NEWS

North Adams, MA – The New England Collegiate Baseball League is proud to announce the 2024 All-NECBL Honorable Mention team in continuation of the First- and Second-Team announcement. The honors were voted on by all 13 on-field managers of NECBL franchises. Only regular season statistics and performances were taken into consideration during the selection process. 

The list concludes the selection of 52 players across three teams: the All-NECBL First Team, the All-NECBL Second Team (Release) and the All-NECBL Honorable Mention Team. Each is composed of one player at each non-outfield position (C, 1B, 2B, SS, 3B), three outfielders, one designated hitter, three starting pitchers, two relief pitchers and one closer. In the case of ties, some positions may include additional honorees.

2024 All-NECBL Honorable Mention

The Blues and Waves lead the All-NECBL Honorable Mention team with three players selected, followed by the Schooners, Gulls, Mainers, Navigators and Blue Sox with two players selected. The Nighthawks, Mountaineers and Sharks all had one player represented on the Honorable Mention team.

C - Billy Sullivan - (Bristol, Southern Connecticut State)
Sullivan was a reliable backstop for the Blues in 2024, earning a nod in the 2024 NECBL All-Star Game in front of the home fans. The catcher posted a .296 batting average, hitting a home run and driving in 15 runs in 31 games played. Sullivan recorded five multi-hit games on the season.

1B - Matt Ossenfort - (Newport, NC State)
Ossenfort put up solid numbers for the Gulls at first base, proving to be a reliable piece down the stretch. The first basemen posted a .264 average, hitting four home runs and driving in 24 runs in 34 games played. Ossenfort added 11 doubles to his total base count, recording 11 multi-hit games on the season.

2B - Jared Davis  (Sanford, Virginia Tech)
The Mainers’ second baseman put up a strong season up the middle of the infield. In 40 games played, Davis posted a .271 average, hitting a home run and driving in 12 runs. Davis added three doubles and a triple to his total base count, recording a staggering 13 multi-hit games on the season.

2B - Tryston McCladdie (Martha’s Vineyard, Clemson)
It was an impressive showing for the Sharks second baseman. In 25 games, McCladdie put up a remarkable .380 batting average, hitting two home runs and driving in 9 runs, while also adding six doubles. McCladdie recorded 12 multi-hit games on the season, boosting his average in the process.

SS - Jordan Peyton (Bristol, Towson)
Peyton was the anchor of the infield for the Blues in 2024. The shortstop hit a solid .281 average, driving in 12 runs and recording 41 hits in 146 at bats. Peyton played in 39 games for the Blues, earning himself a nod in the 2024 NECBL All-Star Game in front of the home crowd.

3B - Tyler Minick (Mystic, Connecticut)
The second Tyler Minick on this list, this time for the Schooners, played a strong 20 games this season. The third baseman hit .304, hitting seven home runs and driving in 23 runs, recording 21 hits in 69 at bats. Minick earned a spot on the East Division roster for the 2024 NECBL All-Star Game.

OF - Easton Brenner (Bristol, Lafayette)
Another all-star selection for the Blues, Brenner was a huge addition to the outfield for the Blues this season. In 31 games played, Brenner hit a strong .326, driving in 15 runs and recording five doubles and three triples. Brenner recorded 29 hits in 89 at bats for the Blues in 2024.

OF - Aaron Walton (Ocean State, Arizona)
The Waves’ outfielder was one of many tough hitters in the lineup. In 26 games, Walton hit .311, hitting two home runs and driving in 21 runs, recording 28 hits in 90 at bats. Walton finished the season with an .880 OPS and seven multi-hit games.

OF - Caleb Shpur (Sanford, Connecticut)
Shpur proved to be instrumental down the stretch for the Mainers heading into the playoffs. Shpur recorded a long 13–game hitting streak going into the postseason, recording multiple hits in two of those games. Shpur played in 19 games, tallying a .290 average and hitting a home run and driving in four runs. Shpur recorded 20 hits in 69 at bats.

OF - Kyle Jones (North Shore, Florida Atlantic)
Jones showcased his durability for the Navigators amongst their outfield trio. The FAU Owl hit .269, driving in 16 runs in 29 games played for the Navigators. Jones recorded four multi-hit games on the season, three of which he recorded three or more hits.

DH - Michael O’Conor (Valley, Eastern Illinois)
In 2024 O’Conor appeared in 32 games, getting 35 hits and posting a .304 batting average. The Eastern Illinois Junior also drove in 21 runs and 16 extra base hits. His power and consistency earned himself a nod for the 2024 All-Star Game, and his team a spot in the playoffs.

SP - Nick Falter (Vermont, Denison)
An NECBL All-Star for the West Division roster, Falter pitched in 9 games for the Mountaineers in 2024. Falter posted a 2.75 ERA, tossing 36 innings and striking out 43 batters, allowing just 35 hits. Falter posted a 4–1 record for the Mountaineers on the season.

SP - Corey Kling (Ocean State, South Florida)
Kling pitched a strong season for the Waves, posting a 2–0 record in seven games on the season. Kling tossed 26.2 total innings, striking out 31 batters and allowing just 20 hits. Kling pitched four scoreless outings in 2024 for the Waves.

SP - Connor Harris (Mystic, Winthrop)
Harris posted a strong 4–1 record for the Schooners in eight games on the season. Harris pitched 36 innings, posting a 3.25 ERA and striking out 29 batters. Harris pitched five scoreless outings for the Schooners in 2024.

SP - Ryan Buckler (North Shore, Florida Atlantic)
Buckler was phenomenal for the Navigators in 2024. The righty posted a 1.89 ERA in twelve games for the Navigators, starting six of those games. Buckler posted one save, tossing 38 total innings, striking out 36 batters and allowing just 24 hits. Buckler did not allow a run in his first six outings of the season in relief.

RP - Zachary Laird (Valley, Niagara)
Laird appeared in 9 games which totaled 19 innings. In his time on the bump, Laird struck out 19 and allowed 7 hits, resulting in a 1.05 ERA. The British Columbian also appeared in the All-Star-Game after winning the fan vote contest.

RP - Ty Starke (Newport, Louisville)
Starke was another strong piece out of the Gulls’ pen in 2024. The Louisville Cardinal posted a 3.42 ERA in 10 games pitched for the Gulls, tossing 21 innings, striking out 34 batters and finishing with a perfect 3–0 record. Starke pitched five scoreless outings for the Gulls, recording a perfect outing in his first appearance of the season.

RP - Jackson Vanesko (Ocean State, Bryant)
Vanesko was a key arm for the Waves this season. In relief, the southpaw posted 10 innings of work, striking out 16 batters in 9 games played. Vanesko finished the season with a 1–0 record and a 3.60 ERA, recording five scoreless outings on the season.

Closer - Blake Hooks (Upper Valley, Louisiana Tech)
Hooks held steady for the Nighthawks all season, tossing 17.2 innings of work in 12 games played for the team. The righty posted a 2–2 record with a 2.03 ERA, striking out 34 batters and allowing just 11 hits. Hooks recorded four saves for the Nighthawks, posting eight scoreless outings and five hitless outings.

 

The New England Collegiate Baseball League is a wooden bat college summer league that fields teams in all six New England states. Partially funded by Major League Baseball, the New England League started play in 1994 and has sent over 230 alumni to the Major Leagues with nearly 30 alumni taken in the first round of the MLB Draft. For continuing coverage of the NECBL, visit NECBL.com and follow the league on X/Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.