Johnson City, TN (May 26, 2026) – The sixth-seeded Northern Essex Community College baseball team saw its magical World Series run come to a close on Tuesday afternoon as it fell to second-seeded and reigning national champion RCSJ Gloucester by a 16-2 final score in the semi-finals to finish as the fourth-place team in the tournament.
Knights with the Region 21 Championship trophy
The Knights conclude the season with a 33-10 overall record, and 2026 marks their fourth all-time top-four finish in the World Series.
NECC jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning on a two-run home run from Jack Aylward (Lowell) as he went to the opposite field and skied the ball over the 20-foot fence in right field for his second home run of the tournament. Owen Derocher (Berkley) led off the inning with a triple to the gap in right-center field.
The lead was short-lived for the Knights as Gloucester tied the game up in the top half of the third inning with a home run of their own, before erupting for 10 runs in the fourth inning off a trio of pitchers. The James Madison University-bound Jack Kelleher (Haverhill) took the ball to start the game on short rest and went 3.2 innings to cap his NECC career, allowing six earned runs while striking out two.
Previous top four finishes for the Knights at the World Series came in 2012, 2016 and 2023 as the 2026 season marked the program’s 12th all-time World Series appearance.
Honors for Players and Coach
Prior to the World Series, nine NECC Knights players were selected to the All-Region 21 Teams as voted on by the league’s head coaches. The selections were highlighted by Region 21 Player of the Year David Castillo (Boston) at shortstop and Pitcher of the Year Kelleher, among seven first-team selections for the Knights. Head coach Jeff Mejia was named regional coach of the year for a fifth consecutive season.
Learn more about athletics at NECC by visiting the website.
