Mainers, Gulls Battle for the Fay Vincent Sr. Cup Championship
August 6, 2024 - New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL) News Release
North Adams, MA - After a thrilling quad of first round series and pair of semifinals matchups, the 2024 Fay Vincent Sr. Cup Championship Series is set for the 30th season of the New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL). Here is everything you need to know about the two teams and this season's matchup.
NECBL Championship Schedule
The Newport Gulls, (27-16, Coastal Division Winner) will host the #4 Sanford Mainers (26-18, #1 Wild Card) in game one of the Championship Series at Cardines Field on Wednesday, August 7 at 6:30 PM. Game two will be Thursday night at Goodall Park in Sanford at 6:30 PM and if necessary, game three will return to Cardines Field on Friday at 6:30 PM.
The Matchup - Sanford vs Newport
In the regular season, the two teams shared victories at home against one another, with the Gulls winning 8-6 at home on June 24 and the Mainers winning at home 8-5 on July 20. In their first meeting, Dixon Williams (ECU) led the Gulls to the win going 2-for-3 with two RBI. In their second meeting, Devan Bade (Binghamton), Matt Miceli (Stony Brook) and Jared Davis (Florida Southwestern State) all drove in two runs to defeat the Gulls.
How They Got Here
The Gulls came into the postseason as the defending league champions, fresh off their seventh title in team history and first since 2014. The Gulls drew the No. 7 Valley Blue Sox in the first round, falling into an 8-2 hole early in game one. However, the Gulls did not back down and scored eight unanswered runs to defeat the Blue Sox, 10-8. After waiting an extra day to play game two, once again the Blue Sox did not go quietly, forcing the game into extra innings tied at 4-4.The Gulls took a 6-4 lead in the 10th, only to see the Blue Sox tie it 6-6. In the 11th, the Gulls scored four to ice the series, winning game two 10-6 to advance.
In the semifinals, the Gulls matched up with the No. 3 Bristol Blues in a rematch of the 2023 Fay Vincent Sr. Cup Championship. The Gulls took care of business in game one at Cardines Field, scoring 12 runs on their way to a convincing 12-5 win over the Blues. Niko Brini (Wofford) drove in three runs while Williams and Jack Doyle (Northeastern) also drove in two runs to power the Gulls past the Blues.
In game two at Muzzy Field in Bristol, the Blues fought for their playoff lives, keeping it close with the Gulls. Dean Ferrara (Fairfield) carried the Blues' offense going 2-for-5 with three huge RBI to stay within range of the win. However, Nolan Stevens (Mississippi State) responded to Ferrara's strong night at the dish with one of his own, going 2-for-4 and driving in three runs to push the Gulls over the hump and into the championship, winning game two by a slim margin, 7-6.
The Mainers faced some familiar foes on their way to the championship. The team matched up with their north division rival in the Keene SwampBats in the first round as the 4-5 matchup. The Mainers saw a lot of regular season success against the SwampBats, going 7-1 in eight games. The first round saw their success continue as they shut out the SwampBats in game one at Goodall Park, 6-0. Starter Connor Ball (Alabama) pitched a gem, throwing eight shutout innings allowing just four hits to earn the win. Raymond Velazquez (Vanderbilt) also drove in two runs in the game one win for the Mainers.
In game two, the Mainers jumped out to a 6-0 lead once again, as Colin Barczi (Vanderbilt) crushed a grand slam to ice the game early. The SwampBats did not go quietly as they cut the lead in half, but the Mainers defense shut the door on the chance of a comeback, sealing the sweep and winning game two, 6-3.
The Mainers then matched up with another north division rival, this time the top-seeded Vermont Mountaineers. The Mountaineers won the season series, 4-3, but the Mainers did not care about the past. In game one at Montpelier Sports Complex and Goodall Park, the Mainers crushed two home runs. Caleb Shpur (UConn) and Velazquez hit the Mainers' two home runs of the game, all before the game was suspended and pushed to Goodall Park in Sanford Monday night. There, the Mainers got the job done, shutting the door on game one, 7-4.
In Game Two, the two teams sat through another delay, this time rain, that lasted just over an hour. Immediately after the break, the Mountaineers took a 2-0 lead thanks to Andrew Mannelly (Wofford). However, the Mainers responded and tied the game 2-2 with a pair of RBI doubles from Velazquez and Barczi. With the game knotted at two in the bottom of the seventh, Shpur delivered the lead for the Mainers with an RBI double, then Barczi knocked in another, followed by Evin Sullivan (Binghamton) with an RBI single to put up a crooked number for the Mainers. The bullpen would seal the deal as the Mainers swept the top seeded Mountaineers, winning game two 5-3 to advance.
Championship History
The Gulls are the defending Fay Vincent Sr. Cup Champions and are looking for back-to-back titles. This would be the franchise's eighth championship. Meanwhile, the Mainers are in the series for the first time since 2016, looking for their first title since 2008 and their third overall.
Past NECBL Champions
2023 - Newport Gulls
2022 - Martha's Vineyard Sharks
2021 - Danbury Westerners
2020 - Season Canceled Due to Covid
2019 - Keene SwampBats
2018 - Valley Blue Sox
2017 - Valley Blue Sox
2016 - Mystic Schooners
2015 - Vermont Mountaineers
2014 - Newport Gulls
2013 - Keene SwampBats
2012 - Newport Gulls
2011 - Keene SwampBats
2010 - North Shore Navigators
2009 - Newport Gulls
2008 - Sanford Mainers
2007 - Vermont Mountaineers
2006 - Vermont Mountaineers
2005 - Newport Gulls
2004 - Sanford Mainers
2003 - Keene SwampBats
2002 - Newport Gulls
2001 - Newport Gulls
2000 - Keene SwampBats
1999 - Middletown Giants (Now North Shore Navigators)
1998 - Middletown Giants
1997 - Middletown Giants
1996 - Central Mass Collegians (Defunct)
1995 - Central Mass Collegians
1994 - Eastern Tides (Now Mystic Schooners)
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 230 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 Facebook.
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