GOING YARD PLAYER SIGNINGS - #2

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Eric Lindley - Director of Baseball Operations

operations@newportgulls.com // (401) 363-2134

NEWPORT R.I. - Our next round of signings feature Sophomore right-handed pitcher Burkley Bounds from the University of Kentucky, Sophomore right-handed pitcher Jake Lenehand from the College of the Holy Cross, and Sophomore right-handed pitcher John Mass from Boston College. The 2026 Player Signings are brought to you by GOING YARD BASEBALL!  

Burkley Bounds started his collegiate baseball career at Eastern Kentucky where he went 2-0 with two saves in 19 appearances over his freshman season before transferring schools to be a Kentucky Wildcat. Bounds pitched strong for the Colonels as over 45 innings of work, he threw 41 strikeouts and only gave up 14 walks. He earned his first collegiate win in a game over Central Arkansas. Bounds is following in his family's footsteps as his father Walter Bounds played collegiate baseball for Ole Miss, his two uncles for Mississippi State and Alabama. Bound plans to major in exercise science when he is done playing baseball. 

Jake Lenahan is a pitcher for the Holy Cross Crusaders baseball program. Lenahan developed his game at Abington Heights High School before making the jump to play at the collegiate level. Throughout his sophomore season this past spring, he made a handful of appearances against Patriot League competition, working to establish himself as a reliable arm for the Crusader pitching staff. Lenahan’s physical presence and right-handed delivery give him the tools to compete in a variety of roles, whether out of the bullpen or in extended outings. He is part of a Crusaders program that emphasizes development and depth on the mound, and he continues to refine his command and consistency at the collegiate level.

John Mass is a pitcher and infielder for the Boston College Eagles baseball program. A rising junior from Portsmouth, Rhode Island, Mass gets to stay on the island and play here in his hometown this summer for the Gulls. Before becoming an Eagle, Mass had an impressive high school career at Portsmouth High School, where he was a four-year starter and three-time team captain. He earned four all-conference selections, three first-team all-state honors, and was named a two-time preseason All-American. Mass also finished second all-time in career hits at his high school, showcasing his offensive ability in addition to his work on the mound. Last year, as a Freshman at BC, he did not see game action, but continues to develop within a competitive ACC program. With his two-way potential and strong baseball background, Mass is a developing player to watch as he gains experience at the collegiate level.

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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.