Gulls Peaking As Playoffs Approach

Based in Newport, The Gulls are a historically dominant team in the New England Collegiate Baseball League. The NECBL is a wooden-bat, summer collegiate baseball League. Since 2001, The Gulls, a force to be reckoned in the NECBL Eastern Division, have played their games at Cardines Field. The team's past successes have made the words "winning" and "Gulls" synonymous. The Gulls have captured the NECBL title four times over the past decade: 2001, 2002, 2005 and 2009. Currently, the team is 21-15 overall, leaving them tied with the North Shore Navigators for first place, and seemingly poised to make another late-season run for another NECBL title.

Although the team's overall success has been sustained through a complementary balance of steady hitting, pitching and fielding, the Gulls rely on their offense in order to build momentum; they lead the league with a .274 team batting average. Anchoring the vigorous offense is infielder Kenny Diekroeger. Diekroeger was drafted in the second round by the Tampa Bay Rays. Diekroeger, a stand-out freshman at Stanford University, leads the NECBL with a .378 average and 17 runs batted in. Aside from Diekroeger, sophomore infielder and local product Dan Gamache is one of many Gulls performing at the plate. Gamache, a native of Exeter, RI, has two home runs and 18 RBI's in only 39 at-bats.

On the other end of the spectrum, the Gulls are first in team pitching; Pat Light has established himself as the ace of the pitching staff. Light was selected in the 28th round by the Minnesota Twins, and will be entering his sophomore season at Monmouth University. Light has been impressive thus far by winning five games while throwing a team high 37 innings and maintaining a slender 1.70 ERA. Similar to the Gulls line up, players associated with Rhode Island have played am essential role amongst the team's pitching staff.

For instance, Gardner Leaver, a right-handed pitcher from the University of Rhode Island, has provided reliability out of the Gulls pen. Leaver has finished four games and has a 3.31 ERA. Likewise, Smithfield native David Palms is 1-1 with a 3.80 ERA. In his second season in Newport, Palms experience will be essential in trying to propel the Gulls to consecutive NECBL Championships. Last summer, Palms appeared in 10 games and held opposing batters to a derisory .244 batting average.

With only four games left before the NECBL playoffs begin on Aug. 1, the Gulls seem to be hitting their stride at the right time. The team's next game is Wednesday, July 28, when they take on the Laconia Muskrats at Cardines field.