Four Mountaineers Earn Postseason Distinctions

August 14, 2019 - New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL)
Vermont Mountaineers News Release


NORTH ADAMS, Mass. - Four Vermont Mountaineers claimed New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL) postseason honors on the 2019 All-NECBL First and Second Teams, as announced by Commissioner Sean McGrath.

Ryan Murphy (Wappingers Falls, N.Y. / Le Moyne College) was named as the Robin Roberts Best Starting Pitcher, while also collecting First Team distinctions. Austin Gauthier (Lorton, Va. / Hofstra University) continued his illustrious summer tenure with the Mountaineers, earning First Team honors as well. All-Star pitchers Alec Huertas (Bethlehem, Pa. / Long Island University) and Nicholas DeGennaro (Toms River, N.J. / Stony Brook University) cemented themselves on Second Team after stellar seasons on the mound. The four All-League honorees are the most Vermont has recorded since the 2012 season.

Murphy secured the accolades after leading the league in earned run average (2.25), finishing with a 5-2 overall record, just one victory shy of the league lead. The right-hander impressed on the field, tallying 55 strikeouts over 48 innings while allowing only 12 walks and posting a WHIP of 1.17. The New York native finished fourth in the NECBL in total strikeouts, while tying for fourth in games started (8), as well as second in innings pitched (48). Murphy is just the second Mountaineer in franchise history to take home the Robin Roberts award after Alex Haines collected the title in 2012.

Gauthier, already a Player of the Week and All-Star starter honoree during the season, capped off his summer as one of the premier shortstops in the league. The Virginian accumulated a team-leading 44 runs, the second-best amount in the NECBL. He continuously provided offensive sparks for the Mountaineers at the plate, finishing 15th in the league in hits (50) while tied for third in walks (30). The righty was a threat on the bases, tallying 19 stolen bases, tied for seventh-most. Gauthier showed off on the defensive end as well, ranking fourth among shortstops in putouts (43) and second in assists (87).

Huertas joined Murphy in leading the NECBL in earned run average (2.25) among eligible pitchers, recording 35 strikeouts in 36 frames while giving up just 11 walks and finishing with a WHIP of 1.28. The right-hander allowed just 35 hits against the 160 batters faced throughout the summer, all the while securing two key victories for the Mountaineers.

DeGennaro served as one of the principal closers in the NECBL, collecting a fourth-best five saves during the season. Striking out 36 batters, the New Jersey native clamped down on the opposition on the mound, surrendering just 11 hits while allowing only one run in just over 27 innings of play. DeGennaro began the season on a 20-inning scoreless streak, collecting his lone win on the season in the process.

The quartet of Mountaineers helped lead Vermont to a 25-20 overall record, the team's highest win total since the 2015 season, all the while registering the franchise's first NECBL postseason appearance in four years.



New England Collegiate Baseball League Stories from August 14, 2019


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