By Nathan Vaughan

This summer another accolade was received by a Northeastern participant in the Cape Cod Baseball League. Pitcher Ryan Quigley became the first Northeastern player to win the John J. Claffey Outstanding New England Prospect award in the award’s eighth year.

This award is presented by the Cape League to the player from a New England state or university that performs the best during the summer.

“I didn’t even know about this award until my coach told me about it. It’s a great feeling and an honor to receive an award like that, especially with so many other guys from schools up here or from [New England] who are definitely deserving,” Quigley said. “So it’s definitely an honor.”

Quigley was able to compile a 3-1 record in the regular season, with a 3.67 ERA in 34.1 innings. Batters hit .227 while hitting only one home run against him this season. His pitching helped lead his team, the Harwich Mariners to a second-place finish in the Eastern Division to end the regular season. The Mariners took the Divisional Series in two straight games over the overall No. 1 seed Orleans Cardinals.

They will play the Cotuit Kettlers, Western Division Divisional Series winners against the Falmouth Commodores yesterday. Quigley is not scheduled to pitch either of the first two games of the Championship Series, but there has been no starter announced for game three. Quigley is instead slated to serve in a middle inning relief role.

Quigley said the mere experience of playing in the Cape League for the summer was exciting, and that the awards and playoff series were icing on the cake.

“If you asked how my summer went, even if we didn’t even make the playoffs or if we were in last place, I would have told you it was an amazing experience,” Quigley said. “Anything from us making the playoffs and us in the championship series and the award last night, any of these things, it’s like an added bonus, and this has been, baseball-wise, probably one of my greatest summers, something that I know, myself, I won’t forget.”