SANFORD MAINERS 2025 YEAR IN REVIEW
Sticking in the north, the next edition of the 2025 NECBL Year in Review series focuses on the Sanford Mainers’ 2025 season.
The Mainers finished the 2025 regular season 22-22, second in the North Division. After knocking out the North Adams SteepleCats two games to one in the first round of the playoffs, they were swept by the future champion Keene Swamp Bats in the North Division Finals.
Sanford had an extensive list of All-NECBL and All-Star representatives. Seven Mainers made the all-star team. Catcher Ryan Kolben, third baseman Brendan Sencaj, and shortstop Trey King all started for the North Division, and pitchers Nic Melton and Tyler Longoria made the team’s bullpen while first baseman Brennan Hudson and outfielder Jack Toomey were reserves.
At the end of the season, pitcher Sam Mitchell was awarded NECBL first team honors, while second baseman Zach Kent and Sencaj made the second team. Reliever Drew Smith and Longoria were crowned NECBL honorable mentions.
In a season full of thrilling wins, a July 2 contest versus the North Adams SteepleCats took the cake as Sanford’s game of the year. In game one of a doubleheader at Goodall Park, both offenses exploded.
The Mainers managed to get on the board first, as catcher Domenico Tozzi crushed a two-out solo home run to put Sanford up 1-0.
North Adams managed to punch back at the top of the second. After a pair of hit batsmen, third baseman JT Thompson lined a two-run single to left to put the SteepleCats on top. The next batter, NECBL second team second baseman Culyer Baxter, hit his own RBI single to make it a 3-1 ballgame.
Sanford answered North Adams’ three-run frame with three runs of their own in the bottom of the second. First baseman Charlie Jones led off the inning with a walk, moved to third on a double, and scored on a wild pitch. Kent then hit a two-out RBI single, before Tozzi logged his second RBI and extra base hit of the day, scoring Kent on a double, putting Sanford ahead 4-3 through two innings.
The Mainers continued their offensive onslaught in the bottom of the third. Jones started the scoring with an RBI single. Then, with the bases loaded and two outs, Sencaj lined a single to left, which scored two more runs. Through three innings, the Mainers held a 7-3 lead.
However, the SteepleCats offense was far from finished. Three straight singles to open the fourth loaded the bases with nobody out. After a strikeout, Baxter continued the hit parade, scoring left fielder Billy Howard on an RBI single as the bases remained loaded. Corey Robinson then drew a walk, and Nolan DeAndrade hit a sac fly to cut Sanford’s lead to 7-6.
After a quiet fifth, the SteepleCats continued to click in the sixth. DeAndrade tied the game up at 7-7 with an RBI single, his second run driven in on the day. NECBL second teamer Nelphie Lopez followed up DeAndrade with his own RBI single, putting the SteepleCats ahead 8-7, their first lead of the ballgame.
After two quick outs in the bottom of the sixth, the Mainers battled, drawing back-to-back walks to bring Jones up with the tying run in scoring position. For the second time in the contest, Jones delivered, scoring third baseman Blake Schaaf on an RBI single. Sanford couldn’t muster any more scoring, but the damage had already been done. Headed to the seventh inning of this doubleheader, the game was tied 8-8.
Smith came on to keep the game tied in the top of the seventh and pitched a 1-2-3 frame, setting the Mainers to walk it off in the bottom half. Sanford loaded the bases on two singles and a walk, prompting the SteepleCats to call on Eli Bridenthal to clean up the mess on the bases. After recording a strikeout, the bases were loaded with two outs as Schaaf stepped to the plate. The Wake Forest representative came through, hitting a single to clinch a walk-off 9-8 Mainers win, his third hit of the day.
The SteepleCats and Mainers combined for 17 runs on 26 hits across just seven innings. Sencaj, Tozzi, and Schaaf all collected three hits en route to Sanford’s victory, while Smith was the winning pitcher for his scoreless ninth inning.
Stay tuned for the next iteration of the 2025 NECBL year in review series, releasing Tuesday, May 19.
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 240 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 X/Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.
