The 2024 NECBL season has been anything but standard for the Martha’s Vineyard Sharks, who have found life via hot hitting after a dispiriting start to the season.
On Sunday they defeated the North Shore Navigators 7-2 and on Monday took down the Ocean State Waves 10-5. The recent victories continued to fuel the team, after a disastrous start to the season, going 0-6 in the first two weeks, and dismissing their head coach two days in. The team then slogged through 11 days of straight losses before mounting an improbable comeback late in June.
The Sharks opened the season with a 4-1 loss to the reigning champions Newport Gulls, whose ace Adam Maher shut down the Sharks bats with 12 strikeouts. The next two home games played out in similar fashion, with an 11-1 defeat by Bristol and narrowly avoiding an 8-4 loss to the Vermont Mountaineers thanks to a fog delay.
The disappointing opening three game home-stand resulted in not only a 23-6 run differential, but also handed the skipper duties to pitching coach Ryan Miller. The 23-year-old graduate student took over after first-year head coach Sean Stevens was fired on June 6, after just two games.
Miller is modest about his role in the turnaround.
“It’s all about these guys,” he said. “It’s not about myself and the coaching staff. We want these guys to have a great experience while they’re up here.”
Russ Curran, Sharks general manager, said the new coach is just what the team needed.
“He understands the system that we’ve had in place for years here,” Mr. Curran said. “It’s great to have him here and I’m looking forward to him continuing to get us in winning ways and make a push to the playoffs.”
Miller’s first games as head coach did not result in an immediate reversal of fortunes as the Sharks lost the next four outings. The 0-6 start in 2024 is the worst in organization history.
But on June 15, staring down the barrel of an 0-7 start, the Sharks hosted divisional foe Mystic Schooners for a chance to finally capture the long-awaited first victory. Hungry for a win, The Sharks drew first blood with a Brayden Martin self-generated run, singling to left, stealing second, then coming all the way around on an overthrow error. This was followed by a solo home run from Will Lybrook in the second inning.
However, Mystic responded to the Sharks’ attack, and the game stood tied 5-5 headed to the bottom of the ninth.
Elon University’s Cole Mascolo then found himself in a two out, bases loaded situation, needing to reach base to satisfy the starving Shark Tank crowd and score the walkoff run. Mascolo went down 0-2 and, with disappointment looming, stood tall on the next pitch inside, which clipped his elbow and sent the Shark Tank into a frenzy. Mascolo’s hit-by-pitch walkoff broke the losing streak to open the year, and was the turning point for the ball-club.
Since that win, the revitalization has been in full effect. In the two weeks since, the Sharks have gone 7-4, working their record to 8-11 as of July 2. The cause for such a turnabout never comes from one place directly, but the resurgence of the bats is on the forefront.
The left side of the Sharks infield has led the offensive turnaround, improving from scoring 1.9 runs a game, to 7.7 from that first win against Mystic midway through June. Scorching hot Arkansas Razorback third baseman Reese Robinett leads the Sharks in average, at .396, and RBI’s, at 16, both good for third best in the NECBL. Shortstop Chris Hacopian is second on the Sharks in batting average.
Miller said he is encouraged by his team’s recent performances.
“I think we’re trending upward,” he said. “We’ve started to win some ball games here. We’ve pitched it well. We’ve swung it well. So, I think it’s going to continue to get better. This back half of the summer, I expect us to really keep moving forward.”
The month of July will bring a playoff push for the Sharks, whose newfound identity as victors has them sitting just 4.5 games out of first place in the Coastal Division. The Vineyard hosts Danbury on Tuesday July 2, plays away at Bristol on July 3 and returns home to take on the Ocean State Waves on July 6.
With 21 games left in the regular season, the Sharks are circling a playoff berth.
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