NEW BRITAIN, Conn. (July 13, 2021) -- The stars of the Futures Collegiate Baseball League got back together for the first time since 2019 as the league’s All-Star Game made its first-ever stop at New Britain Stadium on Tuesday night.
The East squad, which consisted of players from the Brockton Rox, Nashua Silver Knights, Norwich Sea Unicorns and Worcester Bravehearts, never looked back after scoring three runs in the top of the second inning on the way to a 10-2 win before a crowd of 3,062 fans.
Nashua center fielder Logan Ott (Maryland) was named Most Valuable Player as he went 3-for-4 with a pair of RBI singles and a walk, spending the entire game in the ninth position in the batting order. He became the first Silver Knight to earn the top all-star honor since the FCBL’s inaugural midsummer event in 2012, which was held at Historic Holman Stadium.
Worcester’s Jack Choate (Assumption) was the Most Outstanding Pitcher, dealing a 1-2-3 inning immediately after his East squad took a lead that it would never relinquish. The southpaw, who leads the FCBL with 51 strikeouts in 33.2 regular-season innings, posted a ‘K’ in the middle of his clean frame.
Brockton catcher JP Olson (Northeastern) got the East’s scoring started with a two-run single in the second before Ott added his first of two run-scoring knocks two batters later. The victors doubled their lead during a fifth inning that included an RBI single by Norwich third baseman Tre Cobb (Hartford) and Worcester first baseman Gavin Noriega’s (Marist) double.
The West got on the scoreboard in the sixth inning as hometown New Britain Bees right fielder Alec Ritch (Middlebury) delivered with a two-out single to score Pittsfield Suns designated hitter Jake Blinstrub (Mount St. Vincent).
Worcester left fielder Nick Martin (Westfield State) delivered another one of the game’s highlights in the eighth inning, drawing a one-out walk before stealing second, third and sliding into home plate safely. Martin’s winning side scored twice in both the eighth and ninth.
Norwich infielder Kaelen Culpepper (Kansas State) had two more of the East’s 10 hits, going 2-for-4 with a run-scoring knock in the ninth. Ritch and the Westfield Starfires’ All-Star Fan Vote winner Hunter Pasqualini (Central Connecticut) recorded the RBI for the West side.
The two-day event included an exciting Home Run Derby on Monday night. Westfield left fielder Cole Bartels (Penn State) edged past Cobb to win the title, hitting 22 total bombs over the three rounds.
Stay Connected