Though it may have ended earlier than they would have liked, the Montpelier Recreation Field fans had plenty to get excited about during the 2024 New England Collegiate Baseball League season. Their hometown Mountaineers went 30–11 - tops in the league - boasting a .732 winning percentage during the regular season before bowing out to the rival Sanford Mainers in the playoff semifinals.
The team that lost in the postseason looked very different from the one that lit up the league during the two-month regular season. In recent years, there’s been a pattern with the Mountaineers struggling to hold on to some of their key contributors down the stretch. Part of it, said general manager Brian Gallagher, is because their athletes are college students.
Players finish their school seasons and come out immediately to play for the Mountaineers, meaning it has often been months since the last time they saw family. According to Gallagher, it makes sense why those guys might want a little bit of time at home. The contracts that players sign also allow them to opt out for pretty much any reason, whether that be injuries, innings limits imposed by college teams or MLB call-ups.
That hit the Mountaineers hard this year, with core players ending their seasons early. Right-handed pitcher Jack Eshleman of Hamilton College was signed by the Toronto Blue Jays. And Stowe product Ben Alekson, who pitches for Fairfield University, was on a 25-inning limit set by his college coach.
Max Jensen, an.