August 11, 2025 - 8 Games Today

Ignoffo, Sears Take Home Week 2 Awards

June 20, 2022 - New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL) News Release

SOUTH HADLEY, Mass. -- Upper Valley first baseman Ryan Ignoffo (Eastern Illinois) and Valley left-hander Andrew Sears (Rhode Island College) have been named the New England Collegiate Baseball League's (NECBL) Pitcher and Player of the Week, respectively, for the second week of action in the 2022 regular season.

Ignoffo, whose Nighthawks sit at 5-6, had a monster week for Upper Valley. In six games, the Illinois native hit five home runs, the most by any player during the second week of the season, homering in four consecutive contests. Ignoffo had fifteen RBIs, the most in the league this week by a wide margin, in twenty-four at bats. He batted .292 with seven hits and four walks while scoring seven runs.

Most of the Nighthawks infielder's production came in the last game of the week during a 19-8 win over North Adams on June 19. In six at bats, Ignoffo had two hits, an astonishing nine RBIs, two home runs and three runs scored. His nine runs batted in against the SteepleCats were the most in a game by any NECBL player so far this season. For the season, Ignoffo is batting .250 with nine hits, sixteen RBIs, eight runs scored and five walks.

During his junior season with Eastern Illinois, Ignoffo batted .395 with seventy-three hits, fifty-eight RBIs, thirty-nine runs and fourteen homers in 185 at bats.

Sears made one start, and two appearances, pitching a total of nine innings during the week. Against Ocean State on June 18, the Rhode Island native earned the win after going seven innings, giving up only two hits and one earned run while striking out twelve batters. His twelve punch outs were the most in a start by any pitcher this season. The LHP also appeared for two innings against Bristol on June 14, giving up no hits, walks or runs while striking out three Waves.

For the week, Sears had the second most strikeouts with fifteen, had a 1.00 ERA and walked only one batter. On the season, the left-hander is 1-0 with a 2.76 ERA, a sub-one WHIP and twenty strikeouts in thirteen innings of work.

In his sophomore year with Rhode Island College, Sears went 8-1 and had a low 2.29 ERA. He struck out ninety-six batters and gave up only fifty-six hits in just under seventy-five innings.

Week 2 Honor Roll - Position Players

Colton Ledbetter (Newport, OF, Samford), Samuel Kulasingam (Newport, 1B/3B, United States Air Force Academy), Joshua Kuroda-Grauer (Newport, IF/OF, Rutgers), Ryan Galanie (North Adams, 3B/IF, Wofford), Brady Day (Winnipesaukee, SS/3B, Kansas St)

Week 2 Honor Roll - Pitchers

Will Hearn (North Adams, LHP, San Francisco), Ronaldo Gallo (Marthas Vineyard, RHP, Miami (U of)), Cooper Smith (North Shore, LHP, Stetson), Kevin Seitter (Newport, RHP, Quinnipiac), Peter Phillips (Bristol, RHP, Southern Connecticut St)

Previous POTW Winners

Week 1 - Ben Williamson (Vermont, 3B, William & Mary) and Jake Gigliotti (North Shore, RHP, Northeastern)

The New England Collegiate Baseball League is a wooden bat college summer league that fields teams in all six New England states. Partially funded by Major League Baseball, the New England League started play in 1994 and has sent over 150 alumni to the Major Leagues with nearly 30 alumni taken in the first round of the MLB Draft. For continuing coverage of the NECBL, visit NECBL.com and follow the league on Twitter, Instagram and on Facebook.

¬ÅSteepleCats were the most in a game by any NECBL player so far this season. For the season, Ignoffo is batting .250 with nine hits, sixteen RBIs, eight runs scored and five walks.