NEWPORT, R.I. — After a spending his summer playing in the New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL) for the Newport Gulls, Jose Vizcaino, Jr. is coming back to Santa Clara with another victory under his belt. Vizcaino Jr. and the Gulls found themselves in the NECBL Championship series where the rising junior faced off against Bronco teammate and summer ball rival Stevie Berman who played for the Sanford Mainers. The Gulls took home the championship, going 2-0 in a best-of-three series.
"Momentum was huge for us," Vizcaino, Jr. said. "It had a lot to do with our confidence and belief in ourselves. We knew we were good and once we got to the point where we truly believed it - that's when we took off and played to our full potential."
This was the 11th berth into the NECBL finals for the Gulls and the league-record sixth crown. The Gulls shut out the Mainers 5-0 in game one, giving them the momentum going into the second game of the series.
In the top of the sixth inning of game two, Vizcaino Jr. doubled and scored with two outs, sparking an eight-run rally for the Gulls. Newport held off Sanford's comeback bid to win 8-5 and earn its sixth NECBL Championship in the team's 16th year in the league.
Vizcaino Jr. made some big plays for the Gulls in their championship series, including an athletic catch turned double play when he made a leaping grab at the left center field wall and doubled off a Mainers baserunner at first.
"All I wanted to do was make plays and score runs," Vizcaino Jr. said. "Luckily, I was put in big situations and was able to perform. Baseball is a game that requires everyone to contribute and the best part about our team was the ability to pick each other up."
In his 73 at bats this summer, Vizcaino Jr. posted a .247 batting average and 11 RBIs. He posted a .361 batting average in the NECBL Playoffs with two home runs and seven RBIs.
After the culmination of the 42-game season for the Gulls, the team was ready for a celebration. Vizcaino Jr. described the post game activities, "we had an eventful three-hour bus ride home then all went over to my host family's house and celebrated with the huge trophy. Everyone attended — our general manager, coaches, trainers, the grounds crew, and yes, the bus driver even made a celebrity appearance."
With the summer ball season at a close and adding one more accolade to his baseball resume, Vizcaino Jr. is taking this championship feeling into his junior season with the Broncos.
"Winning the championship with the Gulls was an incredible experience and I can't imagine what it would be like in a Bronco uniform. Coming back to school, I'm excited to work hard and push my teammates throughout the preseason."
