By PAUL GOTHAM
Add another to the list of accomplishments by the 2011 Webster Yankees. The team which set a New York Collegiate Baseball League record with 14 consecutive wins and reached the league finals for the first time in the organization’s history placed the a club record five on the all-league team including Player of the Year, Chris Bostick.
“I’m not surprised,” said Webster head coach Dave Brust. “Certainly Chris is the best player in the league. There was not a coach or a manager who didn’t see that.
Bostick hit .413 for the summer with 17 extra-base hits including five home runs and 32 RBI.
“It was my pleasure to coach him,” said Webster skipper, Dave Brust. “He is a gentleman, and he competes at a level that everyone hooked their wagons to.”
Signed after the season started, Bostick joined a club that was playing .500 baseball with a record of four wins and four losses. Webster finished its season riding a 13-game win streak to win the NYCBL West Division championship.
Drafted in the 44th round of the 2011 Major League Baseball draft, Bostick signed with the Oakland Athletics in late July. He started his professional career with a 13-game hitting streak and is currently batting .442 with the AZL Athletics.
Four fellow Yankees joined Bostick garnering end-of-the-season league honors. Bostick’s older brother, Ben, earned first-team All-NYCBL as did pitchers Joe Greenfield and Kevin Johnson. Connor Sullivan grabbed second-team honors.
“He did things that made the club win,” said Brust of the elder Bostick. “Ben went about his business everyday.”
The older Bostick hit .362 and led the league with 64 hits including a team high 19 for extra bases. He matched a club record set a year ago by Tyler Grogg with 19 stolen bases.
But his biggest contribution might have been his adaptability. Bostick, a natural infielder, made the transition to outfield where he played both right and center field.
“His quiet day-to-day leadership made a difference,” Brust commented.
Greenfield went 4-2 in eight starts for the home nine. He held opposing batters to just six extra-base hits in 60 innings of work.
“I thought Joe was the best starting pitcher in the league,” Brust said. “He would always figure out a team.”
The right-hander from from Orland Park, Illinois struck out 37 and walked 19 while finishing with an ERA of 1.80.
“He is a blue-collar type of player,” Brust explained by pointing out Greenfield’s habit of running on and off the field.
Johnson and Sullivan combined for a deadly one-two punch out of the bullpen. Both saved five games. Johnson made 15 appearances with Sullivan getting on the bump 21 times.
“He was probably the best reliever in the league,” Brust said of Johnson.
The right-hander struck out 28 and walked 11 in 19 frames of work.
“He is a strike pitcher,” Brust explained. “You can’t take a pitch with Kevin. He would get ahead 0-2. He had two out-pitches (slider and fast ball) with a lot of late movement.”
Johnson also made 41 starts in the field. The Webster, New York native hit .279 with 24 RBI.
Sullivan led the pinstripes with 21 appearances. The right-hander with a side-arm delivery finished with an ERA .88 fanning 17 while walking seven.
“He was the best strike thrower in the league,” said Brust. “That’s what made him so effective.”
When describing Sullivan’s 72 mph breaking ball Brust explained: “He threw what we called a frisbee.”
Brust pointed to an unofficial stat of double plays turned by Sullivan.
“He made plays for himself. Those double plays were innings killers for opposing teams.”
Diaz finished the season driving in 20 while scoring 21. He had nine extra-base hits including six triples while stealing 18 bases.
“Luis had some of our biggest hits,” Brust commented.
Diaz set a club record with five stolen bases in the post season.
Shawn Bailey, Ollie Bertrand, Michael Craig and Steve Muoio represented Webster on the 2009 all-league team. Muoio also earned the honors in 2008. Bryan Gardner and Joe McIntyre nabbed all-league spots in 2007. The Cincinnati Reds drafted Gardner the following spring. McIntyre earned a spot on the Wallace Award Watch list for the top player in the NCAA.
Webster finished the regular season 30-14. The Yankees defeated Geneva in the NYCBL West Division finals before falling to Oneonta in the league championship.
2011 NYCBL Awards
NYCBL Champions – Oneonta Outlaws
Championship Offensive MVP – Chase Compton
Championship Defensive MVP – Bryan Galligan
NYCBL Player of the Year
Chris Bostick – Webster – BA – .413; 5 HR; 32 rbi
NYCBL Pitcher of the Year
Jacob Petitt – Utica – IP 50.2; ERA – 0.71
NYCBL Coach of the Year
Dave Brust – Webster – 6th year
All NYCBL – 1st Team
Pos Name NYCBL Team College Key Stats
C Derek Sprout – Allegany County – Bradley – BA – .275; 23 rbi
IF Brendan Consantino – Sherrill – Seton Hill – BA – .417; 37 runs
IF Chris Bostick – Webster – Aquinas – BA – .413; 5 HR; 32 rbi
IF Carlos Asuaje – Oneonta – Nova Southeastern BA – .369; 19 sb
IF John Howell – Oneonta – Binghamton – BA – .375; 30 rbi
IF Chase Compton – Oneonta – Louisiana Lafayette – BA – .351; 24 rbi
IF Scott Krutel – Utica – Missouri Baptist – BA – .304; 7 HR; 42 rbi
OF Leon Stimpson – Geneva – Alvernia – BA – .378; 23 SB
OF Dan Scahill – Rome – Buffalo – BA – 368; 53 hits
OF Ben Bostick – Webster – St John Fisher – BA – .362; 64 hits
DH Chase Presley – Hornell – Harding – BA – .271; HR – 4 HR
Utl Matt Chavez – Oneonta – San Francisco – BA – .333; 29 rbi; ERA – 1.59
SP Jacob Petitt – Utica – Warner Southern – IP 50.2; ERA – 0.71
SP Joe Greenfield – Webster – Eastern Illinois – IP – 60 ERA – 1.80
SP Scott Weathersby – Oneonta – Mississippi – IP – 49.1; ERA – 2.01; 56 K’s
SP Tyler Mann – Rome – Alfred State CC – IP – 44; ERA 1.64
SP Jeff Croteau – Geneva – Bentley – IP – 41.1; ERA – 1.96
RP Kevin Johnson – Webster – Monroe CC – IP – 19.1; ERA – 0.93
RP Kenny Frosch – Rome – Palm Beach Atlantic IP – 48.1; ERA – 1.12
RP Tyler Brunneman – Rome – Harden-Simmons – IP – 22.1; ERA – 2.02
All NYCBL – 2nd Team
Pos Name NYCBL Team College Key Stats
C Omar Garcia – Hornell – Texas A&M – CC – BA – .313; 50 hits
IF Matt Neegard – Alfred – Northwestern – BA – .322; 20 SB
IF Vince Caesar – Alfred – Southeastern – BA – .297; 20 SB
IF Matt Kriss – Rome – Iona – BA – .329; 24 rbi
IF Dan Fiortio – Syracuse – SC Manhattanville – BA – .319; 44 hits
IF JP Frey – Hornell – Alfred State CC – BA – .318; 47 hits
IF Jeramie Marek – Hornell – Texas A&M – CC – BA – .318; 22 SB
IF Evan Mansell – Geneva – Freed-Hardeman – BA – .311; 24 rbi
OF Jake Matuszak – Hornell – Cent Conn St – BA – .360; 63 hits
OF Brendan Collins – Niagara – St. Leo – BA – .353; 55 hits
OF Daniel Mims – Utica – Southeastern – BA – 0.333; 49 hits
OF Shawn McGraw – Syracuse Jr Chiefs – Binghamton – BA – .295; 46 hits
OF Ryan Burnett – Rome – Shawnee State – BA – .314; 27 SB
DH Mike DeCarr – Syracuse Jr Chiefs – Oneonta – BA – .313; 51 hits
SP Brent Kraus – Utica – St Petersburg – IP – 41.2; ERA – 1.30
SP Julius Storey – Allegany County – Urbana – IP – 51.1; ERA – 1.40
SP Justin James – Niagara – Ave Maria – IP – 57; ERA – 2.68
SP Chandler Knox – Hornell – Presbyterian – IP – 60.2; ERA – 1.48
SP Brian Galligan – Oneonta – Stonehill – IP – 45.2; ERA – 1.97
SP Mike Johnson – Utica – Hillsborough CC – IP – 52.1; ERA – 2.41
RP Connor Sullivan – Webster – Niagara – IP – 30.2; ERA – 0.88
RP Paul Geuy – Niagara – Ohio State – IP – 44; ERA – 2.86
RP DJ Schwartz – Hornell – Rochester – IP – 21.2; ERA – 2.91
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