The Newport Gulls are a wooden-bat, collegiate summer baseball team based in Newport, Rhode Island. The Newport Gulls Baseball Club is a member of the Coastal Division of the New England Collegiate Baseball League. Since 2001, the Gulls have played at Cardines Field.
History An NECBL expansion team, the club was founded in Cranston in 1998. The Gulls have been one of the NECBL's most successful teams since their inception, winning eight Fay Vincent, Sr. Cups as champions of the NECBL, and eleven division titles.
While most teams playing at Cardines average attendance in the dozens or, at most, a few hundred per game, the Newport Gulls, since moving to Newport in 2001, have helped bring the field back to its former glory days of the mid-twentieth century, averaging over 2,300 fans for a regular-season home game. During the 2004 season alone, the Gulls attracted over 50,000 fans through just 26 home games, with sellout crowds in excess of 3,000 people. Following the 2006 season, the Gulls set a team and league record (since surpassed) for regular season home attendance, totaling 42,424 fans after 21 games, along with the league's all-time best win–loss record of 32–10. For the 2024 season, the Gulls ranked 13th in all of summer collegiate baseball with an average attendance of 2,676 per game, second in the NECBL to the ninth-ranked Martha's Vineyard Sharks. In 15 seasons in Newport, the Gulls have never failed to win fewer than 25 regular season games.
Newport Gulls games often feature fan participation activities between innings, along with concessions, low ticket prices, and a safe atmosphere. This reputation has only added to their popularity, not only among tourists passing through Newport, but with many Aquidneck Island children and families, as well. The active crowds, historic atmosphere, and competent club management have allowed the Gulls to recruit some of the best college baseball players in the nation, with talent rivaling the Cape Cod League. Since 2001, Cardines Field has hosted the Gulls through 13 regular season division titles, 13 postseason division titles, and 8 league championships, along with other notable awards, such as the RI Governor's Cup, Pell Bridge Series Championship, and Dunkin' Donuts Cup. The Gulls formerly had an annual tradition of playing Team USA in an exhibition around Independence Day every July, in what was often a sellout game. In July 2005, the Gulls hosted the NECBL All-Star Game and Home Run Derby at Cardines, which was a major event for the park, the league, and the City of Newport. The Gulls have hosted the NECBL All-Star Game and Home Run Derby four times, in 2005, 2010, 2016, and 2021.
The Gulls and the NECBL as a whole have received national attention with the addition of live Internet video webcasts to the normal audio webcast of games, effectively doing so at minimum cost in infrastructure. On opening night of the 2006 NECBL season, the Newport Gulls were the first to implement this new technology, bringing summer collegiate baseball, as well as Cardines Field, into a new era. These changes and improvements were implemented under the direction of team Director of Broadcast Operations and Media Relations Nicholas Lima from 2005 to 2015.
The attention is not frowned upon for Gulls players, who, as amateur college athletes, hope to be drafted by Major League Baseball teams. The recent surge in recognition and popularity of the Newport Gulls organization throughout the professional baseball world has provided for an increase in the number of Gulls players to be drafted every year. The professionalism and expanse of the Gulls media operations has made it a model summer collegiate teams around the country attempt to emulate, and the Gulls internship program is considered a premier stepping stone for college students seeking a career in sports management.
The Gulls are the most successful franchise in NECBL history, having won the Fay Vincent Sr. Cup in 2001, 2002, 2005, 2009, 2012, 2014, 2023, and most recently in 2024. The 2012 Gulls were Perfect Games unofficial national champion, and NECBL's first team to be so honored.
Attendance The following is a list of Gulls attendance figures at Cardines Field dating back to the 2001 season, when the team began using the facility. +Home attendance Season Game avg. Season total Lge. rk. 2001 676 11,491 4th 2002 792 16,640 5th 2003 1,200 21,604 4th 2004 1,798 35,963 2nd 2005 1,687 33,759 3rd 2006 2,020 42,424 1st 2007 2,010 42,225 1st 2008 2,101 44,123 1st 2009 2,277 45,547 1st 2010 2,284 45,683 1st 2011 2,146 42,913 2nd 2012 2,126 38,275 1st 2013 1,939 40,714 1st 2014 2,332 46,645 1st 2015 2,104 46,290 2016 2,086 45,904 2017 1,823 40,113 2018 2,093 46,052 2019 2,190 48,183 2020 COVID suspended season 2021 2,123 48,698 2022 2,345 51,608 2023 2,968 65,297 2024 2,676 53,522 2nd
Managers and record +Managers and regular season won-loss records Season Manager Won-Loss Career Record 2001 Carmen Carcone 25–15 25–15 2002 Terry Allvord 25–17 25–17 2003 Terry Rupp 25–15 25–15 2004 Dennis Healy 26–15 26–15 2005 Tom Atkinson, Mike Coombs 25–16 25–16 2006 Mike Coombs 32–10 57–26 2007 Mike Coombs 25–17 82–43 2008 Mike Coombs 26–16 108–59 2009 Mike Coombs 31–10 139–69 2010 Mike Coombs 27–15 166–84 2011 Mike Coombs 29–13 195–97 2012 Mike Coombs 31–10 226–107 2013 Mike Coombs 30–14 256–121 2014 Mike Coombs 25–17 281–138 2015 Mike Coombs 27–15 308–153 2016 Al Leyva 25–19 25–19 2017 Al Leyva 20-22 45–41 2018 Mike Coombs 21–23 329–176 2019 Kevin Winterrowd 27–17 27–17 2020 COVID suspended season 2021 Kevin Winterrowd 22-20 49–37 2022 Fank Holbrook 30–14 30–14 2023 Frank Holbrook 32–12 62–26 2024 Mike Coombs
Postseason appearances YearDivision Semi-FinalsDivision FinalsNECBL Championship Series Rhode Island Gulls2000Mill City All-AmericansW (2–1)Keene Swamp BatsL (1–2) Newport Gulls2001Eastern TidesW (2–1)Keene Swamp BatsW (2–1)2002North Adams SteeplecatsW (2–1)Danbury WesternersW (2–0)Keene Swamp BatsW (2–0)2003Danbury WesternersW (2–1)Torrington TwistersL (0–2)2004Torrington TwistersW (2–1)Riverpoint RoyalsW (2–1)Sanford MainersL (1–2)2005Danbury WesternersW (2–0)North Adams SteeplecatsW (2–0)Vermont MountaineersW (2–0)2006Manchester SilkwormsW (2–1)Torrington TwistersL (0–2)2007North Adams SteeplecatsW (2–1)Torrington TwistersW (2–0)Vermont MountaineersL (0–2)2008Manchester SilkwormsW (2–0)Pittsfield DukesW (2–0)Sanford MainersL (0–2)2009New Bedford Bay SoxW (2–0)Sanford MainersW (2–1)Vermont MountaineersW (2–1)2010Laconia MuskratsW (2–0)North Shore NavigatorsL (1–2)2011Laconia MuskratsL (0–2)2012Sanford MainersW (2–1)New Bedford Bay SoxW (2–0)Danbury Westerners W (2–0)2013Sanford MainersW (2–0)Mystic SchoonersW (2–0)Keene Swamp BatsL (1–2)2014Ocean State WavesW (2–1)Plymouth PilgrimsW (2–1)Sanford MainersW (2–0)2015Ocean State WavesW (2–1)Mystic SchoonersL (0–2)2016Danbury WesternersW (2-1)Mystic SchoonersL (0-2)2019Mystic SchoonersW (1-0)Martha's Vineyard SharksL (1-2)2022Sanford MainersL (0–1)2023Ocean State WavesW (2–1)Danbury WesternersW (2–0)Bristol BluesW (2–0)2024Valley Blue SoxW (2–0)Bristol BluesW (2–0)Sanford MainersW (2–1)2025Mystic SchoonersW (2-1)Martha's Vineyard SharksL (1-2)2026Bristol BluesL (1-2)
Notable players +Notable Newport Gulls Year Player MLB Team University 1999 SzuminskiJason Szuminski San Diego Padres MIT 2003 IanettaChris Ianetta Los Angeles Angels University of North Carolina 2004 BoggsMitchell Boggs St. Louis Cardinals University of Georgia 2005 OteroDan Otero San Francisco Giants Duke University 2006 BeliveauJeff Beliveau Chicago Cubs College of Charleston 2006 DominguezChris Dominguez San Francisco Giants University of Louisville 2007 WilkAdam Wilk Detroit Tigers Long Beach State University 2007 StudMike Seander N/A Duke University 2009 GarciaGreg Garcia St. Louis Cardinals University of Hawaiʻi 2010 AppelMark Appel Philadelphia Phillies Stanford University 2010 GarciaChris Taylor Seattle Mariners University of Virginia 2010 GarciaPat Light Boston Red Sox Monmouth University 2011–12 GarciaDaniel Wright Cincinnati Reds Arkansas State University 2013 GarciaBrett Graves Miami Marlins University of Missouri 2013 GarciaJoel McKeithan Cincinnati Reds Vanderbilt University 2014 GarciaTommy Edman St. Louis Cardinals Stanford University 2014 GarciaWill Smith Los Angeles Dodgers University of Louisville 2015 GarciaJames Karinchak Cleveland Guardians Bryant University 2016 GarciaKris Bubic Kansas City Royals Stanford University 2016 GarciaJake Cousins Milwaukee Brewers University of Pennsylvania 2017 GarciaJJ Bleday Oakland Athletics Vanderbilt University 2019 GarciaJustyn-Henry Malloy Detroit Tigers Georgia Tech
Notable games July 29, 2002: Rafael Lara plays all nine positions in a nine-inning game against the Mill City All-Americans. On the pitcher's mound for the seventh inning, Lara got credit for the Gulls 5–4 win. July 1, 2005: Four Gulls pitchers throw a no-hitter. After a first-batter walk, the next 27 Danbury Westerner batters are retired in order. August 8, 2005: Gulls' second baseman Jeff Miller turns an unassisted triple play in a NECBL championship series game. July 21, 2006: Three Gulls pitchers throw a no-hitter against the North Adams SteepleCats. July 4, 2008: Gulls pitcher Chase Reid strikes out an NECBL-record 19 Torrington Twisters.
July 28, 2025: Gulls right fielder Michael Gupton, in a seven-inning game against the Danbury Westerners, hits three home runs with four runs batted in.
Notes
References
External links Official site of the Newport Gulls