The Coastal Division of the NECBL was very successful last year, as 3 of the five teams made the postseason in 2022. The Newport Gulls were division winners, but Martha’s Vineyard came out of the Wild Card round without a loss on their way to hoisting the Fay Vincent Sr Cup as NECBL champions. 

Martha’s Vineyard Sharks

After a strong 2022 campaign, The Martha’s Vineyard Sharks will be coming into this season as the defending champions. Last season, they finished second in the division with a 29-15 record and were awarded the 4-seed in the playoffs. The Sharks went on to steamroll the rest of the competition in the postseason, going 5-0 to win the title. Along the way, they defeated fellow Coastal Wild Card team Mystic and then swept Bristol and Vermont, teams that had both set the league record for wins in a season. 

This year’s Sharks will look quite different, as only three players are returning from the championship team. Pitcher Jack Beauchesne of Northeastern, catcher Matthew Maloney of Dayton, and outfielder Aiden Tierney of Mount St. Mary's will be coming back in search of another title. The Sharks will also have a new manager this season as Billy Uberti, the current head coach at Lasell University, has been promoted to Martha’s Vineyard manager.

Mystic Schooners

The Mystic Schooners are coming off a third-place finish in 2022 with a 23-21 record. They played their way into the postseason as the 5-seed, but lost in the first round to the eventual champion Sharks. The Schooners are looking for more this year in a strong Coastal Division.

This year’s squad will have a new look, with only three players returning for another season. Pitcher Rian Schwede of Endicott, fresh off an NCAA Division 3 World Series appearance, and outfielder Michael Bello of Auburn will be making a return to Mystic. Pitcher Bowen Baker of Fairfield, who was a standout with Schooners last year with a 1.72 ERA in 14 games, will also be in the NECBL again this summer.

Newport Gulls

The Gulls had a great season in 2022, taking first place in the division with a 30-14 record. They had a win streak of 8 games at the end of June and scored an average of 6.6 runs per game. With that, they earned the 3-seed in the playoffs, but they fell to the Sanford Mainers in the one-game Wild Card playoff round and fell short in their search for a league-best seventh title.

This season, Newport will have a lot of familiar faces returning from 2022 as they look to hoist the Fay Vincent Sr. Cup for the first time since 2014. Michigan State infielder Trent Farquhar and catcher Bryan Broecker will come back for more, along with infielder Slate Alford of Mississippi State and outfielder Kolton Freeman of Dartmouth. Manager Frank Holbrook will be returning for his second season as well.

North Shore Navigators

The Navigators will look to turn their fortunes around after a tough last-place finish in the Coastal, as they finished at 13-31. After reaching the final in 2021, the Navs are looking to get back to their winning ways in 2023, and the future is bright. 

Outfielders Stan DeMartinis III of Bentley, Jack McElroy of Holy Cross, and pitcher Cooper Smith of Stetson will return to North Shore in 2023. The Navigators will have experience at the helm in Bob Macaluso, as he will be entering his third season as manager. 

The Navigators will also welcome the league’s best on Sunday, July 23rd when they host the NECBL All-Star Game, presented by Metro Credit Union, at Fraser Field in Lynn, Massachusetts.

Ocean State Waves

The Waves hovered around .500 in 2022 and finished with a 21-23 record, good for fourth place in the division. With a new team in 2023, the Waves will look to be competitive and replicate their success in recent years after reaching the final in both 2017 and 2018.

With the hopes of bringing the Cup to the Ocean State for the first time ever, four players from 2022 will be coming back for another season. Outfielders Khyree Miller of the College of Charleston and Jake Studley of UConn, infielder Drew Holderbach of Rice, and Jack Erbeck of Fairfield will highlight this year’s roster. 

In 2023, the Coastal Division looks quite competitive, and the race for the division title and wild card spots will be one to watch throughout the summer.