SOUTH HADLEY, MA – The New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL) is proud to announce the recipients of three 2023 regular season awards; The 2023 NECBL Batting Champ, the Robin Roberts Starter of the Year, and the Joe Nathan Reliever of the Year.  

2023 NECBL Batting Champion

Logan Poteet (Sanford Mainers, C/1B, Vanderbilt)

The Batting Champion is the player with the highest batting average throughout the regular season. 

Poteet helped the Mainers in a big way this season, overcoming a rough start to the season to finish second in the North Division, which was good for the fifth seed in the NECBL playoffs. Poteet led the Mainers in average (.347) and RBI (25), as well as finishing second in hits (35). 

Poteet’s best game of the season came against the SwampBats on July 11, where he would go 2-2 from the plate, hitting a home run and driving in four runs. Poteet’s play earned him a spot as the starting catcher for the East Division in the All-Star Game, as well as Player of the Week for Week Six of the regular season. 

Robin Roberts Top Starting Pitcher 

Jagger Duquette (Bristol, RHP, Wagner)

The Robin Roberts Starter of the Year is given to the best overall starter during the regular season. 

Duquette was the backbone of the Blues’ rotation this season, pitching to a 1.37 ERA during the regular season, appearing in nine games, starting six, and striking out 31 hitters in 32.2 innings of work. He helped lead the Blues to an NECBL playoff berth as the sixth seed, where they would go on to reach the NECBL Championship Series after defeating Valley Blue Sox and the Sanford Mainers in rounds one and two. 

Duquette had four scoreless appearances this season, allowing less than five hits in all but one outing, with his best appearance coming July 6 at Danbury, allowing one unearned run in 5.2 innings, allowing just four hits and striking out six. 

Joe Nathan Top Reliever 

Anthony Steele (Danbury Westerners, LHP, Penn State)

The Joe Nathan Reliever of the Year award goes to the top reliever during the regular season. 

Steele appeared in ten games for the Westerners this season, pitching to a 3-0 record, posting a 1.01 ERA in 17.2 innings of work. For his efforts, Steele was awarded the closer spot on the 2023 West Division All-Star Team, pitching 0.2 innings in the game. Steele allowed only eight hits during the season while striking out thirty-one hitters. Steele was also great as a hitter, in thirty-nine at-bats, he hit three home runs and six RBI with eight runs scored.

Steele’s best game of the season came against North Shore on July 17, earning the save in a close game, pitching 2.2 innings of shutout ball, striking out five hitters. Steele also won the 2023 NECBL Home Run Derby.