By: Shannon Bickert
After winning the first two games of the championship over the Sanford Mariners and a franchise-best regular season, the Mystic Schooners brought home their first New England Collegiate Baseball League title in 2016.
The 2016 win was the franchises’ first win under the name of the Schooners in Mystic.
Ten years ago, the team ran out a star-studded roster highlighted by future professional players.
One of the success stories of the 2016 Schooners team was Justin Foley. Foley grew up in Manhasset, N.Y. and attended Sacred Heart University. Foley joined Mystic in 2015 and got a nod to the NECBL All-Star game in his first season.
Foley went undrafted in 2016, but the Detroit Tigers decided to give him a chance, and signed him as a free agent. He made his way through Detroit's farm system, and recovered from Tommy John surgery in 2018 to make his debut in 2021.
Foley tossed a scoreless frame during his debut, after hitting two batsmen. He went on to deal 10.1 innings out of work out of the ‘pen on the season and posted 2.61 ERA during his first 11 appearances.
Foley quickly found success at the major league level, anchoring the Tigers bullpen in 2023. He pitched 69.0 innings for Detroit during the season and fanned 55 batters.
2024 was Foley’s breakout year. He accumulated 28 saves, which led the team. Foley did not see time in the 2025 season at the major league level after sustaining a season-ending shoulder strain in April.
Hometown kid Aaron Hill, the star shortstop, helped lead the 2016 championship team. Hill joined Mystic in 2014 and finished his career as a Schooner with a bang, winning an NECBL title.
Hill grew up in Groton, Connecticut, and stayed in state for his collegiate career, attending the University of Connecticut.
During the 2015 season, Hill was a standout, earning the NECBL Sportsman of the Year Award. His accolades continued, as he was named an infield reserve in the 2016 All-Star Game and was recognized as a top 10 prospect in the league.
Hill continued to pursue his baseball career, joining the Frontier League in 2018 with the Erie Crushers. Hill thrived during his time in Erie, posting a .830 OPS across two seasons.
Despite 2020 shutting down the majority of baseball across the globe, the American Association offered opportunities to shine during the pandemic. Hill played for the Milwaukee Milkmen across three seasons, winning a championship with the team.
After his stint in Milwaukee, Hill joined the Atlantic League with the Southern Maryland Blueclaws in 2024. Baseball brought Hill to Puerto Rico before he came back to the States to play for the DockHounds of the American Association.
Other products of the 2016 Schooners had professional baseball stints, including Richard Slenker, Brett Bond, and Kevin Magee.
Slenker, the Pound Ridge, New York native, spent his collegiate career with Yale University, where he was named Second-Team All-Ivy. In 2017, in the 28th round of the MLB Draft, Slenker was selected by the Houston Astros and was assigned to the Florida Complex League Astros.
Bond, a University of Missouri standout, signed with the Los Angeles Angels as a free agent in 2018. Bond made his way through the ranks of the Angels' farm system before getting traded to the Mariners, where he saw a brief stint with the Inland Empire 66ers.
Another piece in the 2016 championship who played professionally was Magee. The New Jersey native attended St. John’s University and posted a 1.63 ERA in the 2016 playoff run for the Schooners. The southpaw was signed by the Baltimore Orioles and spent three years in their farm system.
This season, Mystic is celebrating the 10th Championship anniversary and the 15-year anniversary of the Schooners franchise.
