NEWS

NEWPORT, RI- Left-Handed Picher Zach Fogell of Cumberland, R.I., and Outfielder Niko Brini of Plymouth, MA will join the Gulls after their season at UConn. Brini is just a freshman at UConn and Fogell is a college baseball veteran, but both future Gulls are currently playing their first season as UConn Huskies.

Zach Fogell transferred from Brown University heading into the 2022-2023 academic year.  He is a Graduate Student at UConn but has this year and one more year of eligibility as the Ivy League chose not to compete in 2021 after losing 2020 to the COVID-19 Pandemic. In his freshman year at Brown, the 2019 season, Fogell made 15 appearances with one start, ranking third on the team in overall appearances, and pitched a total of 21.0 innings. He finished the season strong, only allowing two earned runs in 9.1 innings of work throughout the final six games of the season. 

After a two-year hiatus, the LHP had a strong finish to his career at Brown making 12 appearances which included 10 starts in 2022. Fogell struck out 46 batters in his 39.0 innings of work. His highlights of the year included striking out six batters and allowing only one run on four hits through 6.0 innings against Columbia on 4/10/22, and striking out a career-high nine batters in 5.0 innings against Cornell on 5/8/22. 

Head Coach Jim Penders has not wasted any time using Fogell, he has thrown in 13 of the team’s 21 games which is the most appearances of any Huskie pitcher. Over these 13 games, he has thrown 11.1 innings, striking out 13 batters and allowing batters to hit just .227 against him over that time. 

Zach’s teammate, Niko Brini is a freshman outfielder for the Huskies. Originally from Plymouth, Massachusetts, Brini attended Boston College High School where he played three seasons and was recognized as a team captain and All-Star as a senior. Ranking as the state of Massachusetts' best outfielder (Perfect Game), Niko helped his summer ball team win the prestigious WWBA Championship. 

Niko gained attention from UConn when they sent scouts to watch the opposing team’s pitcher his freshman year. He stood out at the plate recording multiple hits and stolen bases. Brini later committed to UConn after that season. The outfielder is known for his speed, ability to get on base, and elite defense. The young Huskie recently recorded his first collegiate hit and stolen base on March 3rd against Florida Atlantic. In that game, he also had three putouts.

The Newport Gulls, members of the 13-team New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL), are a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, founded as the Rhode Island Gulls in 1998 in Cranston, R.I., before moving to Newport in 2001. In addition to recruiting, fielding, and developing a team of the nation’s top collegiate baseball athletes and attracting 50,000 fans annually to Cardines Field, the predominantly volunteer organization strives to benefit the community of Newport County via summer camps, reading programs, fundraisers, scholarships, and charitable donations – totaling over $1 million since 2001. The Gulls are six-time champions of the NECBL – the winningest franchise in league history – and were ranked as the overall No. 1 summer collegiate baseball team in the country by Perfect Game USA in 2012.

For more information about the Newport Gulls, visit facebook.com/newportgulls, follow the Gulls on Twitter @NewportGulls or visit www.newportgulls.com.