By: Shannon Bickert

The Schooners return to the Shipyard on Tuesday, July 14 to host the Keene Swamp Bats. Mystic is 18-11 on the summer, good for second place in the NECBL South Division standings, four games behind the Martha’s Vineyard Sharks. The Swamp Bats are third in the North sitting at 16-15-1.

The Schooners are coming off an 11-5 road win over the Westerners. Cam Righi (UConn), Jamie Zee (Notre Dame), Thomas O’Connell (UVA) and Anthony Ruggiero (URI) all hit home runs in the win for the Schooners.

The Swamp Bats are on a 2-8 stretch, coming off a double header split to Ocean State. In the second game, Keene was shutout 11-0.

In the team’s last meeting on July 8, Mystic took down Keene 5-2. Anthony Belisario (GWU) hit a long ball and double for three RBI in the contest.

Jackson Smith (Cincinatti) of the Swamp Bats ranks fourth in the league in batting average, entering the night with a .382 clip. Smith has 10 RBI and four homers on the year as well. Chris Polemeni (UConn) leads the NECBL in home runs with six for the Swamp Bats, while Nico Senese (GSU) is tied for second with five blasts.

For Mystic, Zee ranks fourth in RBI with 22 on the summer. Righi is fourth in the NECBL in stolen bases with 17. Mystic has 89 stolen bases through 29 games, good for third as a team.

Brady Bouchard (Stetson) is Mystic’s probable starter for Tuesday’s match up. Bouchard has pitched to a 2.30 ERA in 15.1 innings pitched this summer. Bouchard has struck out 13 through his six appearances. Bouchard’s last start was against the Swamp Bats where he pitched four innings of no-run ball, holding Keene to just two hits.

First pitch from Ed Harvey Field is set for 6:30 pm. Tune into the live-game broadcast on NECBL+.