NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Upper Valley infielder Max Viera (Northeastern) and Newport left-hander Kellan Tulio (Louisville) have been named the New England Collegiate Baseball League’s (NECBL) Player and Pitcher of the Week, respectively, for the fifth installment of the 2021 season.
Viera collected a league-leading nine hits over the last week, despite the New England rain allowing his Nighthawks team to play just three games, in 13 at-bats, good for a league-high .692 batting average. He kicked off the week with his first of three three-hit performances, batting 3-5 while scoring once and recording one RBI in a close loss in North Adams. The next day, Viera again went 3-4 at the plate in which he recorded his first extra-base hit of the summer, a double, to help lead his squad to a victory at home in a rivalry game versus Vermont. The infielder enjoyed another 3-4 day against Sanford, a ballgame in which he was just a double shy from achieving the cycle as Viera led his team to a close win with a triple and a solo home run to cap off his honorable week. Viera’s .692 batting average was .192 higher than the next-highest over the last seven days, and his four runs were tied for second-most across the league during Week 5 of the season. His 1.846 OPS placed sixth-best among all players this past week, as well.
Through 15 games, Viera is batting .339 with 7 RBI and 20 total hits in 59 at-bats. His 20 hits are tied for second-most in the NECBL since the beginning of the season. He has also crossed home plate eight times and has tallied two doubles plus a triple and a home run, and he touts a .839 OPS. A Greenwood Lake, New York, native, Viera is a rising sophomore at Northeastern.
On the bump, Tulio made his third start (fifth appearance) of the 2021 season for the Gulls on June 30 at home against Bristol and registered yet another masterful performance; he struck out nine batters through five scoreless innings and 19 batters faced while allowing just two walks and as many hits to lead Newport to an 8-0 shutout victory over the Blues while also picking up the win. Tulio lowered his season ERA down to a measly 1.42 and his WHIP to 1.21, and batters facing the lefty are hitting just .113 against him.
Now touting a 2-0 record on the summer through five outings, Tulio has recorded 19 innings of work and 24 strikeouts since the start of the season. An Emmaus, Pennsylvania, native, Tulio will enter his sophomore year at Louisville this fall.
Week 5 Honor Roll – Position PlayersSpencer Bramwell (Martha’s Vineyard), David Bryant (Keene), Travis Honeyman (Ocean State), Jeffrey Holtz (Vermont), Jared Payne (Keene)
Week 5 Honor Roll – PitchersKyle McKernan (Sanford), Joel Rodriguez (Keene), Tyler Schoff (Mystic), Enzo Stefanoni (Vermont), Brian Zeldin (North Adams)
