Gulls Hire Holbrook
February 14, 2022 - New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL)
Newport Gulls News Release
NEWPORT, R.I.- The Newport Gulls have named Frank Holbrook. as the ninth manager in the organization's history, and fifth since 2005. Currently the Head Coach at Rhode Island College, Holbrook will now get the opportunity to lead the team he has been a member of throughout his life in a multitude of capacities.
"The Newport Gulls Family is excited to have one of our own lead the Gulls in 2022." said Newport Gulls President & General Manager Chuck Paiva. "(Gulls Vice President) Chris Patsos and I have followed Frank's coaching journey and feel he is ready for this opportunity." He continued to add, "Coach Holbrook played for the Gulls in 2012, was an assistant in 2013; both championship-level teams. He knows what it takes to have success in Newport."
Born and raised in neighboring Middletown, RI, Holbrook's family hosted Gulls players when he was growing up. Frank, who went on to attend Portsmouth Abbey, has found himself in the Cardines Field dugout as the team's batboy, a player, and an assistant coach.
Coach Holbrook stated, "I am grateful for this opportunity and can't wait for the summer. The Gulls have a long-standing tradition of excellence on the field and in the community. I look forward to putting a product on the field that competes at a championship level and makes everyone here in Newport proud."
A right-handed pitcher for Wheaton College (Norton, MA), Holbrook remains one of the program's most accomplished players. Leading his team to four successful seasons and a runner-up finish in the 2012 Division III College World Series, his 26 wins and career ERA (2.32) rank second in school history, while his innings pitched, and other stats are among the top 10 for the Lyons. In 2012, Holbrook posted a 10-0 record with a 1.38 ERA, which are both school records for a single season.
The Gulls offered Holbrook a chance to join their 2012 roster, starting the Gulls first game of the season. It was an exhibition match against the Wareham Gateman of the Cape Cod League; a team that included 2016 World Series Champion Kyle Schwarber. He would go on to throw in 10 games that summer, finishing with a perfect 3-0 record and 23 strikeouts over 21.2 innings of work, walking just three opposing batters. That season the Gulls captured their fifth NECBL Championship were ranked the #1 College Baseball Team in the country.
Holbrook returned to Newport in the summer of 2013, this time as an assistant for manager Mike Coombs. Working with the team's pitchers, Holbrook helped the Gulls return to the NECBL Finals after completing the regular season with a record of 30-14. He was then hired by his alma mater as an assistant coach from 2014-2018. The Lyons would return to the College World Series during Holbrook's tenure and helped lead the pitching staff to have the second-lowest WHIP (1.16) in the country, as well as an All-American closer who led the nation in saves with 13.
His successes as an assistant with Wheaton landed him the head coaching job at Rhode Island College for the 2019 season. In his first year, the RIC Anchormen tied a program record for wins, ending the season with a 26-19 record. He was 7-1 in 2020 prior to COVID-19 cutting the season short and notched a 23-11 record in 2021.
When asked about the hiring of Holbrook, Vice President Chris Patsos stated, "We have known Frank and his family for a long time. He has always been a hard worker and is deserving of this great opportunity to guide the team this upcoming summer." The Gulls look forward to the upcoming summer season, starting June 8 at Cardines Field.
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The Newport Gulls, members of the 13-team New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL), are a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, founded as the Rhode Island Gulls in 1998 in Cranston, R.I., before moving to Newport in 2001. In addition to recruiting, fielding, and developing a team of the nation's top collegiate baseball athletes and attracting 50,000 fans annually to Cardines Field, the predominantly volunteer organization strives to benefit the community via summer camps, reading programs, fundraisers, scholarships, and charitable donations - totaling over $1 million since 2001. The Gulls are six-time champions of the NECBL - the winningest franchise in league history - and were ranked as the overall No. 1 summer collegiate baseball team in the country by Perfect Game USA in 2012.
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New England Collegiate Baseball League Stories from February 14, 2022
- Gulls Hire Holbrook - Newport Gulls
- North Shore Navigators Sign Three Returning Players for 2022 NECBL Season - North Shore Navigators
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