NEWS & MEDIA

For Immediate Release                                                                                                                  Contact: Chuck Paiva 

July 14, 2024                                                                                                                                President & General Manager

                                                                                                                                                  401-845-6832// gm@newportgulls.com  

    NEWPORT, R.I. – In addition to Gulls Manager Mike Coombs leading the East All-Stars for the 2024 NECBL All-Star Game in Bristol on Sunday, July 21st, eight of his players will represent the East in next weekend’s game. Of the eight selections for Newport, two of them will be starters. That includes starting pitcher Brad Pruett (East Carolina) and outfielder Nolan Stevens (Mississippi State). Newport's reserves consist of relief pitcher Aidan Coleman (Pittsburgh), closer Colby Holcombe (Mississippi State), third baseman Dixon Williams (East Carolina), shortstop Randy Seymour (Michigan State), outfielder Niko Brini (Wofford) and Tyler Hare (Wofford), who was picked by Mike Coombs as the “Coach’s Choice.”

 

    Brad Pruett, the East’s starting pitcher, has been nothing short of dominant on the mound for Newport this summer. The righty made three appearances out of the bullpen at the beginning of the season but has seamlessly transitioned into a key starter in Newport’s rotation, starting three games since then. The East Carolina commit has pitched a total of 25 ⅓ innings and has only walked eight batters while tallying 35 strikeouts, tied for the most in the NECBL. Additionally, his 1.78 ERA ranks second in the entire league among eligible pitchers. Pruett hasn’t allowed a single run over his last two starts in 12 innings, only allowing four hits in that span. His most impressive outing came in his most recent start at North Shore on July 9th in which he recorded no walks and six strikeouts, conceding just two hits in seven scoreless innings.

 

    Nolan Stevens, one of the starters in the outfield for the East, has been a key bat in the lineup since the start of the summer for the Gulls. His .326 batting average in 24 games played is tied for the second-best average on the team and the rising sophomore at Mississippi State has a knack for driving in runs. His 23 RBI ranks third in the NECBL. Stevens has racked up seven doubles, tied for the most on the Gulls, and recently notched his third home run of the season, the second most on the team. The California native’s impressive summer included a 13-game hit streak that occurred from June 12th to July 1st.

 

    In addition to Brad Pruett, East relief pitcher Aidan Coleman has been a crucial part of Newport’s starting rotation throughout the season. The rising sophomore at Pittsburgh has started all five games he’s appeared in this season and has pitched 25 ⅓ innings, tied with Pruett for the most on the Gulls. In his five starts, he has posted a 2.84 ERA, only walking six batters while striking out 34, just one fewer than Pruett and tied for the second most K’s in the league. Coleman has earned a win in his last three starts, making him the only Newport pitcher to have that many wins at this point of the season. In each of his last two starts, the righty has gone six innings.

 

    Another important pitcher for the Gulls that will be a part of the East All-Star team is closer Colby Holcombe. The Mississippi State product has been Newport’s go-to arm at the end of games on a consistent basis. Standing at 6-7, the Alabama native has made 10 appearances, tied for the most of any pitchers on the Gulls. Nine of those outings have come out of the bullpen, tallying 16 ⅔ total innings on the mound. He has walked just five batters and his 32 strikeouts are tied for the third most on the team and fourth most in the NECBL. One of Holcombe’s most impressive showings out of the bullpen came in an 11-inning win at Ocean State when he came in for the final four frames and struck out 11 of the 22 batters he faced.

 

    Third baseman Dixon Williams was one of the more obvious choices to make the All-Star Game. The rising junior at East Carolina has been nothing short of incredible at the plate. After playing a key role for the Pirates in their NCAA Tournament run, Williams got to Newport about one week into the season and has been a massive part of the lineup ever since. His unbelievable .458 batting average in 19 games played leads the league by a landslide. No eligible batter in the NECBL is batting above .400. The best batting average at the end of a season in NECBL history was .430 set by Travis Honeyman of Ocean State in 2021. Williams could be on pace to put his name in the record books. His 29 runs scored are the most on the team and he has tallied nine multi-hit games in the 18 games he has started. Williams also leads the team with 13 stolen bases.

 

    Randy Seymour has been a staple of Newport’s lineup throughout the summer as well. The rising junior at Michigan State has heated up lately at the plate, recording multiple three-hit games in the month of July. In 22 games, Seymour has driven in 16 runs. In addition to his impressive play offensively, the shortstop has shown why he’s one of the best infielder’s in the NECBL. Seymour has tallied 48 assists with a .962 fielding percentage.

 

    The last two All-Star selections for the Gulls are both returners and were members of last year’s championship winning team. Niko Brini, who is transferring to Wofford to join Tyler Hare, has been embracing the role of being the “2nd leadoff man” in the nine-hole for Newport. In 27 games played, the outfielder is batting at an impressive clip of .326, tied for the second best batting average on the team. Brini has notched nine-multi hit games with 13 RBI and 21 runs scored, cementing himself as fan favorite in his second summer with the Gulls.

 

    Another fan favorite at Cardines Field is Tyler Hare, who was picked by Manager Mike Coombs as the “Coach’s Selection.” This will be Hare’s second appearance in the All-Star Game after being selected last year in his first season with Newport. Hare played a big part in guiding the Gulls to a title last summer, leading the league with 10 home runs and was an All-NECBL Second Team selection. Bringing that experience back to Newport, Hare has once again contributed in a big way this season. His 23 runs scored are the second most on the team and he has reached base at .436 clip with his 20 walks leading the team. The Wofford product has also recorded his first couple of home runs this summer in the last few weeks.

 

    All eight Gulls All-Stars will head to Bristol, Connecticut on Sunday, July 21st with first pitch between the East and West All-Stars scheduled for 5:10 from Muzzy Field. All-Star Game festivities will start at 2:45 pm with the Home Run Derby. The Home Run Derby contestants will be announced on Tuesday, July 16. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+.