BNN Report
News from the CBO, Minors, CCBL, CYL, and CBA
by Nat Wright-Kawolski
1 May 2315
The May 1 Super Post, Part 2
CCBL Analysis
With just two weeks remaining in the 2315 college baseball season, there are still no teams in, while only three teams have been eliminated from postseason contention: WNEU, Quinnipiac, and Nichols College.
Conference leaders are:
BCAC - Commonwealth 33-14
MassCon - Curry College 31-16
NoComm - New Hampshire and SNHU 26-21
SoComm - Providence College 35-12
Atlantic Sound - Mass Maritime 31-16
Since conference winners get the top five seeds, here is how the current Sweet 16 looks:
1. Providence
2. Commonwealth
3. Curry
4. Mass Maritime
5. New Hampshire
6. Winthrop
7. Nuka
8. Endicott College
9. Cape Cod
10. Glowing Sea College
11. Boston College
12. Yale
13. Mass Bay
14. Brown
15. CIT
16. Revere College
CCBL Players of the Month
Hitter - It's perhaps an award he'll win many more times through his career, as at age 20 Lenny Poertner has a lot of baseball ahead of him.
But for now the young Northeastern Huskies star can enjoy the numbers he put up in April, which have garnered him the nod as the Commonwealth Collegiate Baseball League Batter of the Month.
His breakout month featured a .495 average with 11 home runs, 34 RBIs and 26 runs scored.
This season, Poertner is batting .497 with 91 hits, 17 home runs, 49 RBIs, .551 OBP and has scored 46 runs.
Pitcher - In April Yale starter, Arnold Welsh really put the strong arm on the other Commonwealth Collegiate Baseball League teams and hauled in the Pitcher of the Month trophy. He did it with an impressive 5 wins and 1 loss.
In 7 starts and 51.1 innings of work, Welsh limited opposing batters to 49 base hits and a .250 batting average. He fanned 50, issued 15 walks and had a 1.75 ERA.
This year, Welsh has compiled a 6-4 record with a 3.01 ERA in 12 starts.
CYL Analysis
Just like the CCBL, the CYL season is down to the last two weeks. For 10-straight days, Commonwealth Youth League players will try to play their way into one of the 32 spots in the playoffs. Just like the CCBL, division winners are in and the top seeds. Here are the leaders of each division:
Franklin - Worcester
Emerson - Reading
Fuller - Concord
Revere - Boston Common
DuBois - Newburyport
Longfellow - Kittery
The top five wildcards in the NR are Lowell, Woburn, Covenant, Saugus, and Leominster.
Adams - Coventry
Alcott - Jamaica Plain
Morse - Taunton
Attucks - Truro
Hancock - Old Lyme
Bradberton - Northampton
The top five wildcards in the SR are GSP, Hope, Swansea, Freeplay, and West Quincy.
CYL Players of the Month
NR Hitter - Not known for his offensive prowess, Rukiya Simamba set the league afire in April and took home the North Region Batter of the Month award.
The Covenant second baseman posted a steady .382 batting average, 19 home runs, 42 RBIs and 33 runs.
This season, Simamba has hit 27 home runs and posted a .364 batting average.
SR Hitter - At only 15 years of age, Orie Kerlin could very well have many more months like this last one during his career.
That would be great news for fans of the Andrew Station Southies, as April was one to remember for the third baseman and he has captured the South Region Batter of the Month award.
On the month he hit .410 with 17 home runs, 41 RBIs and 28 runs scored.
In 38 games this season, Kerlin has compiled a .394 batting average with 56 hits and 23 home runs. He has also scored 49 times and knocked in 62 runs.
NR Pitcher - Rhubarb Coombs of the Gloucester Dog Trainers was on top of his game the entire month of April, capping it off with the North Region Pitcher of the Month honors.
He was outstanding in 7 starts with 5 wins and no losses, 55.2 IP, 74 strikeouts and a fine 1.46 ERA.
So far this season, Coombs has a record of 6-1 with 110 strikeouts and 37 walks in 85.2 innings and a 2.00 ERA.
SR Pitcher - Strange Neville Truitt left little doubt in the minds of South Region officials that he should be named April's Pitcher of the Month for his outstanding performance.
"I wasn't always confident at the start of a game," said Truitt. "Sometimes it's hard to get into the flow -- the calls aren't going your way or you're trying to spot your pitches too much. You just have to relax and use what you've been taught all your life -- get back to basics -- good mechanics, control, location, keep the ball down."
The 14-year-old tossed 61 innings of quality baseball -- going 6-0 with a 1.62 ERA and 72 strikeouts.
Looking at his season stats, Truitt has won 9 and lost 1, collecting 115 strikeouts and 22 walks in 95.1 innings with a 2.17 ERA.