Herring All-Star Game Most Valuable Player as North - With Many Bats - Beats South 3-1

WHITE RIVER JUNCTION, Vt. – On Monday, July 21, players and fans from the NECBL's 13 teams joined together at the Maxfield Sports Complex, the home of the Upper Valley Nighthawks, for the 2025 NECBL All-Star Game.

Highlighting the league's top talent, the season's staple also brings together fans from across the NECBL community. 

"It's the best time of the year," said NECBL commissioner Sean McGrath. "It's like Christmas morning for me to have all the MLB scouts here, the fans, and have the best of the best in the NECBL. It's a great day, great weather, and it's going to be a great performance."

And it was a great performance. The North Division took down the South Division in a tight 3-1 contest, in front of an Upper Valley record-breaking 1,745 Maxfield Sports Complex attendance. 

After a dominant summer campaign, Finbar O'Brien (Newport, Gonzaga) earned the start for the South Division. However, facing a tough top of the lineup, O'Brien gave up a leadoff walk to Ty Mainolfi (Keene, Boston College) before an RBI double from his SwampBat teammate Jack Herring (Keene, East Carolina) plated the game's first run. Jaylen Hernandez (Vermont, Winthrop) made it back-to-back RBI doubles with a line drive opposite field shot, giving the North an early 2-0 lead after the first inning. 

The North Division added another run in the bottom of the second, despite not recording a hit. Lead-off walks continued to plague the South, as Ryan Kolben (Sanford, UMass) and Trey King (Sanford, Georgia) reached to open the inning. A groundout placed the runners on second and third, and Brendan Sencaj (Sanford, Bentley) delivered with a hard ground ball that ate up the shortstop, extending the lead to 3-0.

Persistent pitching and stout defense were the themes for the rest of the game. While the South Division finished with six hits, one more than the North, they could not string anything together outside of the top of the fifth on a Kyle Branch (Oklahoma, Newport) single, a Garrett Larsen (Yale, Danbury) hit by pitch, and an RBI single from Sebastian Mexico (Louisiana Tech, Valley). Team South also failed to capitalize on a bases-loaded opportunity in the eighth after two walks and a hit by pitch. 

Todd Kniebbe (Keene, Kansas St) shut down the South Division in the top of the ninth in a 1-2-3 inning to earn the victory and pick up the save. However, the bottom of the ninth was still played to accommodate the reserves and showcase their talents in front of the scouts. During this extra play, the North had the bases loaded but could not add to its lead.

Herring took home the MVP honors with his RBI double in the first, starting the North's early rally. Shaun McKenna, Herring's manager both tonight and at Keene, had nothing but praise for the East Carolina Pirate.

"He is a phenomenal young man, but he's been on a tear lately," McKenna said of Herring. "He was a unanimous selection, only hitting .280, but now he's up to .320. So for him to start us off with a double, run scored, and RBI, it's great for our organization. I'm so happy for him."

The North Division sees Keene sit comfortably in first with a 26-11 record, with the second-place Sanford Mainers 7.5 games back at 18-18. The North Adams SteepleCats (16-18) and All-Star Game host Upper Valley Nighthawks (15-19) round out the current playoff picture, but the North Shore Navigators (14-20) and Vermont Mountaineers (13-24) are not out of it yet.

The South Division is much more competitive, with the Bristol Blues (24-12), Newport Gulls (21-14), and Martha's Vineyard Sharks (21-16) all within four games of first place. The Mystic Schooners (17-20), Valley Blue Sox (16-19), Ocean State Waves (15-20), and Danbury Westerners (14-19) are currently battling for fourth place and the final playoff spot as the 2025 regular season nears a close.

NECBL action picks back up Tuesday at 4:00 pm with game one of a North Adams and Upper Valley double header, followed by a full slate of night games.