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HINSDALE, MA -- Franklin & Marshall College infielder Gary Kruger (Jr., East Islip, NY/East Islip) is ranked among the statistical leaders on the Berkshire Dukes of the New England Collegiate Baseball League. Kruger, who joined Berkshire in June, is batting .253 (19-of-75) with a double, a homerun and 12 runs scored in 26 games as he ranks second on the team in stolen bases (four-of-five) and third in assists (39) and walks (19). A 2004 American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) Mid-Atlantic All-Region third team player, Kruger led Franklin & Marshall in batting average (.408), runs (39), hits (58), triples (four), stolen bases (25 on 29 attempts), slugging percentage (.613) and on base percentage (.469) as sophomore to earn his team's Most Valuable Player award. An All-Centennial Conference first team honoree at third base, he tied for first on the team in homeruns (five) with outfielder Scott Haft (Sr., Jupiter, FL/Jupiter) and ranks among the program's all-time best as his 58 hits rank third all-time in a single season for the Diplomats. For his career, Kruger is batting .352 (67-for-190) with 51 runs, seven doubles, six triples, five homeruns, 33 RBI and 21 walks with 43 stolen bases on 48 attempts in 67 games. Kruger's participation in the NECBL marks the third year in a row that Franklin & Marshall has a player in the league as pitcher Pete Maki '04 was a member of the Torrington (CT) Twisters in 2002 and 2003. The New England Collegiate Baseball League is sanctioned by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and is a charter member of the National Alliance of Collegiate Summer Baseball (NACSB). Founded in 1993, the NECBL began its direction under former Cincinnati Reds and New York Mets all-star George Foster and Emmy Award-winning television producer/director Joseph Consentino. Today, the NECBL has become a strong thirteen-member league that plays in all six New England states and recruits players attending U.S. colleges from throughout the United States and foreign nations. The league is one of eight NCAA sanctioned wooden bat leagues that play each year from Oregon to Cape Cod. The League starts its season in early June and plays an eight-week 42-game per team schedule with the league championship determined by a playoff in early August. Any student who wishes to play in the NECBL must be currently enrolled in a NCAA sanctioned College or University, be in good academic standing, have completed one year of athletic eligibility and have at least one year of eligibility remaining. Last year, 68 players from the league were drafted by Major League Baseball.
Information on the NECBL is available at www.necbl.org. The Berkshire Dukes are owned and operated by baseball executive Dan Duquette who has held positions with the Milwaukee Brewers, Montreal Expos, and most recently as General Manger for the Boston Red Sox. The Dukes play their home games at the Dan Duquette Sports Academy in Hinsdale, Massachusetts. Directions to the Dan Duquette Sports Academy are available on the official website of the Dukes: www.berkshiredukes.com.
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