A1 Solar Signings
For Immediate Release Contact: Chuck Paiva
May, 17th 2024 President & General Manager
401-845-6832// gm@newportgulls.com
NEWPORT, RI – The Newport Gulls are powered by A1 Roofing’s Solar Division, and are excited to announce the signings of two Mississippi State athletes, Nolan Stevens and Jackson McKenzie.
Nolan Stevens is a two-time Perfect Game All-American who was heavily recruited out of Franklin High School. He was dominant on the mound his senior year going 5-0 while posting a 1.29 ERA with 62 total strikeouts. Stevens also impressed at the plate, hitting .360 with 40 hits, 35 runs, 23 RBIs, and four home runs. The 6-4, 210lb slugger was ranked the 69th high school player in the nation, and 2nd best first basemen in California last year.
In his Freshman season at Mississippi State, Stevens has seen time both on the mound and in the field. He has thrown over 25 innings and struck out over 25 batters. On the other side, his first multi hit game came on February 29th against Mount St. Mary’s. Stevens will head to Newport as a threat on the mound and at the plate.
Jackson McKenzie is another dominant force out of Mississippi State ranked a 9.5/10 prospect by Perfect Game coming out of Pace High School in Florida. As a pitcher, he had a perfect 7-0 record with a 1.64 ERA. He was a machine at the plate, batting .344 with 56 hits, 40 RBIs, and 11 home runs leading Pace High School to a state championship in 2022.
In his freshman season, McKenzie had his first career hit come in his first career start. He went 1-3 with a walk and scored a run against Air Force on 2/18. He also added his first hit in conference play against Georgia on April 7th. McKenzie's versatility will be vital for Newport this summer.
These sluggers are going to be must-see entertainment all summer long at historic Cardines Field. Stay tuned for more Solar Signings as A1 Roofing continues to power the Gulls throughout the off-season and into the summer.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
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 via summer camps, reading programs, fundraisers, scholarships, and charitable donations – totaling over $1 million since 2001. The Gulls are seven-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, stay tuned to Gulls Social Media and Website
###
