NECBL Players of the Week for June 27th

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. – Three weeks have already passed in the 2016 New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL) season, and the last seven days saw a plethora of fantastic performances on the diamond across the region; however, Upper Valley outfielder Joseph Denison (Troy) stood out enough to make history as the franchise’s first-ever NECBL Player of the Week, while fellow Northern Division mate Keene saw its own weekly recognition with right-hander Michael LaBeau (Castleton State) taking home NECBL Pitcher of the Week honors, the league announced Monday.

The weekly recognition is the first for either franchise this season, and as previously mentioned, the first in the brief-but-promising history of the Nighthawks, who finished with three wins last week and are within three games of division leader Keene in a jam-packed North. Denison was on top or at the top of just about every major offensive category, while LaBeau shined in four relief outings, leading the league in saves to help secure all three of the Swamp Bats’ victories last week.

For the third straight week, separation between the league’s top performers was not easy to discern; however, Denison’s numbers were impossible to ignore. The rising senior at Troy University led the league in batting average (.560), hits (14), doubles (5), triples (1) and RBIs (8); he also ranked second in runs scored (7), and home runs (2) while leading the league with an OPS of 1.687.

Denison now ranks second in the league’s batting title race with a .390 average on the summer (23-59); his 11 RBIs also rank tied for third in the league, while his 23 total hits are tops in the New England League. The Troy, Alabama, native had at least one hit in all of the six games he played in last week, finishing with multiple hits on four occasions, including a 5-for-5, four-RBI performance in a victory against Danbury on Sunday.

Another solid all-around week by the league’s pitchers led for another difficult decision, but LaBeau’s sensational effort out of the bullpen stood out above the rest. The right-hander made four relief appearances last week and did not allow a run in any of them; more importantly, he came into his last three games with no greater than a two-run lead and did not issue any walks while yielding just two hits across them. He came through with a pair of five-out saves before a traditional three-out save on Sundayto secure a third straight victory for the Swamp Bats. He fanned eight in only 5-1/3 innings, scattering three hits while yielding just one walk overall; his three saves led the league while his 0.75 WHIP was among the league’s best in that span, as well.

A Bellows Falls, Vermont, native and a rising senior at Castleton State, LaBeau has ascended to the top of the league’s race for best reliever; his six saves lead the NECBL, while he has fanned 18 (4^th/NECBL) with only two walks allowed. His 1.35 ERA ranks 10^th, and he has a 0.98 WHIP for the summer.

The NECBL congratulates both on their recognition.

Weekly Honor Roll

Kolby Follis (Danbury/Florida Int’l) – Ranked second in the league with 10 total hits while finishing with two doubles, three RBIs and a 5-for-5 showing on the base paths; also scored six runs.

Alex Hanson (Upper Valley/St. Petersburg) – Was among the league’s top-five in terms of batting average (.435) while finishing tied for second with 10 total hits; also drilled three doubles, drew five walks and scored seven runs while driving in another three.

Zach Jancarski (Sanford/Maryland) – One of the league’s top speed threats, went an extremely impressive 8-for-8 on the bases while adding five hits in 17 at-bats (.294) with four runs scored and two doubles.

Ryan Nelson (Danbury/Quinnipiac) – Last week’s home run leader drilled three over the wall and finished with six hits overall (.316 average); also scored four runs, added two doubles, and drove in five more runs.

Grant Williams (Ocean State/Kennesaw State) – Had an excellent week offensively, finishing with a .556 average that ranked second in the league thanks to 10 hits in 18 at-bats; also added four doubles, six runs scored and a pair of stolen bases.

Robert Hitt (Ocean State/Quinnipiac) – His only blemish in two relief outings – both of which ended in saves – was a single walk allowed, otherwise did not allow anything in that span to lock up two more Ocean State victories.

Jorge Jimenez (Winnipesaukee/La Salle) – Another outstanding reliever amidst the league’s pitchres last week; finished with eight strikeouts over six innings in three separate outings with only one unearned run allowed on two hits and a walk.

Denis Lyman (Winnipesaukee/Bridgeport) – His 11 strikeouts were the most in the league last week, and he also tossed one of the league’s two complete game victory of the week; overall, went 1-0 with a 1.50 ERA and only one walk allowed over 12 innings.

Samuel Nepiarsky (New Bedford/Connecticut) – He tossed the other complete game victory, scattering six hits over nine innings of one-run ball with no walks allowed and six strikeouts.

Ryan Testani (Danbury/Seton Hall) – Was the league’s only two-game winner on the mound last week, doing so over the course of three separate outings (one start) with eight strikeouts and one earned run allowed in that span (0.82 ERA) while only issuing two walks.