Original link: http://www.necbl.com/view/necbl/news-1185/news_537073
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. - With the 2021 New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL) Wild Card round in the books, the postseason continues and the remaining eight teams across the North and the South are eager to continue their quest for the Fay Vincent Sr. Cup.
All squads will play in best-of-three Divisional Semifinal rounds beginning on Wednesday, August 4.
Northern Division Semifinal Matchups:
Upper Valley Nighthawks (2) vs. North Adams SteepleCats (3)
The two-seed Upper Valley Nighthawks will host the three-seed North Adams SteepleCats in an exciting Semifinal matchup in White River Junction. The SteepleCats won the 2021 season series versus the Nighthawks by a record of 4-2 and hope to avoid being upset by Upper Valley on the road while the ‘Hawks are ready to defend the Max for a second night in a row on Wednesday, August 4, at 6:05pm.
The North Adams SteepleCats placed third in the Northern Division standings this season, finishing with an overall record of 21-17-2. Two early summer ties against the North Shore Navigators may have prevented the ‘Cats from completing the regular season on a higher note. North Adams All-Star catcher Jeremy Lea (University of the Pacific), who ends the summer with a .285 batting average, 39 total hits, 26 runs, 18 RBI, 10 walks, eight doubles and five home runs, will hope to continue to lead his team to success through the playoffs and into the postseason, with the help of fellow All-Star first baseman John Marti (University of Albany), who finishes the 2021 summer with a .233 average, 28 total hits, 28 walks, 24 runs,13 RBI, five extra-base hits and five stolen bases. Pitchers such as righty Brian Zeldin (University of Pennsylvania), Kaleb Sophy (Shippensburg University) and Jake Cubbler (University of South Carolina) will presumably see the bump in hopes of becoming North Adams heroes.
North Adams is feeling good coming off of their three-run wild card victory against the Mainers at Joe Wolfe Field on Tuesday and are ready to tackle the Nighthawks up north in White River Junction for a chance to compete in the Finals.
The Upper Valley Nighthawks conclude the regular season with a record of 23-18 and just three games behind the first-place Keene Swamp Bats at the top of the Northern Division. The ‘Hawks are equipped with plenty of All-Stars to propel them to the next round of the postseason, including 2021 NECBL All-Star Game MVP infielder Max Viera (Northeastern University), who touts a .310 average, 39 total hits, 15 RBI and seven extra-base hits. Upper Valley’s offense is also led by All-Star outfielder Alan Roden (Creighton University) and infielder Gehrig Anglin (Wright State University). All-Star pitcher Nick Cantone (Marist College) who completes the summer with a 3.86 ERA, 36 strikeouts, 15 relief outings and three saves will hope to lead his squad to NECBL lore, plus with the help of Jordy Allard (University of Richmond) and southpaw Jack Keenan (Marist College).
The Nighthawks managed to escape alive after 12 innings of pure battle against the seven-seed Winnipesaukee Muskrats in White River Junction amid the teams’ wild card contest, and the ‘Hawks are riding high into the Semifinals.
Keene Swamp Bats (1) vs. North Shore Navigators (5)
The Keene Swamp Bats will host the North Shore Navigators at Alumni Field for a shot to continue to the Finals in what should be a memorable matchup. The Swamp Bats took the season series against the Navigators by a record of 5-2 and are ready to make it six wins as Northern Division champions on their home field as the Navs will look to stay alive on Wednesday, August 4, at 6:30pm.
As for the North Shore Navigators, the Massachusetts team placed fifth in the Northern Division standings and owns an overall record of 20-20-2. The Navigators’ two early-season ties against the North Adams SteepleCats may have, unfortunately, hurt their placement. However, North Shore has a plethora of incredible talent both in the batter’s box and on the diamond. With three 2021 All-Stars including pitcher Jackson Emus (Princeton University), who owns the NECBL regular-season best ERA of 2.27 through 35.2 innings pitched and nine outings, 36 strikeouts and a 3-1 record, infielder Logan Bravo (Harvard University) who batted .287 with 39 total hit, 35 runs, 32 RBI, 19 walks, 14 home runs (2021 NECBL high), six doubles and two triples, along with outfielder Joseph Lomuscio (Stanford University) who finished the regular season with a .310 batting average, 44 total hits, 28 RBI, 26 runs, 11 walks, six home runs, six stolen bases, four doubles and two triples, the Navs are eager to make their presence felt in this year’s installment of the playoffs and hopefully postseason.
Five-seed North Shore upset the four-seed Vermont Mountaineers in their wild card matchup in Montpelier on Tuesday and are absolutely riding high and feeling good about themselves heading into their contest against the reigning NECBL-champion and current-Northern Division champions at Alumni Field.
For the second year in a row, the Swamp Bats have been crowned Northern Division champions, touting a 2021 regular-season record of 26-15, thus giving them a wild card bye and home-field advantage through the postseason. With the help of a 10-game winning streak in the middle of the season, Keene was able to finish the summer with a three-game lead atop the division. The Swamp Bats are hopeful to make it far in the postseason with the help of student-athletes such as All-Star right-handed pitcher Michael Bacica (University of Maine Orono), who finishes the regular season with a 3.52 ERA, 42 strikeouts and a 2-0 record through nine appearances, and fellow All-Star shortstop Zach Bushling (University of Connecticut), who wraps up the summer with a .271 batting average, 36 total hits, 23 walks, 22 RBI and seven home runs. Other All-Star players such as outfielders Tommy Joseph (Jacksonville University) and Troy Schreffler (University of Maryland) and shortstop Daniel DiGerogio (Rutgers University) will surely be leaned on from here on out.
Southern Division Semifinals Matchups
Valley Blue Sox (2) vs. Danbury Westerners (4)
The Valley Blue Sox are eager to host the Danbury Westerners in one of the Southern Division’s Semifinal matchups at MacKenzie Stadium. The Blue Sox narrowly won the season series against the Westerners by a record of 4-3 and are looking to extend that record as Danbury is ready to knock down Valley on their home turf on Wednesday, August 4, at 6:35pm.
The Danbury Westerners finished in third place in the South with an overall record of 23-19, just one-and-a-half games back of the first-place Martha’s Vineyard Sharks. Boasting three 2021 NECBL All-Stars in infielder John Anderson (Georgia Tech), catcher Jack Payton (University of Louisville) and outfielder Cameron Masterman (University of Louisville), Danbury is ready to continue to prove themselves after an exciting regular season; finishing with just one less win than the division champions is something to talk about. Other players such as infielder Nicholas Lorusso (University of Maryland), who finished the regular season with a .302 batting average and 29 total hits, 16 walks, 12 runs and RBI, seven doubles and two home runs alongside fellow infielder Banks Griffith (Stetson University), who possesses a .301 average and 31 total hits, 29 runs, 17 walks, 14 RBI, nine doubles and one home run, plus pitchers including Tyler Roche (St. John’s University) and Josh Brown (University of Houston) will aid in the Westies’ Tuesday postseason hopes.
The four-seed Westerners defeated the Newport Gulls in their Tuesday wild card affair by five runs at home at Rogers Park and are feeling good ahead of traveling to Holyoke to square off and attempt to upset the two-seed Blue Sox at the Mack.
The Valley Blue Sox finished second in the Southern Division standings, just one singular game behind the first-place Martha’s Vineyard Sharks, with an overall record of 23-18. With five All-Stars in 2021, the Blue Sox came to play. All-Star pitcher Ryan Towle (University of Massachusetts Lowell) completed the regular season with a 0.96 ERA through 17 outings and 28 innings pitched, allowing just three earned runs and allowing 10 walks while striking out 46 batters and recording six saves. With 2021 NECBL Home Run Derby champion, All-Star and first baseman Luke Franzoni (Xavier University) helping lead the lineup with 37 total hits, 27 runs, 21 RBI and walks, 11 doubles, 10 home runs and four stolen bases alongside All-Star catcher Cole Andrews (Miami University), All-Star shortstop Mason LaPlante (Yale University) and All-Star fan vote winner and lefty-handed pitcher Antonio Balducci (University of Richmond), Valley is eager to defend their home field in this Semifinal matchup.
Valley shut out and toppled the seven-seed Bristol Blues in Holyoke in the teams’ Tuesday wild card matchup and are looking to continue their dominant winning ways again in their own stadium as the second-highest Southern Division seed.
Martha’s Vineyard Sharks (1) vs. Ocean State Waves (6)
The Southern Division champion Martha’s Vineyard Sharks will look to fend off the lowest remaining seed in the postseason, the six-seed Ocean State Waves, on their home turf, the Shark Tank. Meanwhile, the underdog Waves, who won the season series versus the Sharks by a record of 4-3, are eager to tackle to division’s top-remaining seed on the Sharks’ home turf on Wednesday, August 4, at 7:00pm.
The Ocean State Waves, who placed fifth in the Southern Division with an 18-24 overall record, are looking to stay alive as underdogs in their Semifinal matchup. With a whopping seven 2021 All-Stars and one Home Run Derby participant, Ocean State is confident in their ability to progress forward to the postseason and take down the Vineyard on the Vineyard. The Waves will most certainly be led by All-Star left fielder and 2021 NECBL batting champion Travis Honeyman (Boston College), who boasted a .430 regular-season batting average for Ocean State who tallied 40 total hits, 26 runs, 26 RBI, 15 walks, 14 stolen bases, eight doubles, seven home runs and one triple. Fellow All-Stars in infielder/catcher Nick Hassan (Kennesaw State University), infielder Kyle Maves (Quinnipiac University), catcher Johnny Tuccillo (Stony Brook University), and pitchers Shaun Gamelin (Rhode Island College), Nick Payero (Seton Hall University) and Ryan Gleason (Virginia Tech University) are ready to prove themselves and their team in their semis affair.
The Waves turned many heads with their upset 9-2 win over the third-seed Mystic Schooners in Groton, Connecticut, in their wild card contest on Tuesday. It’s safe to say that Ocean State is riding high and want to bring their momentum over to the island in hopes of dethroning the division champions.
The 2021 Southern Division champions Martha’s Vineyard Sharks receive home-field advantage through the postseason and a wild card bye thanks to their 24-27-1 regular season overall record. Thanks to many mini-winning streaks of five or so games throughout the summer, the Sharks will have a solid chance to make it deep in this year’s postseason. Five 2021 All-Stars this season was no surprise for the stellar Sharks who have made waves since they entered the NECBL just a couple of years ago. All-Star pitchers Ryan Ramsey (University of Maryland), who touts a 1.88 ERA through six outings and 24 innings pitched, 38 strikeouts and a 2-0 record alongside Adam Boucher (Duke University) and Jackson Nezuh (Florida State University), are hoping to help lead their squad to postseason lore. All-Star first baseman Ryan Hernandez (University of Houston) and All-Star shortstop Jake Berger (Harvard University) were regular-season offensive leaders for Martha’s Vineyard and will look to continue that trend through the next week.
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