For Immediate Release                                                                                                                  Contact: Chuck Paiva 

May, 2nd 2024                                                                                                                                President & General Manager

                                                                                                                                                      401-845-6832// gm@newportgulls.com

Newport, RI- The Newport Gulls’ 2024 season is powered by A1 Roofing’s Solar Division, and today’s solar signings feature two Freshman pitchers. Justin Sweeney(Rutgers) and Madden Clement (Virginia Tech) will come to the Ocean State after freshman seasons at two Division One powerhouses.

Justin Sweeney came to Rutgers after a phenomenal high school career for Egg Harbor Township High School. He was named to the 2022 Northeast All-Region First Team by Perfect Game after a junior year where he had a 2.40 ERA and recorded 75 of his 148 outs via the strikeout. This marvelous season led to him being named the #17 ranked prospect in all of New Jersey by Perfect Game.

Although injuries limited his senior season, he has had no issue getting right back to his best, joining his older brother Jordan on a team contending for a Big Ten title. A four-pitch righty, Sweeney has a fastball that sits comfortably in the low nineties, with three off-speed pitches to catch batters off guard, including a slider with significant movement that hovers in the mid-70s. Most recently, he closed out a Scarlet Knights win versus St. John’s with a perfect 9th inning.

Down in Virginia, first-year starter Madden Clement has made an instant impact for a Hokies team that has spent a large portion of the season ranked despite returning no starters from their 2023 team. In eleven appearances (five starts), Clement has recorded a 2-0 record. He has struck out 22 batters in 19.1 innings while only walking nine batters. In his most recent performance, he earned the win against North Carolina A&T going 5.1 innings striking out seven and not allowing a run.

Before coming to college, Clement was a 1st team all-conference pitcher at Butler Regional High School in Pennsylvania where he played alongside his brother. For Clement, baseball has always been something that ran in the family, as his father Matt was an MLB pitcher, winning a World Series with the 2007 Red Sox. Clement has exceptional control of his breaking stuff, with an advanced feel for a freshman pitcher.

Both young pitchers have put up impressive first-year campaigns and we can’t wait to see them help the Gulls on their way to Fay Vincent Sr. Cup #8. Keep a lookout for more Solar Signings as A1 Roofing continues to power the Gulls throughout the off-season and into their title defense this summer.