The New England Collegiate Baseball League announced its year-end awards recently, and I was overwhelmingly disappointed to see just one Mountaineer on the All-NECBL First and Second Teams, and no Vermont representation in the miscellaneous categories either.
But, I do have to say, the one guy chosen was perhaps the easiest choice of all: All-NECBL First Team closer Kyle Grana. Grana made 19 appearances for Vermont this summer and led the team with 11 saves (the next closest save total was two by Spencer Jackson). Grana pitched 21.1 innings, allowed just 9 hits, 4 runs (3 earned), 4 walks, 28 strikeouts with 1-1 record and a regular-season ERA of a mere 1.27. His stout presence alone was intimidating, and then when he fired toward home? Yikes.
Grana was one of three Mountaineers who were named NECBL All-Stars for the late-season all-star game. Greg Bachman and Matt Whitehouse were also honored, and I feel at least Bachman should have been on an All-NECBL team somewhere. The guy was Vermont's most consistent hitter - and a supreme clutch hitter. He led the team in hits with 30, doubles with 10 and triples with 3. And as is typically the case with a big hitter, he also led the team in strikeouts with 28, but, he was always swinging.
Other leaders include:
Batting average: Jeff Cammans, .294
Home runs: Rob Kelly, 4
RBI: Kelly, 17
Runs scored: Kelly, 19: Cammans, 18; Brett Johnson, 17
Hits: Bachman 20, Cammans 29, Kelly/Rob Griffith 25
Doubles: Bachman 10, Johnson 8
Triples: Bachman 3, Tyler Young/Cammans/Johnny Mishu 2
Walks: Brian O'Grady 27, Michsu 23
Hit by pitches: Cammans 7, Young 4
Strikeouts: Bachman 28, Rolando Gautier/Derek Jones 27
Vermont thre 16 pitchers in 2011, and four of those 16 started seven games each - Fred Shepard, Ryan Fasano, Troy Scribner and Cody Ege. Whitehouse started six games, JD Leckenby started five and Anthony Marzi started three.
The Mountaineers finished in third in the Western Division with a 26-16 record. They went 7-3 in their last 10 games and was just two games out of first place in their division.
Vermont set a new NECBL single-season stolen base record of 118, smashing the previous record of 110 set by Central Mass. in 1997. Brian O'Grady set a new team record with 25, eclipsing Beau McMillan's record of 22 set in 2003.
It has also been reported that Jason Falcon, who was set to replace John Russo as manager, will in fact not return, citing a conflict with his position with the Clark University baseball program. There has been no official word yet as to who will coach the Mountaineers in 2012. Vermont will host the 2012 NECBL All-Star Game as part of a season-long celebration of its 10th anniversary.
-Anna Grearson
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