NECBL Alumni Reel in Pre-Season Accolades
By Don Leypoldt
Headlined by three NCBWA All-Americans and arguably the best pitcher in Division II, NECBL graduates collected a slew of pre-season honors, just before the 2013 college baseball season began on February 15th.
Stanford senior RHP Mark Appel, a 2010 Newport Gull and the eighth pick of the 2012 Major League Draft, earned a first team All-American nod from the NCBWA. Rhode Island OF Jeff Roy and Cornell P Kellen Urbon were selected to the third team. Roy and Urbon played for last season’s North Adams SteepleCats and Vermont Mountaineers respectively.
Appel and junior LHP Alex Haines were also ranked as the top draft prospects in their Division. MLB.com’s Jonathan Mayo tabbed Appel as the top prospect in the 2013 Draft during his most recent rankings. Haines, the 2012 NECBL Pitcher of the Year, was hailed by Baseball America as the top prospect in Division II.
In another validation of the high caliber of the NECBL, seven of College Baseball Daily’s top 100 pre-season players came through the New England League. Members include Haines, Roy and 2012 NECBL MVP and single season home run record holder Danny Collins.
A partial list of alumni and their pre-season awards are presented below. All statistics are from the 2012 spring.
2013 NCWBA Pre-Season All- American Team
1st- RHP Mark Appel, senior, Stanford, 2010 Newport. Went 10-2 with a 2.56 ERA and 130 strikeouts in 123 innings
2nd- RHP Tyler Skulina, junior, Kent State, 2011 Keene. Had a 3.77 ERA and 106 strikeouts in 18 starts
3rd- OF Jeff Roy, junior, Rhode Island, 2012 North Adams. Hit .356 with 22 steals. Scored 59 runs in 59 games
3rd- P Kellen Urbon, sophomore, Cornell, 2012 Vermont. Went 3-1 with a 0.47 ERA and nine saves
2013 Louisville Slugger/Collegiate Baseball Newspaper Pre-Season All-America Team
FIRST-TEAM PRESEASON ALL-AMERICA
RHP Mark Appel, Stanford/ 2010 Newport
SECOND-TEAM PRESEASON ALL-AMERICA
RHP Tyler Skulina, Kent St./ 2011 Keene
1B Conrad Gregor, Vanderbilt/ 2012 Newport
THIRD-TEAM PRESEASON ALL-AMERICA
Relief Dan Slania, Notre Dame/ 2011 North Shore
3B Eric Jagielo, Notre Dame/ 2011 North Shore
College Sports Madness Pre-Season All-American Teams
1st- P Mark Appel/ Stanford/ 2010 Newport (Preseason Pitcher of the Year)
3rd- INF Conrad Gregor/ Vanderbilt/ 2012 Newport
4th- OF Jeff Roy/Rhode Island/2012 North Adams
4th- INF Trey Mancini/Notre Dame/ 2011 Holyoke
2013 ABCA Pre-Season All East Region- Division II
1st- Nick LaCroix, SR OF, Franklin Pierce, 2011 Sanford .355/14 2B/ 44 RBI/ 23 steals
1st- Rob Kelly, SR, 1B, St. Anselm, 2012 Vermont .310/10/51
College Baseball Daily’s Top 100 Pre-Season Players
(Note: College Baseball Daily had only published #37 to #100 as of press time)
42nd- Tyler Horan/OF/Virginia Tech/ 2011 Danbury
51st- Conrad Gregor/1B/Vanderbilt/ 2012 Newport
63rd- Jeff Roy/OF/Rhode Island/ 2012 North Adams
78th- Tyler Skulina/RHP/Kent State/2011 Keene
79th- Tom Bourdon/OF/Boston College/ 2011 Old Orchard Beach
83rd- Danny Collins/3B/Troy/ 2012 Laconia
85th- Jeff Thompson/RHP/Louisville/ 2011 Keene (pictured above)
100th- Alex Haines/LHP/Seton Hill/ 2012 Vermont
MLB.Com’s Top 50 Prospects- 2013 Draft
1- Mark Appel/RHP/Stanford/ 2010 Newport
49- Eric Jagielo/OF/Notre Dame/ 2011 North Shore
Baseball America’s Top Prospect- Division II
1- Alex Haines/LHP/Seton Hill/ 2012 Vermont
NCBWA Stopper of the Year Watch List
This award is given to the top closer in college baseball. Keene Swamp Bat Josh Fields won it in 2008 for Georgia
Scott Firth, Clemson Sr/ 2011 Keene
John Gorman, Boston College Soph/ 2012 Sanford
Dan Slania, Notre Dame Jr/ 2011 North Shore
Tim Swatek, Fordham, Jr/ 2012 Laconia
Kellen Urbon, Cornell, Soph/ 2012 Vermont
First Team Pre-Season All-Conference Teams: Coaches’ Vote
Big East
P Jon Prosinski, Sr., Seton Hall, 2012 Newport 9-3, 3.52 ERA, 94.2 IP, 73 K, 19 BB, .288 OBA (Prosinski is the Pre-Season Pitcher of the Year)
P Jeff Thompson, Jr., Louisville, 2011 Keene 9-4, 4.00 ERA, 78.2 IP, 73 K, 38 BB, .263 OBA
RP Dan Slania, Jr., Notre Dame, 2011 North Shore 3-0, 2.03 ERA, 12 SV, 31.0 IP, 37 K, 12 BB
C Jeff Melillo, Sr., Rutgers, 2011-12 Newport, .311, 4 HR, 30 RBI
1B Trey Mancini, Jr., Notre Dame, 2011 Holyoke, .317, 12 HR, 45 RBI
3B Eric Jagielo, Jr., Notre Dame, 2011 North Shore, .310, 13 HR, 43 RBI
CAA
3B Ryan Lindemuth, Jr. William & Mary, 2012 Mystic (.376, 5 HR, 48 RBI)
OF Aaron Barbosa, Jr. Northeastern, 2012 Vermont (.352, 20 RBI, 14 SB)
Conference USA
SS Jack Reinheimer, Jr, East Carolina, 2011 Newport
OF Brandon Boudreaux, Sr, Tulane, 2010 Danbury
MAAC
2B Nick Camastro, Manhattan, 2012 Laconia
SS Zach Shenk, Marist, 2012 Danbury
UTIL Joel Klock, Niagara, 2012 Holyoke
Missouri Valley
OF Robby Ort, Sr, Indiana St, 2011-12 Newport
Patriot
2B Kevin Casey, Sr, Lafayette, 2011 Mystic
Sun Belt
OF Danny Collins, Jr, Troy, 2012 Laconia
College Sports Madness Conference Pre-Season Player/Pitcher of the Year
P Mark Appel, Stanford Pac-12 2010 Newport Pitcher of Year
P Kyle Mullen, St. Joseph’s A-10 2012 Laconia Pitcher of Year
IF Mike Fransoso, Maine America East 2010 Bristol Player of Year
RHP Tyler Skulina, Kent St MAC 2011 Keene Pitcher of Year
INF J P Sportman, CCSU NEC 2012 Keene Player of Year
P Peter Kelich, Bryant NEC 2012 Newport Pitcher of Year
College Sports Madness First Team All-Conference
OF Thomas Bourdon, Boston College ACC 2011 Old Orchard Beach
P Kyle Mullen, St. Joseph’s A-10 2012 Laconia
OF Jeff Roy, Rhode Island A-10 2012 North Adams
IF Mike Fransoso, Maine America East 2010 Bristol
IF Cole Peragine, Stony Brook America East 2012 Vermont
P Jon Prosinski, Seton Hall Big East 2012 Newport
IF Trey Mancini, Notre Dame Big East 2011 Holyoke
OF Eric Jagielo, Notre Dame Big East 2011 North Shore
IF Ryan Lindemuth, William & Mary CAA 2012 Mystic
OF Aaron Barbosa, Northeastern CAA 2012 Vermont
OF Brandon Boudreaux, Tulane Conf USA 2010 Danbury
P Tripp Davis, NJIT Great West 2011-12 Sanford
P Kellon Urban, Cornell Ivy 2012 Vermont
INF Alex Black, Columbia Ivy 2012 New Bedford
RHP Tyler Skulina, MAC 2011 Keene
P Joel Klock, Niagara MAAC 2012 Holyoke
OF Jake Berry, Marist MAAC 2011 New Bedford
IF Nick Camastro, Manhattan MAAC 2012 Laconia
P John Soldinger, Manhattan MAAC 2011 Mystic
IF Mike Orefice, Marist MAAC 2012 Danbury
OF Rob Ort, Indiana St Miss. Valley 2011-12 Newport
INF J P Sportman, CCSU NEC 2012 Keene
P Peter Kelich, Bryant NEC 2012 Newport
P Kevin McAvoy, Bryant NEC 2012 Keene
IF Jake Gronsky, Monmouth NEC 2011-12 Danbury
OF Dylan de la Cruz, CCSU NEC 2012 Keene
P Mark Appel, Stanford Pac-12 2010 Newport
INF Conrad Gregor, Vanderbilt SEC 2012 Newport
