Ozzie Borell was presented with the All-Star MVP trophy by NECBL Commissioner Mario Tiani and John Watterson.
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For the first time, the Berkshires hosted the New England Collegiate Baseball League’s All-Star Game on Sunday. In honor of the region’s legacy of baseball accomplishments and in an effort to welcome all-stars to the county, the NECBL sponsored a series of weekend-long events as part of All-Star Weekend. North Adams - Despite receiving tragic news early Sunday morning, the North Adams SteepleCats were instrumental in the southern division’s 8-0 victory over the northern division in the New England Collegiate Baseball League’s All-Star Game.
SteepleCat Ozzie Borrell, who hit the game’s only homerun at Joe Wolfe Field yesterday, dedicated his MVP-winning performance to teammate Neiko Johnson, after learning of Johnson’s mother’s death earlier in the day.
“This award’s for him,†said Borrell, holding up his John Watterson Most Valuable Player trophy. “We’ve only been playing together for about two months, but it’s amazing how close we’ve gotten. He’s a great kid and I love him to death.â€
“It’s an emotional day,†said SteepleCats General Manager Sean McGrath. “These guys are like family and to start the day off with news like that, it’s tough.â€
With 4, 210 in attendance at the Berkshire debut of the All-Star Game, the home team showed the crowd how all-stars play. Along with players from the Newport Gulls, the Danbury Westerners, the Torrington Twisters, the Manchester Silkworms and the Pittsfield Dukes, the SteepleCats’ southern division took on the Keene Swampbats, the Vermont Mountaineers, the Sanford Mainers, the Lowell All-Americans, the Holyoke Giants and the Concord Quarry Dogs.
MVP Performance
Beginning the night with a 2-run homerun in the third inning on his first pitch, Borrell started his game off right.
“I just saw the ball clearing the fence, but I could tell from the crowd’s reaction it was one of our guys,†said McGrath.
Borrell later hit a blistering groundball to shortstop in the fourth inning for a base hit. He concluded his night going 2 for 2 with two runs batted in.
“Ozzie was able to put it all behind him and he did a heck of a job,†said teammate and fellow all-star Michael Moras, who was the catcher from the fourth inning to the sixth.
“I had a lot of extra energy because my fans were here. I love North Adams and I love my team,†said Borrell. “I told the guys. ‘Let’s get a win. I want a win. I don’t like losing.â€
“He played this game for Neiko and his mother,†said McGrath. “He’s the type of teammate you want - he loves the players like his brothers.â€
Pitcher Perfect It was all about pitching for the southern division as they shut out the northern division, holding them to 3 hits and striking out 11.
SteepleCats pitchers fared well, allowing their opponents no runs in two innings.
Nick McCully, the freshman from Lakeland, Fla., pitched the fourth inning. After getting one quick out, McCully struck out the following two batters, throwing a perfect inning.
Jack Britton, a Middlebury College junior, came in for the fifth, where he pitched a quick 1-2-3 inning, giving a one-out hit but was rescued when he got the Mountaineers’ Chad Durakis to ground to a double play.
“It was picture perfect,†said McGrath of his team’s performance. “I couldn’t be more happy. I couldn’t have asked for anything better.â€
All-Star Weekend
Before the game, All-Star weekend sponsored a "Pirate's Bay All Star Fan Fun Fest" complete with water slide, player dunk tank and "bounce house."
Fans from all teams were treated to cotton candy and snow cones and had the opportunity to dunk their favorite SteepleCat pitcher, including Rhode Island's Robert Germane and Canada's Shane Davis.
"You do it for the kids," said Germane after being dunked by a line of children with amazing accuracy.
Following an All-Star skills competition featuring a homerun derby and fastest baserunner activities, local band Character Nine played a few original songs behind home plate before the game, sending the team mascots into a dancing frenzy.
The SteepleCats also hosted a short memorial service for members of the armed forces who lost their lives since September 11, 2001 with a flag ceremony by the American Legion Post 125 Color Guard.
Representative Daniel Bosley and Mayor John Barrett III were seen in the stands, cheering on the home team, while local celebrity and Pittsfield Dukes owner Dan Duquette supported Dukes players Alex Hassan and Nelson Gomez.
Future Plans
The SteepleCats are looking to make a solid playoff run as they near the end of the season. They’ll be facing the Concord Quarry Dogs tonight at Joe Wolfe Field. The game begins at 7 p.m.
The Pittsfield Dukes’ Media Relations Manager Daniel Sturtevant contributed to this story.
Jen Thomas may be reached via email at jthomas@iberkshires.com or at (413) 663-3384, ext. 23.
If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.
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North Adams Schools Reviewing Greenhouse Program
By Tammy Daniels iBerkshires Staff
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — School officials plan to review the greenhouse program, which is being used for life skills education for older students.
The cost of the program was raised during review of the fiscal 2027 budget by the Finance and Facilities committee last week. Three or four students aged 18 to 22 are being served through the special education program at the greenhouse on South Church Street.
The discussion came up during the committee's final review and recommendation of a fiscal 2027 budget of $22,396,047 that will be offset by the transfer of $1,448,692 in school choice funds for a total of $20,947,355.
The school district is responsible for educating students up to age 22. The current staffing is a greenhouse manager, a special education teacher and one or more teaching assistants.
"The greenhouse manager is in charge of operations of the greenhouse itself, but not teaching the students, although the students can work with the greenhouse manager," said Superintendent Timothy Callahan. "Almost like an internship, even though these are students with significant disabilities."
Committee member David Sookey asked if the life skills program service these children at Drury High School as a "better utilization of resources we already have at the high school."
Callahan rsponded that it's a possible model for next year, describing the greenhouse as an adult version of the CASTLE (Collaboration for Autism Spectrum Teaching, Learning and Excelling) program, an individualized special education program for children with autism and communication disorders.
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