Collins, Haines Lead 2012 NECBL Post Season Awards
August 16, 2012-Commissioner Mario Tiani proudly announced the NECBL’s 2012 Post-Season Awards today. Laconia 3B Danny Collins won the Rick Ligi MVP while Vermont Mountaineer LHP Alex Haines claimed the Robin Roberts Pitcher of the Year and the League’s Top Prospect citation.
Both players narrowly missed Triple Crowns. Collins won the League’s home run title going away, slamming an NECBL record 19. He also hit .390 (second best in the NECBL) while driving in 37, good for sixth in the League. The redshirt sophomore from Troy set NECBL records in total bases, homers, extra base hits and slugging percentage (.818) in his monster summer.
Haines, a 6’4” sophomore from Seton Hall, posted the best ERA (0.90) and highest strikeout mark in the NECBL. Haines fanned 54 and walked just six in 40 innings. With one more win, Haines would have claimed the League’s pitching Triple Crown. His five victories were second best in the NECBL.
Two more NECBL graduates took home multiple pieces of hardware. Newport catcher Jeff Melillo hit .404 to claim the batting title. Melillo, a Johnny Bench award finalist at Rutgers, also set a new NECBL on base percentage record with a .548 clip. Melillo won the League’s Most Improved Player in addition to the batting crown.
Vermont OF John Mishu had a fine season, hitting .319 with 12 steals. Two weeks after winning the All-Star Game MVP in front of his home crowd in Montpelier, Mishu took home the 2012 NECBL Sportsmanship Award, given to players who demonstrate excellence in on and off the field values.
Rick Miller, a long time Red Sox and Angels outfielder who also coached for several years at Colby-Sawyer College, won the Manager of the Year award. He guided the New Bedford Bay Sox to a 25-17 mark, good enough for second place in the Eastern Division and third best overall mark in the NECBL. New Bedford advanced to the conference finals before falling to eventual League champion Newport.
The first and second All-League team, as well as the 2012 Award winners, are listed below:
Top Pro Prospect- Alex Haines-Vermont Mountaineers-Seton Hill
MVP- Danny Collins-Laconia Muskrats-Troy
Top Pitcher-Alex Haines-Vermont Mountaineers-Seton Hill
Top Relief Pitcher- Peter Kelich- Newport Gulls-Bryant
10th Player- Grant Kay- Keene Swamp Bats-Iowa Western
Defensive Player of the Year- Peyton Hart- New Bedford Bay Sox- Kennesaw State University
Rookie of the Year- Yale Rosen- Newport Gulls- Washington State
Most Improved Player- Jeff Melillo-Newport Gulls-Rutgers
Batting Champion-Jeff Melillo-Newport Gulls-Rutgers
Sportsmanship Award- John Mishu-Vermont Mountaineers-Princeton
Manager of the Year- Rick Miller- New Bedford Bay Sox
Umpire of the Year- Bruce James
2012 NECBL First Team
Catcher-Jeff Melillo-Newport Gulls-Rutgers University
1st Base-Rob Kelly-Vermont Mountaineers-St. Anselm College
2nd Base-Grant Kay-Keene Swamp Bats-Iowa Western CC
Shortstop-Zach Shank-Danbury Westerners-Marist College
3rd Base-Danny Collins-Laconia Muskrats-Troy University
Designated Hitter-Paul McConkey-Holyoke Blue Sox-University of Kentucky
Outfield-Jeff Roy-North Adams SteepleCats-University of Rhode Island
Outfield-Yale Rosen-Newport Gulls-Washington State University
Outfield-Dylan DelaCruz-Keene Swamp Bats-Central Connecticut State University
Pitcher-Alex Haines-Vermont Mountaineers-Seton Hall University
Pitcher-Dan Wright-Newport Gulls-Arkansas State University
Pitcher-Brian Derner-New Bedford Bay Sox-George Washington University
Closer-Peter Kelich-Newport Gulls-Bryant University
2012 NECBL Second Team
Catcher-Frankie Schwindel-Keene Swamp Bats-St. John's Univertsity
1st Base-Alex Black-New Bedford Bay Sox-Columbia University
2nd Base-Will Leathers-Laconia Muskrats-Elon University
Shortstop-Cole Peragine-Vermont Mountaineers-Stony Brook University
3rd Base-Zach Stone-New Bedford Bay Sox-Millersville University
Designated Hitter-Andrew Garner-Danbury Westerners-Tulane University
Outfield-Jordan Hagel-Sanford Mainers-University of Maryland
Outfield-John Mishu-Vermont Mountaineers-Princeton University
Outfield-JP Sportman-Keene Swamp Bats-Central Connecticut State University
Pitcher-Brett Houseal-Danbury Westerners-Marist College
Pitcher-Matt Longfield-North Adams SteepleCats-Villanova University
Pitcher-Kevin McAvoy-Keene Swamp Bats-Bryant University
Closer-Tom Bammann-North Adams SteepleCats-Dowling College
