Banas wins NECBL title with Vermont to highlight summer baseball season

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – Headlined by Garrison Banas (Hadley, Mass.) winning the New England Collegiate Baseball League Championship with the Vermont Mountaineers, it was another successful summer season for the Bryant University baseball team.

Banas helped the Mountaineers defeat Mystic in three games to claim their third league title and first since 2007. In addition, the Bulldogs have now had at least one player on each of the past five NECBL champions.

After sitting out the spring due to NCAA transfer rules, Banas appeared in 11 games and made two starts for the Mountaineers. He went 1-3 with a 4.71 ERA and 23 strikeouts in 21 innings. Banas allowed nine earned runs over his first 5.2 innings but rebounded to allow just two earned over his final 15.1. He struck out 14 batters over the course of two outings in late July and tossed 1.2 scoreless innings of relief in the playoffs.

Matt Albanese (East Haddam, Conn.) and Cole Fabio (Mahwah, N.J.) spent their summers in the Cape Cod League playing for Cotuit. Albanese hit .240 with five doubles, a home run, 10 RBI and six runs scored in 23 games. Fabio joined the Kettleers after a short stint with Harwich and hit .265 in 22 games. He had three doubles, scored nine runs and struck out just five times in 53 at-bats.

Dan Cellucci (Sudbury, Mass.) hit .217 with seven RBI and 12 runs scored in 36 games with Keene in the NECBL. He also posted a .954 fielding percentage and registered 82 assists.

Buck McCarthy (Saugus, Mass.) hit three home runs and drove in 11 runs in 37 games with Ocean State. He also drew 16 walks.

Ocean State teammate Oliver Powers (Newtown, Conn.) posted a 7.81 ERA in nine appearances. He threw 12.2 innings and allowed 15 hits.

AJ Zarozny (Shrewsbury, Mass.) and Ryan Johnson (East Falmouth, Mass.) were teammates in Plymouth. Zarozny collected three doubles and scored eight runs in 24 games while Johnson posted a 2.13 ERA in 12 appearances. He struck out 10 and walked seven in 12.2 innings.

Brandon Bingel (Peabody, Mass.) spent three weeks with Sanford before being shut down for the summer. He went 1-1 with a 5.06 ERA in two starts and went 4-for-24 in nine games in the field.

James Karinchak (Walden, N.Y.) dominated the NECBL for five starts before being shut down for the summer as well. He went 4-1 with a 0.72 ERA in five starts for Newport. He struck out 27 over 25 innings pitched and allowed just 17 hits.

Joseph Paparelli (Preston, Conn.) and Zach Wood (Griswold, Conn.) played together with Torrington in the Futures Collegiate Baseball League. Paparelli collected five doubles, a triple, three home runs and 20 RBI in 46 games. He walked 31 times and stole 13 bases. Wood led the Titans with 21 RBI and clubbed eight doubles and three home runs.

Daniel Palazzo (Rocky Hill, Conn.) and Zane Smith (Ilion, N.Y.) spent the summer together with Pittsfield. Palazzo had a strong year, hitting .252 with five doubles, eight RBI and 16 runs scored in 34 games. He also drew 24 walks. Smith appeared in 18 games for the Suns, collecting a triple, a home run and seven RBI.

Justin Snyder (Georgetown, Mass.) and incoming freshman Nick Angelini (Bedford, N.H.) both played for Nashua in the Futures League. Snyder was dominant for the Silver Knights, posting a 1-2 record and six saves in 24 appearances. He struck out 35 and walked just 23 batters in 44.1 innings. Snyder went eight-straight outings without allowing an earned run at one point and allowed just two earned runs over his final 17 appearances. Playing against collegians, Angelini collected 17 hits in 39 games. He had two doubles, nine RBI, nine runs scored and six stolen bases.

James Davitt (Wallingford, Conn.) had an outstanding summer in the Northwoods League, appearing in 15 games for the Wisconsin Rapids Rafters. Davitt went 2-1 with five saves and a 3.61 ERA over 32.1 innings. He struck out 36 and walked just six batters all summer.

Incoming freshman Steve Theetge (Cicero, N.Y.) played in the New York Collegiate Baseball League this summer, making six starts for the Syracuse Jr Chiefs. Theetge went 2-4 with a 5.40 ERA in 30 innings. He struck out 27 and walked just 15 batters.

Michael Lanza (Elmsford, N.Y.) appeared in 28 games for Newark in the Perfect Game League. He had five doubles, seven RBI and 15 runs scored for the Pilots.

Ross Weiner (Woodbridge, Conn.) went 3-6 with a 5.12 ERA in nine appearances for Montauk in the Hamptons Collegiate Baseball League. He struck out 23 and walked 18 over 38.2 innings.

Nolan Hayward (Glendale, R.I.) played in the George Donnelly Sunset League this summer. He doubled and drove in a run in six games.