2012 PLAYERS/PITCHERS OF THE WEEK

PLAYER OF THE WEEK ending July 28th

Player: Anthony Hajjar

Team: Sanford

Year: Junior

Hometown: Brooklyn, NY

Position: INF

School: Fairfield University

Hajjar, a junior infielder from Fairfield, hit .500 with two doubles, a home run and eight RBI in six games.  He struck out just once in 24 plate appearances.  The Brooklyn native collected multi-hit games four times.

A one-time Freshman All-American and the MAAC Rookie of the Year, Hajjar hit .322 for the Stags this spring, leading the team in hits. 

PITCHER OF THE WEEK ending July 28th

Pitcher: Brian Derner

Team: New Bedford

Year: Junior

Hometown: Burke, VA

Position: LHP

School: George Washington University

Derner, who ranks second in the NECBL in ERA as of press time, threw a complete game six-inning rain shortened shutout against the first place Newport Gulls on July 28^th.  He yielded just three base runners, striking out eight.  Derner also earned the NECBL’s Pitcher of the Week for the period ending on June 30^th.

A junior from Burke, Virginia Derner logged 14 starts for George Washington this spring.  He was second on the Colonials in strikeouts and innings pitched.

PLAYER OF THE WEEK ending July 21st

Player: Grant Kay

Team: Keene

Year: Freshman

Hometown: Omaha, NE

Position: INF

School: Iowa Western CC

Kay, the West’s starting third baseman in July 22^nd’s All-Star Game, hit .550 for the week with three homers, three doubles and eight RBI.  He had an extra base hit and RBI in four of Keene’s five games this week, reaching base at least twice in all five contests.  Kay racked up a .640 on base percentage for the week. 

This spring, Kay hit .406 with 17 doubles and 34 RBI for an Iowa Western squad that finished the year at 62-6.  He was an All-State selection in his senior year of high school.

PITCHER OF THE WEEK ending July 21st

Pitcher: Steven Rice

Team: Sanford

Year: Sophomore

Hometown: Crawfordsville, IN

Position: LHP

School: Vanderbilt

Rice is the second straight reliever to claim the Pitcher of the Week.  He retired all 12 batters he faced in his two stints.  Rice threw a perfect inning July 16^th against New Bedford, and followed that with a “9 up, 9 down” three inning performance against Newport on July 21^st.  He struck out five Gulls, saving Sanford’s 2-1 win.

This spring, Rice appeared in 17 games for the Commodores, going 1-0 with a 3.38 ERA.  He struck out 21 in 21.1 innings. 

PLAYER OF THE WEEK ending July 14th

Player: Danny Collins

Team: Laconia

Year: Sophomore

Hometown: Niceville, FL

Position: 3B

School: Troy

Collins, who is the League’s average and home run leader, hit .450 and slugged 1.150 in five games.  He slammed three doubles, a triple and three homers while driving in eight.  More importantly, Collins’ homer in Laconia’s 13-4 win against Mystic on July 14^th tied the 14 year-old NECBL record held jointly by Gil Barkman and Aaron Fera.

The sophomore comes to Laconia after an outstanding spring for Troy.  An ABCA second team All-Region pick, Collins hit .318, slugged .562 and ranked in the top four in the Sun Belt Conference in doubles, homers, RBI and total bases.  Collins also won the NECBL’s Player of the Week for the period of June 9^th to June 15^th.

PITCHER OF THE WEEK ending July 14th

Pitcher: Matt Longfield

Team: North Adams

Year: Junior

Hometown: Miami, FL

Position: LHP

School: Villanova

The SteepleCats spell relief “L-O-N-G-F-I-E-L-D.”  Longfield appeared in four games out of the bullpen, facing 20 batters and striking out 10 of them.  In 5.1 innings of work, he didn’t walk a batter and surrendered just three hits and one run.  Longfield, a 6’5” lefty, earned the win on July 11^th at Holyoke with four strikeouts in 1.1 innings.

This spring, Longfield appeared in 17 games for Villanova, striking out 20 in 12.2 innings.

PLAYER OF THE WEEK ending July 7th

Player: Yale Rosen

Team: Newport

Year: Freshman

Hometown: Oak Harbor, WA

Position: OF

School: Washington State

In five Newport games, all wins, Rosen hit .500 while slamming three home runs, two doubles and driving in 11.  He homered and drove in four in Newport’s 16-8 win over North Adams on July 7^th.  The night before, he doubled and homered in the Gulls’ 12-3 victory against Danbury.  Rosen slugged over 1.000 while compiling an on base percentage of .583. 

This spring, the Oak Harbor, WA native appeared in 23 games for the Cougars.  He was perfect in his stolen base attempts and did not make an error.

PITCHER OF THE WEEK ending July 7th

Pitcher: Alex Haines

Team: Vermont

Year: Sophomore

Hometown: Greensburg, PA

Position: LHP

School: Seton Hill

Haines threw five shutout innings at Holyoke on July 3^rd where he allowed only three base runners and struck out six in earning the win.  He was lifted when Vermont had a 5-0 lead.  The 6’4” lefty is the current NECBL ERA leader, having yielded just one earned run in over 23 innings. 

The Greenburg, PA product won the WVIAC Conference Pitcher of the Year this spring, having led the WVIAC with 108 strikeouts in 70 innings.  Haines finished his school season with a 7-2 record in a team best 13 starts.

PLAYER OF THE WEEK ending June 30th

Player: Frank Schwindel

Team: Keene

Year: Sophomore

Hometown: Livingston, NJ

Position: C

School: St. John’s

Schwindel hit .526 with four homers, a double and six RBI during the week.  He did not strike out once in 20 plate appearances.  Schwindel closed the week by homering in three consecutive games starting on June 28^th, all of which were Keene wins.

This spring, the Livingston, NJ native hit .332 with four homers and 30 RBI.  He ranked in St. John’s top five in all three Triple Crown categories.

PITCHER OF THE WEEK ending June 30th

Pitcher: Brian Derner

Team: New Bedford

Year: Junior

Hometown: Alexandria, VA

Position: LHP

School: George Washington

Derner went on the road to Vermont and threw seven innings of shutout baseball on June 29^th.  He yielded just one hit and walked only two while striking out five in picking up the win.

The Alexandria, VA product made a dozen starts for George Washington this spring, second most on the team.  He threw one complete game and struck out 41 in 63 innings.

PLAYER OF THE WEEK ending June 23rd

Player: Jeramy Matos

Team: Mystic

Year: Junior

Hometown: Lake Worth, FL

Position: RF/DH

School: Central Florida

Matos hit .412 for the week, socking five homers and driving in eight.  He homered twice and drove in four in Mystic’s June 21^st 14-8 win over Laconia.  Matos closed the week on a four game hitting streak, during which he homered in three of those contests. A junior, Matos hit .281 and slugged .496 for Central Florida this season.  He drove in 20 runs and slammed 16 extra base hits.

PITCHERS OF THE WEEK ENDING JUNE 23RD

Pitcher: Kevin McAvoy

Team: Keene

Year: Freshman

Hometown: Syracuse, NY

Position: RHP

School: Bryant

Pitcher: Ryan Horstman

Team: Keene

Year: Freshman

Hometown: South Hadley, MA

Position: LHP

School: St. John’s

Pitcher: Tyler Gauthier

Team: Keene

Year: Sophomore

Hometown: Lynn, MA

Position: RHP

School: Southern New Hampshire

McAvoy, Horstman and Gauthier combined to throw a no-hitter against Danbury on June 19^th.  The trio struck out 12 in Keene’s 5-0 victory.  McAvoy started, striking out seven in 6.2 innings.  He was relieved by Horstmann, who fanned both of his Westerner outs.  Gauthier closed the no-no with 1.2 hitless innings, where he K’d three.

McAvoy was named the 2012 NEC Rookie of the Year after putting up a 2.94 ERA in 70.1 innings for Bryant.  The 6’5” Gauthier helped to lead Southern New Hampshire to the Division II College World Series.  He posted a 2.78 ERA in 18 appearances this spring.  Horstman is no stranger to these kinds of games, having tossed a one-hitter in the championship game to lead South Hadley High to its first Western Massachusetts title.

PLAYER OF THE WEEK ending June 16th

Player: Danny Collins

Team: Laconia

Year: Sophomore

Hometown: Niceville, FL

Position: 3B

School: Troy

Laconia third baseman Danny Collins and Holyoke pitcher Drew Duncan claimed the NECBL’s Player and Pitcher of the Week for the period ending on Saturday, June 16^th.

Collins hit a blistering .609 for the week, homering twice, hitting two doubles and driving in five runs.  After a two-hit game against Holyoke to start the week, Collins put together four consecutive three-hit games.  His homer and double played a big role in Laconia’s June 16^th win over previously unbeaten Newport.

PITCHER OF THE WEEK ending June 16th

Pitcher: Drew Duncan

Team: Holyoke

Year: Sophomore

Hometown: Kennesaw, GA

Position: RHP

School: Kennesaw State

It’s rare that a Pitcher of the Week emerges from a 6-5 win, but Duncan earned it in an extraordinary game.  Inserted in the fifth inning of a 5-5 contest against Laconia on June 10th, Duncan tossed 8.2 shutout innings where he fanned nine, walked none and allowed just three hits.  He earned the win in the 13^th inning.

This spring, Duncan posted a 2.53 ERA in six appearances for Kennesaw State.

PLAYER OF THE WEEK ending June 9th

Player: Conor Biggio

Team: North Adams

Year: Freshman

Hometown: Houston, TX

Position: LF

School: Notre Dame

Biggio hit .429 for the week, starting off the season by hitting for the cycle in North Adams’ Opening Night 6-0 win at Sanford and homering again two days later as the SteepleCats felled Danbury 4-2.  Biggio, a left handed hitting left fielder who just completed his freshman season at Notre Dame, plated four runs in North Adams’ first three games.

Thanks to Biggio’s offensive output, North Adams is undefeated and the first NECBL team to four wins.

This spring, Biggio had nine RBI and seven steals in 15 starts for the Fighting Irish.  At St. Thomas High School in Houston, Biggio helped lead his team to consecutive state titles.  Biggio’s father Craig is a seven-time All Star for the Houston Astros.

PITCHER OF THE WEEK ending June 9th

Pitcher: Nolan Snell

Team: Vermont

Year: Junior

Hometown: Albuquerque, NM

Position: RHP

School: Colorado Mesa

In Vermont’s 5-1 win over Holyoke, Snell threw six shutout innings, striking out seven and allowing just one hit and one walk.  It avenged Vermont’s 7-3 Opening Night loss to Holyoke two days before.

Snell also led his high school, La Cueva, to consecutive state titles.  During his junior year at Mesa State, Snell was a second team All-Region pick.  The righty went 9-1 with 105 walks in 14 starts.