The NECBL held their All-Star game on Sunday evening with the Eastern Division winning a 2-1 contest as each pitcher tossed an inning while most batters got two at-bats. Here are some of the players that stuck out for me on the day. I usually can’t make a good read on hitters by seeing them only one or two times so this usually will focus on the pitchers.
Kyle Wilcox (Bryant)- The rising sophomore 6’3 180 pound righty pitched a scoreless eighth inning for the Eastern Division. He had an interesting freshman campaign with the Bulldogs as he didn’t record a decision with a 6.23 ERA in 13 innings pitched. This summer though has been totally different. He has been outstanding for the Newport Gulls going 1-0 with six saves and 0.57 ERA in 13 appearances totaling 15.2 innings pitched. He has struck out 23 batters with six walks. In the All-Star Game, he showed a 97 MPH fastball which had the scouts buzzing and was by far the most impressive as he was blowing away batters as he recorded a strikeout in the inning and other batters were having issues catching up to him.
Scott Squier (Hawaii)- The rising junior 6’6 lefty out of Hawaii and originally from Phoenix, Arizona had a solid sophomore year even though he didn’t get a win on the year. He went 0-6 with a 3.44 ERA in eleven appearances including 8 starts. He was suspended in early May from the baseball squad for a violation of team rules. This summer, he is 3-4 with a 2.88 ERA in eight starts totaling 53 innings pitched while striking out 55 batters. In the All-Star Game, he pitched a perfect inning while sporting the best breaking ball in the game. He was ranging between 90-92 MPH in the game.
Patrick Delano (Vanderbilt)- The rising sophomore has all the tools to be an elite pitcher at the Division 1 level checking in at 6’5 and a big 275 pounds. He did not appear in any games for the Commodores as he was redshirted for the season. He has had a solid summer in the NECBL going 2-0 with an ERA of 3.21 for the Vermont Mountaineers as he has been working out of the bullpen for all of his eight appearances for 14 innings. In the All-Star game, he pitched a scoreless inning allowing a hit. He was between 89-92 MPH but has the ability to throw harder. I believe he still isn’t 100 percent after undergoing Tommy John surgery in the summer of 2010 and needs to get his arm strength up and could become a workhorse for the Commodores if he gets into excellent shape by dropping 15-20 pounds.
Sean Hartnett (Washington State)- The rising junior checks in at 6’5 and 232 pounds as he has been marginal during his first two years with the Cougars. As a freshman in 2012, he appeared in 16 games including two starts totaling 21.1 innings pitched while going 0-1 with a 5.40 ERA. This past season, he appeared in 2-2 record with a 4.24 ERA in 19 appearances (1 start) and tossing 40.1 innings. This summer he has been pitching with the Newport Gulls working in 10 games (two starts) while going 2-1 with an ERA of 1.30 in 27.2 innings pitched. He has struck out 31 batters while walking five. In the All-Star Game, he pitched a perfect inning while showing a fastball between 91-92. His biggest issue is he is out of shape and could add 2-3 MPH to his fastball with some commitment on his end to become stronger in the weight room.
Nathan Kirby (Virginia)- The soon to be sophomore checks in at 6’2 and 185 where he was 4-1 with a 6.06 in 24 appearances including two starts during his freshman campaign. His biggest issue this past season was the fact he didn’t miss many bats as hitters had a .316 average against him. Kirby has been pitching this summer with the Keene Swamp Bats where he is 2-0 with a 2.01 ERA in seven games (six starts). Kirby was the strongest LHP in the All-Star Game as he pitched a scoreless inning allowing two hits but showed a fastball that was between 93-95 and showed he can be a factor for the Cavs rotation next season.
