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Williams, Ball, Oshinskie Named 2024 NECBL Batting Champion, Top Starter and Relief Pitcher

August 14, 2024 - New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL) News Release

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. - The New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL) is proud to announce the recipients of three 2024 regular season awards; The 2024 NECBL Batting Champ, the Robin Roberts Starter of the Year, and the Joe Nathan Reliever of the Year.

2024 NECBL Batting Champion

Dixon Williams (Newport Gulls, ECU)

The Batting Champion is the player with the highest batting average throughout the regular season.

Williams was an instrumental piece in the Gulls' run to the Fay Vincent Sr. Cup Championship. In the regular season, Williams almost broke the .400 clip, hitting an astounding .390 in 30 games played. Williams recorded 39 hits in 100 at-bats, hitting four home runs and driving in 33 runs, good for a tie for second in the league. Williams was also named to the East Division roster for the 2024 NECBL All-Star Game.

Williams helped the Gulls earn the second seed in the NECBL Playoffs, clinching the Coastal Division. Williams slashed .320 in the playoffs, hitting a crucial home run in game three of the Championship Series, driving in 10 runs throughout the playoffs and ultimately hitting the walk-off RBI single in extra innings to clinch back-to-back championships for the Gulls.

Williams' best game of the season came on July 10 against Ocean State, where he went a perfect 3-for-3 at the plate, driving in a run and also drawing a walk to reach base safely four times. Williams also had 11 games during the regular season where he drove in multiple runs, including a 4-RBI night against the Waves.

Robin Roberts Top Starting Pitcher

Connor Ball (Sanford Mainers, Alabama)

The Robin Roberts Starter of the Year is given to the best overall starter during the regular season.

Ball was the dominant ace of the Mainers' pitching staff in 2024, appearing in eight games and starting in seven. The southpaw posted a lights-out ERA of 1.89 during the regular season, finishing with a 3-0 record, pitching 38 innings and striking out 31 batters.

Ball helped the Mainers finish the season winning 11 out of 12 and clinching the #4 seed in the playoffs. In the playoffs, Ball tossed 15 shutout innings across two starts, allowing just eight hits and helping the Mainers reach the Fay Vincent Sr. Cup Championship series for the first time since 2016.

Ball's best start of the season came on opening night against the Vermont Mountaineers, where he tossed six shutout innings and allowed just three hits to earn the win, setting the tone for the rest of the season for the Mainers. Ball was selected as one of the starting pitchers to play in the 2024 NECBL All-Star Game.

Joe Nathan Top Reliever

Ryan Oshinskie (Bristol Blues, Brown)

The Joe Nathan Reliever of the Year award goes to the top reliever during the regular season.

Oshinskie was the backbone to a solid Blues bullpen in 2024. The righty pitched in 15 games for the Blues, posting a stout 0.92 ERA in 19.2 innings of work, striking out 28 batters and allowing just 10 hits. Oshinskie was one of the top relievers on the west division roster at the 2024 NECBL All-Star Game at his home field in Bristol.

The reliever helped the Blues secure the west division crown, clinching the #3 seed in the playoffs. There, they swept the #6 Mystic Schooners in the first round and met the #2 Newport Gulls in the semifinals for a rematch of the 2023 Fay Vincent Sr. Cup Championship. Oshinskie made one appearance for the Blues in the 2024 playoffs, tossing 3.1 shutout innings with three strikeouts.

Oshinskie's best outing of the season came on July 9 against the Danbury Westerners, where he tossed two perfect innings and struck out three batters to earn the win. Oshinskie also recorded a perfect outing on July 18 against the Valley Blue Sox, striking out all three batters he faced.

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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