Negus pitching in as summer starter
Phil Negus has picked up where he left off last summer with the Sanford Mainers of the New England Collegiate Baseball League - but in a different role.
In two seasons at Wake Forest University, and last season with the Mainers, the Milford resident pitched in relief. Now, he's a starter and the early returns have been fairly encouraging.
The 6-foot-2-inch, 205-pound right-hander hurled six shutout innings in a 4-1 victory over the Lowell All-Americans then went 5 1/3 innings, allowing one earned run (with no decision), as Sanford topped the Vermont Mountaineers, 9-4. He was hit hard in Tuesday's start vs. Pittsfield, but has compiled a 3.63 earned-run average in 17.1 innings.
"The Lowell game was definitely something to build on," said Negus, who had appeared briefly with the Bourne Braves of the Cape Cod League. "Starting in college has been a goal of mine. I'm working on throwing inside, which is crucial in college because of the metal bats and locating my two-seam fastball."
When the Braves adjusted their roster, the 20-year-old was released and contacted by the Mainers - and with good reason. Last year, Negus appeared in a team-high 16 games for Sanford and held opposing hitters to a .118 average.
"I talked to his college coach [Rick Rembielak] and heard Phil was available. Rick thought he would benefit by getting some extended innings," said Mainers manager Joe Brown, the head coach at Cortland State College.
Negus, a former Phillips Exeter Academy baseball and hockey standout, has been a key in the Mainers' battle for first place in the league's Northern Division.
"He's definitely a battler," said Brown.
Although Rembielak still envisions Negus as a college reliever, he believes the starter's role in Maine will benefit him. "You always know you'll get Phil's best effort," said Rembielak, "but he has to get a more consistent feel for his pitches and he's in the right place to do that this summer."
Brian Casey, a 2007 Tufts University graduate and All-New England selection, was named to the Intercity League All-Star Team as a member of the Watertown Reds. Casey is an assistant baseball coach at Tufts University under his father, head coach John Casey. Brian plays third base and is the closer for the Reds, who play their home games at Victory Field and are managed by Watertown High baseball coach Joe Chiodo.
"It's a good arrangement, playing baseball three or four nights a week and recruiting by day," said Brian Casey, a team captain, shortstop, and closer at Tufts. "Joe has been great about letting me share in decisions and it's another experience that I hope will lead to head coaching in college."
Brother Kevin has returned to the defending champion Fort Collins (Colo.) Foxes of the Mountain Collegiate League, a team Brian also played for. Kevin Casey was a junior captain and third baseman on this season's Tufts team that finished 19-15 and advanced to the New England Small College Athletic Conference playoffs.
Brian and his father visited Kevin earlier this week, but not before rooting for the youngest of the Casey brothers, Brendan, who played for the Central squad in the recent Bay State Games. Brendan, a senior-to-be at Milford High, hit .438 as the starting third baseman for the Scarlet Hawks this past spring, earning Mid-Wach A All-Star honors. This summer, he's playing third for Milford Legion team, which was 20-1 at the start of the week.
"Following all my kids around this summer has been great fun," said the elder Casey, a longtime Milford resident "and it lets me do some scouting at the same time."
"I really loved being at Wellesley and I wasn't going to leave until I felt that a new head coaching job would be the right fit for me and MIT was definitely that place," said Raman, who earned a law degree at Boston College.
Marvin Pave can be reached at 508-820-4223 or marvin.pave@rcn.com.
