Aug. 25, 2008

QUEENS, N.Y. - Red Storm baseball players Brian Kemp, Nick Cenatiempo, Ryan Cole, Greg Hopkins and Daniel Benedetti each had a hand in helping their respective summer league teams to league championship titles. Kemp helped the Harwich Mariners defeat the Cotuit Kettleers, 2-1, in the Cape Cod League Championship, while Cenatiempo, Cole and Hopkins helped the Sanford Mariners sweep the Newport Gulls in the best-of-three New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL) Championship series. Benedetti then helped the Thunder Bay Border Cats defeat the Madison Mallards in the best-of-three Northwoods League Championship series. St. John's volunteer assistant coach Julio Vega, meanwhile, led his Atlantic Collegiate Baseball League (ACBL) Hampton Whalers to the ACBL championship game.

In the Cape Cod League championship game, Kemp scored the game-winning run in the bottom of the ninth to lift the Mariners to their first league title in 21 years. Kemp appeared in 21 regular season games for the Mariners and batted .253 with 10 runs scored. The outfielder added three doubles, one triple, four RBI and was 9-for-10 in stolen bases. In the postseason, Kemp scored five runs and added one double and one RBI.

Cenatiempo posted a 4-3 record and a 4.06 ERA in the regular season, while also notching one save and striking out 38 batters in 44.1 innings. In the playoffs, the righty was 1-0 with a 0.00 ERA. En route to the title, Cenatiempo also had seven strikeouts in 9.2 innings and earned the save in the championship game.

A relief pitcher, Cole was 0-1 with a 2.25 ERA in 16 regular season appearances. The righty had seven saves and 17 strikeouts in 20.0 innings. In the postseason, Cole struck out six and did not allow a run in 3.0 innings of work, while adding three saves.

Hopkins, meanwhile, made 26 starts and 33 appearances. Hopkins batted .204 with three doubles, one triple, one home run and 12 RBI. The shortstop scored 13 runs and was 4-for-6 in stolen base attempts. Hopkins made four starts and six appearances in the playoffs, adding one run and one RBI.

Benedetti batted .258 in 28 games for the Border Cats. The catcher collected two doubles, scored eight runs and added seven RBI. Benedetti finished tied for second on the team with eight sacrifice hits and also posted a .333 on-base percentage.

In his first season at the helm of the Whalers, Coach Vega led his squad to the ACBL playoffs after a 19-21 regular season record. After three consecutive postseason wins, the Whalers earned the right to represent the Kaiser Division in the ACBL championship game. The squad, however, fell 8-2 to the Kutztown Rockies, winners of three-straight ACBL championships.