NEWS

NORTH ADAMS, MA  – The New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL) is proud to announce the recipients of three 2025 regular season awards: Rick Ligi Most Valuable Player, Stephen Strasburg Top Pro Prospect and Rookie of the Year. The NECBL awards are all voted on by managers across the league after the regular season and announced at the end of the postseason.

 

2025 Rick Ligi Most Valuable Player: Jack Herring (Keene SwampBats, OF, ECU)

 

The Rick Ligi Most Valuable Player award goes to the player who consistently demonstrates hard work, effort, and dedication both on the field and in the batter’s box, resulting in key plays that contribute to their team's success.

 

Herring had a tremendous season for the Keene SwampBats, helping them to an impressive 32-12 record; the best in the NECBL. He was named an all-star and took home the honors of All-Star Game MVP, following Team North’s 3-1 win. Herring was key to the SwampBats' offensive onslaught all season long. The outfielder led the team in runs (33), hits (47), doubles (8), RBIs (33), and walks (31), while finishing second in home runs (8). His .322 batting average was second on the SwampBats, and his .985 OPS ranked first among his teammates.

 

Herring played 20 games in the outfield, where he maintained a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage.  With the other half of his games being in the DH role, Herring posted 35 putouts and 2 assists, including a double play, with no errors all season.

 

Herring joins his current East Carolina teammate and 2024 Rick Ligi Most Valuable Player, Dixon Williams, in winning the award for the 2025 season. This is the first MVP Keene has had since Brandon Smith in 2018, and the sixth time a SwampBat has received the honors.
 

2025 Stephen Strasburg Top Pro Prospect: Leighton Harris (Newport Gulls, LHP, Kentucky)

 

The Stephen Strasburg Top Pro Prospect award goes to a player who seemingly is the most prepared to take the jump towards the big leagues; a player who showcases and can come up in big moments for their team.

 

Harris had a fantastic campaign for the Newport Gulls and was instrumental in the team’s winning season. He was strong all summer long, earning an all-star nod and pitching a scoreless inning during the game. With seven starts made in the regular season, Harris did his job every time out on the mound. He allowed just two earned runs over 24 innings of work, both of which came in just one outing. Harris continued to show elite command of his pitches, finishing the regular season with just seven walks issued compared to 31 strikeouts. 

 

Harris continued the streak of Gulls to be selected for this award, as he makes it four years in a row that a player has won the award for Newport. Harris showed off his value as a potential MLB draft prospect by putting his game on display all summer.  

 

The 2025 Stephen Strasburg Top Pro Prospect ended his season with three shutout innings and a win for Newport in their decisive game three of the first round.  That win was Harris’s first of the season and moved the Gulls onto the next round. His regular-season dominance saw his ERA finish at 0.75 (lowest among Newport pitchers with 10+ innings), WHIP finish at 1.00, and opponents batted just .193 against him.

 

2025 Rookie of the Year: Matthew Bolton (Newport Gulls, OF, Binghamton)

 

The Rookie of the Year Award goes to the best rookie throughout the season, someone who proved to be a vital piece of the team’s roster. 

 

Bolton was named to the North Team’s roster at the 2025 NECBL All-Star Game for good reason. The outfielder was third on the team in batting average (.311) in 39 games played during the campaign. Bolton was second on his team with six bombs on the season, and he led the NECBL in RBIs (34) and runs scored (34). Bolton was tied for third in hits (47) amongst the league, was third in total bases (76), and came in second with 16 extra base hits, only behind his fellow Gull, Michael Gupton, who led the league with 18. 

 

The 2025 Rookie of the Year helped Newport to a 29-15 record and earned them the number one spot in the South Division. The Gulls had their season ended in the South Division Finals by the Martha’s Vineyard Sharks, ending their quest for a three-peat. Instead, Bolton, along with his teammate Harris, both took home league honors for Newport.

 

The NECBL congratulates Jack Herring, Leighton Harris and Matthew Bolton on their great season and all they have accomplished!

 

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The New England Collegiate Baseball League is a wooden bat college summer league that fields teams in all six New England states. Partially funded by Major League Baseball, the New England League started play in 1994 and has sent over 230 alumni to the Major Leagues with nearly 30 alumni taken in the first round of the MLB Draft. For continuing coverage of the NECBL, visit NECBL.com and follow the league on Twitter, Instagram and on Facebook