GULLS IN THE PROS - BLAKE BUTERA

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Newport Gulls

operations@newportgulls.com

NEWPORT, R.I. - The Newport Gulls are proud to celebrate Blake Butera, who was recently named manager of the Washington Nationals, becoming the youngest manager in Major League Baseball in more than 50 years.

Butera's baseball journey includes a meaningful chapter right here in Newport, where he suited up for the Gulls during his college summers while staring at Boston College. Playing at Cardines Field in the New England Collegiate Baseball League, gaining valuable experience against elite collegiate talent from across the country. Even then, his leadership, baseball IQ, and professionalism stood out to coaches, teammates, and fans alike.

That summer in Newport proved to be a building block in a career defined by preparation and development. After being drafted by the Tampa Bay Rays, Butera transitioned quickly from player to coach, becoming the youngest manager in Minor League Baseball, winning championships, and earning multiple Manager of the Year honors before moving into a player-development leadership role.

Now, as he takes over the dugout in Washington, Blake Butera represents exactly what the Newport Gulls strive to provide: a competitive environment that helps shape not just great players, but future leaders of the game.

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The Newport Gulls, members of the 13-team New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL), are a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, founded as the Rhode Island Gulls in 1998 in Cranston, R.I., before moving to Newport in 2001. In addition to recruiting, fielding, and developing a team of the nation's top collegiate baseball athletes and attracting 50,000 fans annually to Cardines Field, the predominantly volunteer organization strives to benefit the community via summer camps, reading programs, fundraisers, scholarships, and charitable donations – totaling over $1 million since 2001. The Gulls are eight-time champions of the NECBL – the winningest franchise in league history – and were ranked as the overall No. 1 summer collegiate baseball team in the country by Perfect Game USA in 2012.

For more information about the Newport Gulls, visit facebook.com/newportgulls, follow the Gulls on Twitter @NewportGulls or visit www.newportgulls.com.