New England Collegiate Baseball League

League structure

The NECBL became a 13-team league in 2013 with the addition of teams in Rhode Island (Ocean State Waves), Massachusetts (Plymouth Pilgrims) and New York (Saratoga Brigade) (the league's first team to operate outside New England), but reverted to 12 teams after the Brigade folded. On October 30, 2015, the league announced that the Upper Valley Nighthawks would begin play in 2016 in Hartford, Vermont, bringing the league back to 13 teams. The Plymouth Pilgrims ceased operations after the 2018 season but were replaced by the Martha's Vineyard Sharks, a former member of the Futures Collegiate Baseball League (FCBL). The New Bedford BaySox ceased after the 2019 season, replaced by the Bristol Blues, who also moved from the FCBL. The North Shore Navigators returned to the league in 2021 after nine years in the FCBL. The Winnipesaukee Muskrats folded following the 2022 season after the league's governing board rejected the team's strategy to house players.

Teams

Current teams

| [[File:Red pog.svg|8px]] North Division | [[File:Blue pog.svg|8px]] South Division

• A caret (^) denotes an approximate capacity, including lawn seating.

Relocated or renamed teams

Defunct teams

Season structure

In the 2021 season, the league was divided into two seven-team divisions, the North Division and the South Division. During the regular season, teams played 44 regular-season games, solely against division opponents, because of COVID-19 travel concerns. Scheduled doubleheaders were seven-inning games.

The top four teams from each division qualified for the eight-team playoff bracket, in which teams played best-of-three series to determine the champion.

For 2022, the NECBL went to three divisions, with a single pair of games against each out-of-division team. The league retained the three-division format through the 2024 season. In 2025, the NECBL returned to the two-division format with six teams in the North Division and seven in the South.

Past champions

In the NECBL's history, the most successful team is the Newport Gulls, with eight league championships and thirteen championship series appearances (including one championship appearance as the Cranston, Rhode Island–based Rhode Island Gulls). The Keene Swamp Bats are next with six league titles, and the North Shore Navigators have four.

All-Star Game

The All-Star Game usually takes place from mid- to late July. Prior to the game a Home Run Derby is held and, since the 2007 All-Star Game, a Special Skill Competition for Most Accurate Arm and Fastest Runner.

Home Run Derby winners

Notable alumni

The following former NECBL players have gone on to play in Major League Baseball. Former NECBL players have reached the major league rosters of all thirty MLB teams, the thirtieth team being the Philadelphia Phillies when, in September 2015, Brian Bogusevic debuted with the team.

Media

All NECBL games are broadcast online through the NECBL Broadcast Network from Blueframe, with Pointstreak providing live stats for all games.

On May 14, 2010, the league signed an agreement with Pointstreak. Pointstreak provides "real-time scoring, official statistics, and administration services" to the NECBL. A highlight of Pointstreak's services is Game Live, a real-time statistics feature providing play-by-play for every NECBL game.

In 2020, the league announced that Blueframe would provide the official streaming service for the league.

Notes

References

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31. (July 31, 2017). "North, South Battle to 5-5 Tie in Star-Studded 2017 NECBL All-Star Game".
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33. (July 30, 2018). "Randy Taveras Named NECBL All-Star Game MVP".
34. Fitzsimmons, Jack. (July 28, 2019). "NECBL All-Star Game Washed Out". WCAX.
35. "NECBL 2025 All-Star Game Recap: North Division Beats South Division 3-1 {{!}} New England Collegiate Baseball League".
36. "2025 NECBL All Star Game {{!}} New England Collegiate Baseball League".
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38. "Glenn Green Surprises All and Wins Home Run Derby for Danbury {{!}} New England Collegiate Baseball League".
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41. [http://necbl.com/view/necbl/watch-listen/necbl-broadcast-network NECBL Broadcast Network] at necbl.com, URL accessed June 4, 2010. [https://web.archive.org/web/20100611003921/http://necbl.com/view/necbl/watch-listen/necbl-broadcast-network Archived] June 4, 2010
42. [http://necbl.com/view/necbl/news/news_13003 NECBL Signs Agreement with Pointstreak] at necbl.com, URL accessed June 4, 2010. [https://web.archive.org/web/20110714162052/http://necbl.com/view/necbl/news/news_13003 Archived] June 4, 2010