBL finals experience, having won the 2008 title with the Sanford Mainers.