LYNN — The North Shore Navigators rounded out their outfield for the 2020 season with the signing of two more Futures Collegiate Baseball League All-Stars returning to the Fraser Field grass for a second straight summer.
Before transferring to Division 1 schools this fall, reigning Futures League Most Valuable Player Sean Lawlor (Maine) and fellow 2019 All-FCBL outfielder Ben Malgeri (Northeastern) will spend another summer together as Navigators. President and General Manager Derek January made Friday’s announcement.
Lawlor posted a .291 average with 17 home runs and 107 RBI during his 146-game career at Flagler College and will move on to play his final college season at the University of Maine. The 6-foot-3, 205-pound left-handed swinger from Boca Raton, Fla., became North Shore’s first-ever FCBL MVP last summer after leading the circuit in hits (66), extra-base hits (26), and total bases (111). He also finished second in average (.351), RBI (40), runs scored (44) and slugging percentage (.590) and tied a single-season franchise record with eight homers.
As for this spring, Lawlor hit .286, drove in 16 runs and led the Division 2 Saints in both runs scored (21) and triples (3) over his 22 contests. He was an All-Peach Belt Conference Second Team honoree last season after hitting a career-best .308, matching his sophomore extra-base hit total of 20, and pacing the team with seven homers and 44 RBI.
Scouting Report: Complete player … excellent hitter with sneaky power … can run too … MLB comp: Andre Ethier.
Malgeri is set to transfer to Northeastern University from New Mexico Junior College, where he hit .314 with four homers, 12 RBI, 18 runs scored, a 1.137 OPS and five stolen bases in 18 games as a sophomore. The 6-foot-3, 215-pound Stratham, N.H., native joined the Navs after beginning his career at Holy Cross.
Malgeri earned FCBL All-Star and All-FCBL Second Team honors last summer as he placed seventh in the league with a .333 average and third in runs (42). He also reached base at a .427 clip, finished second to Lawlor for the team’s RBI lead (27) and became just the fourth player in franchise history to record a five-hit game while helping the Navs to a 30-win regular season and league semifinal appearance.
Scouting Report: Big, strong and fast … middle-of-the-order bat … very good outfielder … MLB comp: A.J. Pollock.
In addition to their 2019 FCBL All-Star and All-FCBL honors, Lawlor and Malgeri were two of the three starting outfielders named to the Navs’ FCBL All-Decade Team last month.
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.
