For Immediate Release:

Newport, RI – The NECBL announced that five Newport Gulls players will be representing the East Division and head to Lynn, Massachusetts for the 2023 NECBL All-Star game on July 23rd. 

Santhosh Gottam (Brown University) will be the game’s starting pitcher. Kevin Seitter (Quinnipiac University) and Jake Hunter (East Carolina University) will be all-star pitcher reserves. On the offensive side, Tyler Hare (Georgia Tech) will be one of three outfield all-stars and Matthew Schark (University of Southern Illinois) will be a reserve. 

Gottam has been one of the best pitchers in the entire NECBL this season. He currently leads all pitchers with a .62 ERA and is 3-0 with 28 strikeouts and four walks in 29 innings pitched. A workhorse for the Bears of Brown, the Texas native led the team in innings pitched this past season. Gottam has done it all for the Gulls this summer, shutting down opposing bats whether he comes out of the pen or gets the start.

An all-star in 2022 with the Gulls, Seitter has proved to be one of the league’s best once again after a second straight all-star selection. Seitter is currently tied for 6th in the league with an ERA of 1.32, 3rd in the league with 34 innings pitched, 1st with five wins and 3rd with 40 strikeouts. Kevin Seitter brought a plethora of experience to the Gulls this season after having thrown over 190 innings at Quinnipiac in four seasons. Seitter has brought that same energy to Newport as he has been the Friday night starter at Cardines and has worked at least five innings in all six of his starts.

Hunter has been a force on the mound this season for the Gulls. He has made five overall appearances, four of which were starts, and has compiled an ERA of .90. He has 28 strikeouts and nine walks in 20 innings pitched this year. Over his first four appearances, he did not allow a run in 18 total innings. The rising junior arrived in Newport this summer after a strong season for East Carolina University where he posted a 4.71 ERA across 42 innings pitched. Hunter worked almost exclusively out of the bullpen, making 22 appearances and starting four games. 

Hare currently leads the team with a .297 batting average and is tied for the team lead in home runs with five. His six doubles are also tied for the team lead. Hare splits last summer between Alpharetta of the Sunbelt League and Madison of the Northwoods League, hitting just under .300 between the two summer ball stops. Hare has been a cornerstone of the Gulls offense in 2023 and will be looking to continue his dominance at the plate over the next two weeks of the NECBL season.

Schark has quickly become a fan favorite at Cardines Field as he is tied for the team lead with five home runs and is first on the team with 18 RBIs. He also has an average of .288 on the season and is hitting .333 in the month of July. Schark, a rising senior, spent this past season at Southern Illinois University after playing two seasons at Jefferson College. Schark consistently hit in the middle of the lineup, ranking near the top of the team in all major offensive rankings. Schark's bat exploded on July 14th against the Ocean State Waves, with two home runs and four runs batted in.