River Hawks See Success in Collegiate Summer Leagues

LOWELL, Mass. – Over the summer, 17 UMass Lowell baseball players competed in collegiate summer leagues at all levels. The River Hawks had multiple standouts, including junior Sean O'Leary (Foxboro, Mass.) winning the Cape Cod League with the Harwich Mariners and sophomore Hector Gonzalez (Liverpool, N.Y.) earning a Top 33 Performer distinction in the New York Collegiate Baseball League.

"Our guys spent the summer across various leagues and got the critical development that comes with playing during June, July and August," said Head Coach Nick Barese. "Our program values the experience you get from spending time outside your comfort zone with a new team, in a new league, and coming back to UMass Lowell a better student-athlete."

Sean O'Leary – Harwich Mariners – Cape Cod League
With the Harwich Mariners, O'Leary helped the squad take home the Cape Cod League championship. In 26 games, the infielder collected 22 hits, including three doubles. O'Leary drove in 14 runs, posting a .356 on-base percentage on the Cape.

Rowan Masse – Orleans Firebirds – Cape Cod League
While senior Rowan Masse (Manchester, Conn.) didn't post any hitting stats in a nine at-bat sample, the infielder played 21 innings at second base for the Firebirds. He turned a double play and logged nine assists.

Cal Chance – Lowell Spinners/Bristol Blues – Futures League/New England CBL
In just 11 games with the Spinners, sophomore Cal Chance (Wolcott, Conn.) tore up the Futures League. The backstop tallied seven RBI, scoring five runs and swatting a homer. Chance held a .275 batting average and stole four bases to go along with two walks.

After that, he moved to the Bristol Blues of the New England Collegiate Baseball League. There, Chance hit .301 in 27 games, blasting three homers and driving in 23 runs. He put together an .865 OPS and struck out just 10 times in 93 at-bats, the lowest rate on the Blues.

Hector Gonzalez – Syracuse Salt Cats – New York Collegiate Baseball League
Gonzalez shined in 34 games with the Syracuse Salt Cats, finishing the season with a staggering .472 on-base percentage. The league named him one of 33 top performers at the end of the season. The outfielder led the league with 34 walks, capitalizing on the free passes to steal 25 bases. Gonzalez scored 26 runs, drove in 17 and swatted a homer.

Alfred Mucciarone – Sanford Mainers – New England Collegiate Baseball League
Senior Alfred Mucciarone (Franklin, Mass.) shut down opposing offenses en route to an NECBL title with the Sanford Mainers. The righty posted a 1.09 WHIP and 2.36 ERA in eight starts. Across his 26.2 innings pitched, Mucciarone struck out 29 batters.

Brayden Cali – Worcester Bravehearts – Futures Collegiate Baseball League
Junior Brayden Cali (Taunton, Mass.) played the most games on the Worcester Bravehearts, with 22 walks boosting his on-base percentage to .356. The utility player went 18-for-19 on stolen base attempts, scoring 26 runs. He also drove in 12 runs for the Bravehearts.

Tyler Dunlea – Westfield Starfires – Futures Collegiate Baseball League
Sophomore Tyler Dunlea (Attleboro, Mass.) threw 34.2 innings with the Starfires in the Futures League. Across eight starts, he struck out 28 batters and recorded a 1.56 WHIP. Dunlea was a workhorse, pitching the second-most innings on the team to the tune of a 5.45 ERA.

Seamus Scott – Lowell Spinners – Futures Collegiate Baseball League
Hometown sophomore Seamus Scott (Lowell, Mass.) stayed in the Mill City over the summer with the Spinners. The righty made seven appearances out of the bullpen, striking out eight batters across 11 innings.

Jake Zawatsky – Lowell Spinners – Futures Collegiate Baseball League
Also playing with the Spinners was junior Jake Zawatsky (Billerica, Mass.). The two-way player appeared exclusively as a pitcher, throwing 38 innings over 11 appearances. Zawatsky struck out 30 batters and held opponents to a .266 batting average.

Chris Klueber – Lowell Spinners – Futures Collegiate Baseball League
Sophomore righty Chris Klueber (Bourne, Mass.) made 11 appearances with the Spinners, starting one game. Klueber fired 17.1 innings, striking out 15 batters.

Sean Canavan – Lowell Spinners – Futures Collegiate Baseball League
In 10 games with the Spinners, sophomore infielder Sean Canavan (Braintree, Mass.) logged a double, a run and an RBI.

Jake LeFrancois – Valley Blue Sox – New England Collegiate Baseball League
Like Mucciarone, junior Jake LeFrancois (Worcester, Mass.) struck out 29 batters in 26.2 innings pitched. Through 15 appearances out of the bullpen, the right-handed pitcher made four saves and recorded a 1.46 WHIP.

Nolan Geisler – Valley Blue Sox – New England Collegiate Baseball League
Junior righty Nolan Geisler (Bayonne, N.J.) pitched alongside LeFrancois with the Valley Blue Sox. In two starts, Geisler went eight total innings and struck out four batters. He recorded a 1.63 WHIP.

Scott Donahue – Valley Blue Sox – New England Collegiate Baseball League
The third River Hawk to play for the Valley Blue Sox, Scott Donahue (Medfield, Mass.) saw limited action with the team. He scored a run and drew two walks in three games played.

Josh Doney – North Shore Navigators – New England Collegiate Baseball League
Sophomore southpaw Josh Doney (Lynn, Mass.) pitched brilliantly for the North Shore Navigators. In 10 appearances, primarily in relief, he had a 2.66 ERA and 1.43 WHIP. He struck out 19 batters in 20.1 innings pitched.

Colin Ducie – Syracuse Salt Cats – New York Collegiate Baseball League
Also playing for the Salt Cats was sophomore righty Colin Ducie (Plymouth, Mass.). Ducie made two saves in eight appearances, holding opponents to a paltry .220 batting average. He recorded a 2.63 ERA and 1.24 WHIP.

Tyler McKillop – Glens Falls Dragons – Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League
Sophomore infielder Tyler McKillop (Blue Point, N.Y.) was UMass Lowell's lone representative in the Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League. A .359 on-base percentage and six doubles highlighted his stats. Additionally, McKillop scored 20 runs, drove in 19, drew 22 walks and went 10-for-11 on stolen base attempts.

River Hawks See Success in Collegiate Summer Leagues

Players Mentioned

Brayden Cali

Sean Canavan

Cal Chance

Scott Donahue

Josh Doney

Colin Ducie

Tyler Dunlea

Nolan Geisler

Hector Gonzalez

Jake LeFrancois

Rowan Masse

Tyler McKillop

Alfred Mucciarone

Sean O'Leary

Seamus Scott

Jake Zawatsky

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