Six Mainers Set for Round Two in Sanford
Published on March 18, 2019 under New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL)
Sanford Mainers News Release
SANFORD - Six players from last year's roster are set to return to southern Maine to improve on last year's playoff success and make another run at the Fay Vincent Cup.
Pitchers Ryan Twitchell (URI), Mike Vasturia (Maryland), Patrick Webler (Southern CT State), and Darren Williams (Eastern Kentucky) will make their way back to Sanford this summer along with corner infielder Brandon Lankford (UNC-Asheville) and outfielder Shane Marshall (Binghamton) with the hopes of building upon strong 2018 campaigns and winning the third NECBL title in Mainers history.
Having spent the first two seasons of his college career recovering from injury, Vasturia shook off the rust during the spring in College Park to explode onto the scene in the NECBL.
In his first summer in Sanford, Vasturia was a stalwart in the Mainers bullpen. Over his 13 appearances with the Moose, he logged 16.1 innings, compiling an impressive 1.69 ERA with a 2-0 record and a save, while striking out seven batters and only walking two. Opposing batters hit a paltry .200 against Vasturia in 2018. He was the most used pitcher of the four returners, and he'll hope to pull from his NECBL experience to shut down Big Ten bats before his second go-around in Maine.
Eyeing their returns to the starting rotation are Twitchell and Williams.
In his previous stint in Sanford, the Cumberland, Maine product Twitchell pitched in nine games making five starts, accumulating a 2-4 record over his 28.2 innings pitched with a 4.08 ERA, while whiffing 23 batters and allowing just six walks. He tossed the most innings and started the most games last season of any returning pitcher, and his two wins were good for second place on the entire ball club.
Williams was a force on the mound for the Mainers last season, pitching 26 innings with a 3.12 ERA over nine appearances, including three starts, with a 1-1 record and a save, striking out 28 hitters and walking eight. During the playoffs, he started game two of the Northern Division Championship Series against the Valley Blue Sox. Williams' 28 strikeouts were third most on the team in 2018 and are the most of any returning pitcher.
Webler was a late arrival to the Mainers last season, having become eligible on July 26th and only making one appearance during the regular season, tossing one scoreless inning. This time around, the Bridgton Academy graduate will look to make his mark on the mound with a full season in 2019.
Meanwhile, on the offensive side of the ball, Lankford and Marshall will look to build upon their familiarity with NECBL pitching to make some noise at the plate.
After following his UNC-Asheville teammate Carmine Pagano to southern Maine last year, Lankford will be the lone Bulldog heading to Sanford in 2019. Lankford joined the Mainers last year coming off a productive sophomore year where he batted .266 with eight home runs and 26 RBIs and 47 hits. He carried that productivity into the summer by batting .242 with a home run and 10 RBIs, but his biggest offensive contribution came through his patience. His 20 walks ranked second on the team in 2018.
Marshall was an on-base machine last season as his .336 OBP was good for fifth on the team amongst qualified hitters. He finished the 2018 NECBL season with a .266 batting average, the third best on the team. Marshall recorded 34 hits, 33 of which were singles, adding 13 RBIs and 12 walks in 39 games.
When asked about their reasons for returning to Sanford for a second season, the players cited the support of the Mainers Nation as the biggest factor.
"The first reason I wanted to come back to Sanford was because of the fans," Marshall said. "The way the community gets behind the team and shows support at every game is like no other experience."
"Starting that playoff game last year was an awesome experience," Williams added. "The Mainer faithful really get into our games and it makes for a really fun summer."
Coming in close second to the fan support in the minds of the players was the NECBL's high quality of play and the chance to continue improving their game against some of the nation's elite collegiate talent.
"I decided to come back to Sanford because of the great competition in the NECBL," Webler said. "I get the opportunity to compete against some of the best players in the country. I'm really excited for another summer up north!"
For Twitchell, his reasons are a lot more sentimental. The Maine native relished the chance to return to the Mainers to compete for the team which represents his home state.
"I had a great experience with the team last year," Twitchell said. "I loved going to Goodall Park every day to play. I love playing for the state where I grew up and representing Maine."
The Sanford Mainers season schedule is now available online at www.sanfordmainers.com. For more information, please contact us at (207) 324-0010 or via email at broose@metrocast.net.
New England Collegiate Baseball League Stories from March 18, 2019
- Six Mainers Set for Round Two in Sanford - Sanford Mainers
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