Written by Justin Ciavolella

Director of Broadcasting & Media

Photo Courtesy of Madison Giltner Photo

SANFORD, Maine - With the New England Collegiate Baseball League season in the rearview mirror and award season in full swing, the league announced on Wednesday afternoon that Sanford Mainers’ starting pitcher Connor Ball (Alabama) was voted as the Robin Roberts Top Starting Pitcher.

Ball was given the Opening Day nod for the Mainers back on Tuesday, June 4, and shut down the league’s best offense, the Vermont Mountaineers, over six innings of 3-hit baseball.

“Connor was the ace of our staff from Day 1 of the season up until his two dominant starts in his playoff outings,” Mainers’ manager Nic Lops said of Ball. “His confidence set him up for success this summer, and his execution sealed the deal for a dominant summer for him.”

The left-handed pitcher’s opening day was part of Ball’s 19-inning stretch to begin the season without allowing an earned run. That streak told the story of Ball’s season as the Crimson Tide pitcher threw 38 innings of baseball in which he posted a 1.89 ERA, 1.21 WHIP and a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 31-to-9.

With a 3-0 record and a save, the Sterrett, Alabama native had a knack for winning as he not only picked up those decisions but also saw his team post a 7-1 record in regular season games that he appeared in. Ball’s winning ways continued into the 2024 NECBL Playoffs, where he went 2-0 over his two starts.

“Connor was the leader of our pitching staff all summer, and he set the tone for us,” Lops, who was named the Joel Cooney Manager of the Year on Tuesday, said. “Every time he took the mound for us, we always felt confident in his ability to give us a chance to win those games. Truly a remarkable and unforgettable summer he put together.”

In those two postseason starts, Ball posted a 0.00 ERA, .80 WHIP and held opponents to a .154 batting average over 15 shutout innings. Like the regular season, Ball got the call to open postseason play against the Keene SwampBats. Ball delivered 8-shutout innings against Keene with 9 strikeouts before returning to the mound six days later to open the NECBL Championship Series against the Newport Gulls.

Ball pitched 7-shutout innings at Cardines Field while allowing 4 hits and 2 walks to go along with 5 strikeouts as he propelled Sanford to the Game 1 victory.

The Robin Roberts Award is the fourth time this season that Ball’s efforts have been recognized by the league as he was named to the All-Star Game and two weekly Honor Rolls, Week 3 and Week 8. Ball becomes the third Sanford Mainers to win the award, joining Kevin Slowey (Winthrop) in 2004 and Bryce Afthim (Southern Maine) in 2022.

About the Sanford Mainers:
Sanford Mainers Baseball is Southern Maine's Premier Baseball Experience located in Sanford, Maine and is one of 13 members of the New England Collegiate Baseball League, as well as a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded in 2001, playing its first season in 2002. The Sanford Mainers are committed to providing an outlet for collegiate baseball players from across the country to assist in skill development, while also acting as a community partner to the Southern Maine region in regard to youth activities, internships, volunteerism, and more. The Mainers are two-time league champions, taking home the title in 2004 and 2008. For more information on the Sanford Mainers, please visit our website at www.sanfordmainers.com or follow on Facebook at facebook.com/sanfordmainers or on Twitter and Instagram at @sanford_mainers.

###