 |
||
|
|
||
Gulls Coaching Staff to Return in 2007
Newport, RI – The Newport Gulls, a member of the New England Collegiate Baseball League, is pleased to announce the return of their Head Coach Mike Coombs and Assistant Coach Scott Virgulak for the 2007 season.
Coach Coombs has had great success at the helm of the Newport Gulls since taking over the team as the field manager in 2005. Coach Coombs guided the 2005 club to the New England Collegiate Baseball League Championship by winning the Fay Vincent Sr. Cup. His club won 10 straight games to finish the regular season and sweep the playoffs. Coach Coombs returned to lead the Gulls in 2006 and that club broke the league record for wins in the regular season with 32. Coombs was awarded the NECBL 2006 Coach of the Year Award for his outstanding season as the field manager and was named the manager of the Southern Division in the 2006 All-Star Game played in Keene, NH. In two seasons with the Gulls, Coombs has an incredible combined win-loss record of 65-29.
Coach Virgulak returns as Coombs top assistant and will continue his role as the Pitching Coach and Third Base Coach. Coach Virgulak’s 2006 pitching staff almost won the Triple Crown of pitching leading the NECBL in wins, ERA and finished second in strikeouts. Virgulak, a native of Rhode Island also served as the field manager for the North Adams Steeple Cats in 2005. He is currently an Assistant Coach at Rhode Island College.
The new member of the 2007 coaching staff is Assistant Coach Rey Fuentes from Barry University in Miami, Florida. Coach Fuentes is a dedicated member of the baseball program at Barry, entering his 5th year as a member of the coaching staff at Barry after a successful 4 years as a player. Fuentes will primarily work with the outfielders and hitters with the Gulls while manning the first base coaching box.
“We are very fortunate to have Coach Coombs and Coach Virgulak return to manage our club in 2007. They bring experience, commitment and success, a winning combination to our team. The players will benefit greatly by their leadership on and off the field,” says Chuck Paiva, General Manager. “Chris Patsos and I are also excited about our new assistant Rey Fuentes. We both feel he will be a great addition to an already strong staff.”
The Gulls begin the 2007 campaign on June 8, 2007 against the Danbury Westerners at Cardines Field in Newport, RI. For more information, please go to www.newportgulls.com.