NORTH ADAMS, Mass. – With only one week left in the 2015 New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL) regular season, both Newport and Vermont lead their respective divisions, and two of their representatives led the way last week, as first baseman Max Beermann (Villanova) and righty Sean Leland (Louisville) have been named the NECBL Player and Pitcher of the Week, respectively, for their efforts over the penultimate week of the season.
The honor is Beermann’s first this summer and the third for Newport overall, with the Gulls’ previous two weekly honorees belonging to right-handed pitcher Michael Mertz. Vermont, meanwhile, lands its third top player distinction, as Leland joins Mertz as the only player to repeat as Pitcher of the Week this summer.
Beermann was nearly impossible to retire at the plate last week; the Villanova product led the league with 11 hits and also posted the league’s top batting average (.688) in only four games. He also scored a league-high eight runs and smashed two doubles, two homers and drove in seven runs on his own. Those efforts raised his season totals to 38 hits, a .292 average, 12 doubles, four home runs and 24 RBIs in 35 games.
Leland tossed a gem for the red-hot Mountaineers in a 3-0 road win at Keene on July 21; he finished with six strikeouts, two walks and only two hits allowed over 8-1/3 scoreless innings, as he made a bid for his first complete game of the summer. In 36-1/3 innings this season, Leland has fanned 40 while walking only seven. His 0.48 WHIP last week was one of the best among starting pitchers.
The NECBL congratulates both student-athletes on their recognition.
Weekly Honor Roll
Joey Abraham (Sanford/Vanderbilt) – Tied for the league lead with nine strikeouts in winning effort over six innings; also walked one and scattered three hits over six innings.
Michael Bono (Newport/Santa Clara) – In two separate relief outings, racked up eight strikeouts in only 5-1/3 innings while allowing just one run. Also finished 1-0 on the week.
Casey Brown (Vermont/CCSU) – Enjoyed a stellar outing of his own that rivaled Player of the Week Leland; fanned seven in 6-2/3 innings with a walk, four hits and no runs allowed.
Dylan Burdeaux (Ocean State/Southern Miss.) – Drove in league-high 10 runs while stealing league-high seven bases in seven games last week; also finished with nine hits, five runs and three homers.
Sam Delaplane (Vermont/Eastern Michigan) – Picked up two more saves and a win while tossing 3-2/3 scoreless innings over three separate outings. Struck out three, walked none and gave up only one hit in that span.
Sam Dexter (Sanford/Southern Maine) – Batted .476 with 10 hits, four runs, three doubles, a homer and five RBIs in five games.
Ryan Karl (Keene/Cornell) – Shared the league lead with three home runs, or half of his six total hits; also drove in six, scored four runs and smacked a double.
Perry Kulaga (Valley/Merrimack) – Remained in a tie for the league lead in wins (5) after going the distance in a five-hit, one-run complete game as part of a 2-1 win at Keene on July 23. Also fanned five with one walk during that outing.
Richard Slenker (Mystic/Yale) – Tallied 11 hits to share the league lead in that category; also scored eight runs (T-1st/NECBL), drove in five more and added a double and a home run while batting .500.
Deon Stafford (Laconia/St. Joseph’s) – Tied for the league lead with three home runs while also racking up three doubles, driving in six runs and scoring five more himself.
