Benevento and Smith Collect NECBL Week 4 Player and Pitcher Awards

Vermont Mountaineers outfielder Alex Benevento (Brown) and Sanford Mainers right-handed pitcher Drew Smith (UConn) have been named the NECBL Player and Pitcher of the Week after standout performances during Week 4.

Benevento continued his outstanding summer at the plate, leading the league with six runs scored and 14 total bases while batting .571 across the week. The Brown University center fielder collected eight hits, including three doubles and a home run, while posting a 1.000 slugging percentage and a .667 on-base percentage. His biggest performance came on June 28 against Upper Valley, when he went 4-for-4 to help lead Vermont to a 9-0 victory. The New Canaan, CT native has been one of the NECBL's most productive hitters. During the 2026 season, Benevento boasts a .367 batting average with a 1.144 OPS and nine extra-base hits. Benevento is coming off a strong sophomore season at Brown, where he started all 43 games and hit .304 with 43 runs scored, 33 RBI, and 17 stolen bases. Benevento earned Second Team All-Ivy League honors while finishing among the conference's top 10 in slugging percentage (.484), OPS (.896), runs scored, and stolen bases.

On the mound, Smith turned in one of the league's most dominant starts of the week, allowing just one run over five innings while striking out nine batters in Sanford's victory over Danbury on June 25. The Auburn, Maine native has built on an impressive rookie campaign with the Mainers. Through 15 innings this summer, the second-year NECBL right-hander is 2-0 with a 1.80 ERA and 22 strikeouts. Smith posted a 1.54 ERA during the 2025 season, giving him a 1.67 ERA across his first two NECBL summers. Smith recently completed his freshman season at UConn, where he made eight appearances.

Benevento and the Mountaineers (7-13) return home Monday night to host the Mystic Schooners, while Smith and the first-place Mainers (13-5) carry a three-game winning streak into a road matchup against the Newport Gulls.

Week 4 Honor Roll - Position Players
Christopher DiPrima (Yale), Bristol Blues, 1B
Collin Anderson (Duke), Keene SwampBats, INF
Gabriel Milano (UMiami), Ocean State Waves, INF
Austin Pierzynski (Alabama Birmingham), Martha's Vineyard Sharks, C
Max Farrell (San Diego State), Ocean State Waves, INF
Jackson Smith (Cincinnati), Keene SwampBats, INF
Devan Zirwas (Coastal Carolina), Newport Gulls, 1B

Week 4 Honor Roll - Pitchers
Richie Kerstetter (Portal), North Adams Steeplecats
Rex Hauser (UMaine), Vermont Mountaineers
Evan Hoeckele (St. Johns), Vermont Mountaineers
Kyle Peters (Portal), Bristol Blues
John Hegarty (Cornell), North Shore Navigators
Cooper Waddle (Southern Miss), Ocean State Waves
Jack Ensell (UMiami), Valley Blue Sox

---

The New England Collegiate Baseball League is a wooden bat collegiate summer league featuring teams across all six New England states. Since its founding in 1994, the NECBL has produced more than 230 Major League Baseball alumni, including nearly 30 first-round MLB Draft selections. For continuing coverage of the NECBL, visit NECBL.com and follow the league on X, Instagram, and Facebook.