By Don Leypoldt

Headlined by three NCBWA All-Americans and arguably the best pitcher in Division II, NECBL graduates collected a slew of pre-season honors, just before the 2013 college baseball season began on February 15^th.

Stanford senior RHP Mark Appel, a 2010 Newport Gull and the eighth pick of the 2012 Major League Draft, earned a first team All-American nod from the NCBWA.  Rhode Island OF Jeff Roy and Cornell P Kellen Urbon were selected to the third team.  Roy and Urbon played for last season’s North Adams SteepleCats and Vermont Mountaineers respectively.   

Appel and junior LHP Alex Haines were also ranked as the top draft prospects in their Division.  MLB.com’s Jonathan Mayo tabbed Appel as the top prospect in the 2013 Draft during his most recent rankings.  Haines, the 2012 NECBL Pitcher of the Year, was hailed by Baseball America as the top prospect in Division II.

In another validation of the high caliber of the NECBL, seven of College Baseball Daily’s top 100 pre-season players came through the New England League.  Members include Haines, Roy and 2012 NECBL MVP and single season home run record holder Danny Collins.

A partial list of alumni and their pre-season awards are presented below.  All statistics are from the 2012 spring. 

2013 NCWBA Pre-Season All- American Team

1^st- RHP Mark Appel, senior, Stanford, 2010 Newport.  Went 10-2 with a 2.56 ERA and 130 strikeouts in 123 innings

2^nd- RHP Tyler Skulina, junior, Kent State, 2011 Keene.  Had a 3.77 ERA and 106 strikeouts in 18 starts

3^rd- OF Jeff Roy, junior, Rhode Island, 2012 North Adams.  Hit .356 with 22 steals.  Scored 59 runs in 59 games

3^rd- P Kellen Urbon, sophomore, Cornell, 2012 Vermont.  Went 3-1 with a 0.47 ERA and nine saves

2013 Louisville Slugger/Collegiate Baseball Newspaper Pre-Season All-America Team

FIRST-TEAM PRESEASON ALL-AMERICA

RHP Mark Appel, Stanford/ 2010 Newport

SECOND-TEAM PRESEASON ALL-AMERICA

RHP Tyler Skulina, Kent St./ 2011 Keene

1B Conrad Gregor, Vanderbilt/ 2012 Newport

THIRD-TEAM PRESEASON ALL-AMERICA

Relief Dan Slania, Notre Dame/ 2011 North Shore

3B Eric Jagielo, Notre Dame/ 2011 North Shore

College Sports Madness Pre-Season All-American Teams

1^st- P Mark Appel/ Stanford/ 2010 Newport (Preseason Pitcher of the Year)

3^rd- INF Conrad Gregor/ Vanderbilt/ 2012 Newport

4^th- OF Jeff Roy/Rhode Island/2012 North Adams

4^th- INF Trey Mancini/Notre Dame/ 2011 Holyoke

2013 ABCA Pre-Season All East Region- Division II

1^st- Nick LaCroix, SR OF, Franklin Pierce, 2011 Sanford .355/14 2B/ 44 RBI/ 23 steals

1^st- Rob Kelly, SR, 1B, St. Anselm, 2012 Vermont  .310/10/51

College Baseball Daily’s Top 100 Pre-Season Players

(Note: College Baseball Daily had only published #37 to #100 as of press time)

42^nd- Tyler Horan/OF/Virginia Tech/ 2011 Danbury

51^st- Conrad Gregor/1B/Vanderbilt/ 2012 Newport

63rd- Jeff Roy/OF/Rhode Island/ 2012 North Adams

78^th- Tyler Skulina/RHP/Kent State/2011 Keene

79^th- Tom Bourdon/OF/Boston College/ 2011 Old Orchard Beach

83^rd- Danny Collins/3B/Troy/ 2012 Laconia

85^th- Jeff Thompson/RHP/Louisville/ 2011 Keene (pictured above)

100^th- Alex Haines/LHP/Seton Hill/ 2012 Vermont

MLB.Com’s Top 50 Prospects- 2013 Draft

1- Mark Appel/RHP/Stanford/ 2010 Newport

49- Eric Jagielo/OF/Notre Dame/ 2011 North Shore

Baseball America’s Top Prospect- Division II

1- Alex Haines/LHP/Seton Hill/ 2012 Vermont

NCBWA Stopper of the Year Watch List

This award is given to the top closer in college baseball.  Keene Swamp Bat Josh Fields won it in 2008 for Georgia

Scott Firth, Clemson Sr/ 2011 Keene

John Gorman, Boston College Soph/ 2012 Sanford

Dan Slania, Notre Dame Jr/ 2011 North Shore

Tim Swatek, Fordham, Jr/ 2012 Laconia

Kellen Urbon, Cornell, Soph/ 2012 Vermont

First Team Pre-Season All-Conference Teams: Coaches’ Vote

Big East

P          Jon Prosinski, Sr., Seton Hall, 2012 Newport   9-3, 3.52 ERA, 94.2 IP, 73 K, 19 BB, .288 OBA (Prosinski is the Pre-Season Pitcher of the Year)

P          Jeff Thompson, Jr., Louisville, 2011 Keene 9-4, 4.00 ERA, 78.2 IP, 73 K, 38 BB, .263 OBA

RP       Dan Slania, Jr., Notre Dame, 2011 North Shore 3-0, 2.03 ERA, 12 SV, 31.0 IP, 37 K, 12 BB

C          Jeff Melillo, Sr., Rutgers, 2011-12 Newport, .311, 4 HR, 30 RBI

1B       Trey Mancini, Jr., Notre Dame, 2011 Holyoke,  .317, 12 HR, 45 RBI

3B       Eric Jagielo, Jr., Notre Dame, 2011 North Shore, .310, 13 HR, 43 RBI

CAA

3B       Ryan Lindemuth, Jr. William & Mary, 2012 Mystic (.376, 5 HR, 48 RBI)

OF       Aaron Barbosa, Jr. Northeastern, 2012 Vermont (.352, 20 RBI, 14 SB)

Conference USA

SS        Jack Reinheimer, Jr, East Carolina, 2011 Newport

OF       Brandon Boudreaux, Sr, Tulane, 2010 Danbury

MAAC

2B       Nick Camastro, Manhattan, 2012 Laconia

SS        Zach Shenk, Marist, 2012 Danbury

UTIL    Joel Klock, Niagara, 2012 Holyoke

Missouri Valley

OF       Robby Ort, Sr, Indiana St, 2011-12 Newport

Patriot

2B       Kevin Casey, Sr, Lafayette, 2011 Mystic

Sun Belt

OF       Danny Collins, Jr, Troy, 2012 Laconia

College Sports Madness Conference Pre-Season Player/Pitcher of the Year

P Mark Appel, Stanford        Pac-12            2010 Newport           Pitcher of Year

P Kyle Mullen, St. Joseph’s   A-10                2012 Laconia             Pitcher of Year

IF Mike Fransoso, Maine      America East  2010 Bristol               Player of Year

RHP Tyler Skulina, Kent St   MAC                2011 Keene               Pitcher of Year

INF J P Sportman, CCSU        NEC                 2012 Keene               Player of Year

P Peter Kelich, Bryant           NEC                 2012 Newport           Pitcher of Year

College Sports Madness First Team All-Conference

OF Thomas Bourdon, Boston College        ACC                 2011 Old Orchard Beach

P Kyle Mullen, St. Joseph’s                           A-10                2012 Laconia

OF Jeff Roy, Rhode Island                            A-10                2012 North Adams

IF Mike Fransoso, Maine                              America East  2010 Bristol

IF Cole Peragine, Stony Brook                     America East  2012 Vermont

P Jon Prosinski, Seton Hall                           Big East          2012 Newport

IF Trey Mancini, Notre Dame                      Big East          2011 Holyoke

OF Eric Jagielo, Notre Dame                                    Big East          2011 North Shore

IF Ryan Lindemuth, William & Mary           CAA                 2012 Mystic

OF Aaron Barbosa, Northeastern               CAA                 2012 Vermont

OF Brandon Boudreaux, Tulane                 Conf USA        2010 Danbury

P Tripp Davis, NJIT                                       Great West     2011-12 Sanford

P Kellon Urban, Cornell                                Ivy                   2012 Vermont

INF Alex Black, Columbia                             Ivy                   2012 New Bedford

RHP Tyler Skulina,                                        MAC                2011 Keene

P Joel Klock, Niagara                                     MAAC              2012 Holyoke

OF Jake Berry, Marist                                   MAAC              2011 New Bedford

IF Nick Camastro, Manhattan                      MAAC              2012 Laconia

P John Soldinger, Manhattan                       MAAC              2011 Mystic

IF Mike Orefice, Marist                                 MAAC              2012 Danbury

OF Rob Ort, Indiana St                                  Miss. Valley     2011-12 Newport

INF J P Sportman, CCSU                                NEC                 2012 Keene

P Peter Kelich, Bryant                                   NEC                 2012 Newport

P Kevin McAvoy, Bryant                               NEC                 2012 Keene

IF Jake Gronsky, Monmouth                                    NEC                 2011-12 Danbury

OF Dylan de la Cruz, CCSU                           NEC                 2012 Keene

P Mark Appel, Stanford                                Pac-12                       2010 Newport

INF Conrad Gregor, Vanderbilt                   SEC                  2012 Newport