Delaplane Is NECBL’s Top Relief Pitcher of 2015
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. – After establishing himself as the league’s best late-inning bullpen arm, Vermont right-hander Sam Delaplane (Eastern Michigan) has been named the 2015 New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL) Top Relief Pitcher, as announced on Tuesday.
A key member of the 2015 league champion Mountaineers, Delaplane finished with a league-high 10 saves at the end of the regular season and two wins in relief. In 17 appearances, he posted a 3.29 ERA with an astonishing 41 strikeouts over 27-1/3 innings. He walked only seven in that span and kept opponents to a .170 batting average against and a 0.880 WHIP.
“Sam was our go-to guy late in the games and he had the ability to step up as a closer and go two innings, if need, be to save the game,” Vermont general manager Brian Gallagher mentioned. “He always arrived to the park early to get his running in and worked hard all season.
In the playoffs, Delaplane finished with two more saves and two strikeouts over three innings. He locked down the saves for both wins in the North Division Finals against North Adams, which Vermont won in three games.
“When we lost a lot of pitchers down the stretch, Sam stepped up and had to come into more games and he came through without any complaining about it. He was a great teammate and wanted to win and lead by example!”
A rising junior at Eastern Michigan, Delaplane returns to campus looking to build upon a sterling summer and a stellar sophomore campaign. Last spring, he went 5-3 in 22 relief appearances and one start, striking out 48 over 40 innings while posting a 2.93 ERA.
2015 NECBL End-of-Year Awards
Top Relief Pitcher – Sam Delaplane (Vermont)
Best Defensive Player – Manny De Jesus (Valley)
Robin Roberts Top Starting Pitcher – Tim Viehoff (Laconia)
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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 NECBL started play in 1994 and has sent over 100 alumni to the Major Leagues. For continuing coverage of the NECBL, visit NECBL.com and follow the league on Twitter and on Facebook.
