NORTH ADAMS, Mass. – Ocean State outfielder Joe Simone (Rider) and Vermont right-handed pitcher Ryan Murphy (Le Moyne) have been named the New England Collegiate Baseball League’s (NECBL) Player and Pitcher of the Week, respectively, for the penultimate award of the regular season.
Simone raked at the dish last week while factoring into all four Ocean State victories in that span. His .706 batting average led all New England League players last week, as he finished with 12 hits in 17 at-bats. He also was among the league leaders with eight runs scored while adding two doubles and two RBIs. He did not strike out at all in that span but did help his cause with two walks.
He started his scorching-hot week with a 4-for-5, three-run, two-RBI showing win a 14-10 over Mystic before adding another hit a day later in a rivalry win at Newport. He then closed out the week with a 3-for-4, two-run performance in a home win against North Adams before rounding it off with a 4-for-5, two-run ledger in a one-run win at Keene.
The Wayne, New Jersey, product is now batting .364 through 28 games this summer with a 36-for-99 ledger at the dish. He also has scored 21 runs while driving in 10 and has added six doubles. Simone owns a .364/.432/.424 slash line for an impressive .856 OPS. He started in all 53 games for Rider as a junior this past spring while hitting .227 with 24 RBIs and 32 runs scored.
Named an NECBL All-Star yesterday, Murphy dazzled in his sixth start of the summer on July 16, which helped the Mountaineers pick up a rivalry win over Keene, 10-2, to keep pace in a wild North Division playoff race. He went six scoreless innings while striking out seven, walking one and scattering four hits to earn his fourth quality start (and fourth win) of the summer.
He lowered his WHIP to 1.20 after that outing while seeing his ERA fall to a still-impressive 1.54 (second-lowest in the league). He is up to 37 strikeouts in 35 innings (9.51 K/9). Opponents are hitting just .233 against him.
Murphy is a rising junior at Le Moyne College, where he owns a 3.34 career ERA in 26 games (25 starts) and has struck out 179 batters over 180-plus innings over two years.
Week 6 Honor Roll – Position Players
Orlando Adams (Sanford, C/LF, Kentucky), Terry Bowens (Mystic, 1B/OF, Central Connecticut), Tatem Levins (Winnipesaukee, C/1B, La Salle), Matthew Koperniak (North Adams, IF, Trinity), Connor Tate (Sanford, OF/1B, Georgia)
Week 6 Honor Roll – Pitchers
Taylor Arruda (New Bedford, RHP, UMass Boston), Nicholas DeGennaro (Vermont, RHP, Stony Brook), Jackson Svete (Valley, RHP, LIU), Jake Walker (Ocean State, LHP, Rhode Island), Corley Woods (Upper Valley, RHP, Jacksonville State)
