Norwich in thick of playoff race at halfway point of season

Summer is in full swing and as the calendar flips to July, the Norwich Sea Unicorns are already halfway through the 2022 season.

Sitting at an even 16-16, the Sea Unicorns have been playing some of their best baseball of the summer as of late, winning seven of their last ten games to pull themselves into a playoff spot.

During that stretch, Norwich has captured three mercy-rule victories, including two 10-0 shutouts over the Worcester Bravehearts. The Sea Unicorns also secured two late-inning comebacks in the last ten games, one of which being a 7-6 walk-off win against the Brockton Rox on June 30.

Norwich has embodied the “comeback kids” mantra, as it trailed in 11 of its 16 wins. Devin Belinski’s squad has used late clutch hitting and strong performances from the bullpen to get within one game of second place.

Ryan O’Connell and lefty Jack Kabel have starred out of the pen, with both sporting ERA’s below three. They’re also among the team’s leaders in strikeouts. O’Connell leads the team with 34 punchouts, and Kabel is second with 32.

John Ruggiero and two-way stud Connor Podeszwa have led the rotation to this point. Ruggiero has a 2.89 ERA in six starts, and Podeszwa leads the arms in innings pitched (30) with two quality starts under his belt. He also has a .348 average in 46 at-bats.

On the offensive side of the ball, a pair of Fairfield University products have led the way. Nick Sturino established himself as the sparkplug of the squad as he leads the team in batting average (.329), on-base percentage (.469) and runs scored (22), among qualified hitters.

Tyler Kipp is second on the team in average (.323) and runs batted in (11), while also playing exceptional defense behind the plate.

CJ Willis and Andrew Bianco have stood out among in-season additions to the team, making immediate impacts to the Sea Unicorns lineup. In 20 combined games, the duo is hitting for a .391 average, driving in 17 runs and scoring 13 times themselves. Half of Bianco’s 14 hits have gone for extra bases.

Furthermore, a trio of recent high school grads have made their presence known for Norwich. The soon-to-be University of Maryland Terrapin Alex Irizarry leads the team in RBIs (12) and has five extra-base hits, two of them homers.

Drew Kron has played outstanding centerfield and is tied for the team lead in stolen bases with 9, while Cameron Maldonado is batting .333 in 42 at-bats.

As the second half of the season kicks off, a crucial week approaches for Norwich.

Starting on July 7, the Sea Unicorns will play the New Britain Bees five games in a row and six times in eight days. As of today, the Bees sit in second place, one game ahead of the Sea Unicorns.

With 16 home games left to be played at Dodd Stadium, there are still plenty of opportunities to see the Sea Unicorns in action. There are also some great promotions throughout the rest of the year.

On July 9 the first 1,000 fans in attendance will receive a Sea Unicorns tote bag. July 23 brings the band Branded, Country That Rocks, who will perform live before and after the game.

The Sea Unicorns will have Military Appreciation Night presented by Better Business Bureau on July 29, with the first 1,000 fans getting a baseball card set giveaway.