LYNN — The North Shore Navigators’ pitching staff will include two more familiar faces and Massachusetts natives during the upcoming Futures Collegiate Baseball League season.
Swampscott’s Gavin Sullivan (Stetson) and Amesbury’s Blake Bennett (UMass Lowell) will both join a growing group of returning players on North Shore’s latest club. President and General Manager Derek January made the announcement on Monday.
A rising Stetson junior, Sullivan served as one of North Shore’s top pitchers last summer. He went 5-2 with a 4.26 ERA for the Navs in 2019, working at least five innings in the last six of his 10 starts (50.2 in total) on his way to co-leading the team in wins. The 6-foot-2, 175-pound righty tossed three frames of one-run ball during his second spring with the Hatters after making six relief appearances as a freshman. Sullivan was a Northeast Conference All-Star at Swampscott High before moving on to Cheshire Academy and earning back-to-back Western New England Prep Pitcher of the Year honors.
Scouting Report: Outstanding seasoned pitcher … will throw any pitch in any count … big-game pitcher … MLB comp: Collin McHugh.
The 6-foot-4, 220-pound Bennett pitched in six games for the Navs in 2019, allowing just one run on four hits, before launching his college career at UMass Lowell. He got into three games during his freshman season as a River Hawk, averaging a strikeout over his five innings of work. Navs infielders Keagan Calero and Jon Gilbride are college classmates of Bennett, who captained Amesbury’s baseball and hockey teams as a high school senior and also played football and basketball at the varsity level during his career.
Scouting Report: Very projectable pitcher … strong physically … 88-92mph with a good curveball … strikeout ability … MLB comp: Ryan Brasier.
The Navs are now preparing for the 13th season of collegiate ball at Fraser Field and their ninth in the Futures League, which will begin on a date to be determined this summer. Stay up to date on the latest Navs news by visiting nsnavs.com and following us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
