For Immediate Release                                                                                                                  Contact: Chuck Paiva 

May, 10th 2024                                                                                                                                President & General Manager

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

NEWPORT, R.I. – A deep Newport Gulls pitching staff for this upcoming summer includes two newcomers with plenty of upside. Kinkade Clark (Mississippi State) and Drew DeLucia (Franklin Pierce) are both underclassmen joining the Gulls and set to make an impact for Newport this summer.

Drew DeLucia is currently in his sophomore season for Division 2 Franklin Pierce. Before starting his collegiate career with the Ravens, the Medway, Massachusetts native played his high school ball at Catholic Memorial. The talented right handed pitcher can be used as both a starter and out of the bullpen. Last year in his freshman campaign with Franklin Pierce, DeLucia started four games and made 12 other appearances as a reliever. In over 50 innings of work, he recorded 60 strikeouts and just 17 walks. He also closed out a few games, recording two saves.

This season as a sophomore for the Ravens, DeLucia has been consistently relied upon once again, more so as a starter. The righty has made eight appearances this spring with five of those being starts. In 23 ⅔ innings, he has posted 21 strikeouts. DeLucia’s most impressive performance of the season came in a start against Bentley on March 30th. In a 15-0 demolition, the Massachusetts native went 8 ⅓ scoreless innings in which he didn’t walk a batter, tallied 11 strikeouts and only allowed two hits.

Kinkade Clark is another young pitcher with a lot of potential coming to Newport this summer. The Brandon, Mississippi native decided to stay in-state and play for Mississippi State collegiately. Clark is only in his freshman season with the Bulldogs but has already made a couple of appearances on the mound this spring. The right handed pitcher made his debut on February 29th against Mount St. Mary’s and struck out two batters without allowing a hit in one inning out of the bullpen. 

While he is one of the younger players on the Gulls roster this summer, the Mississippi native has been playing at a high level for several years now. Clark played at Brandon High School before heading to Mississippi State. With Brandon High, he played varsity all four years and led his team to a South State Championship. Clark was an All-State selection in 2022 as well and was selected to Mississippi baseball’s Dandy Dozen, an honor given to the 12 top baseball recruits in the state. His impressive career at Brandon High was highlighted by a perfect game he threw.

DeLcuia and Clark are both skilled right handed pitchers who have the ability to make an impact as starters and in relief. That is something Newport can lean on throughout the season on its quest to defend their title. Stay tuned for more Solar Signings as A1 Roofing continues to power the Gulls throughout the off-season and into the summer.