NEWTON, Mass. (4/27/15)- Freshman Josh Bahnick (Clinton, Mass.) was named the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Rookie of the Year voted upon by the eight head baseball coaches as announced on Monday afternoon. Joining Bahnick in all-conference honors is senior second baseman AJ McKenzie (Pasadena, M.D.), junior catcher Wes Hurty (Windsor, Conn.), senior outfielder Matt Sammarco (New Canaan, Conn.), junior third baseman Tyler Flaherty (Portland, Maine), senior designated hitter Kevin Post (Cromwell, Conn.) and senior pitcher Greg Sherman (Marshfield, Mass.).
Bahnick led all players in the league with an earned run average of 2.23. In 40.1 innings pitched, Bahnick allowed just ten earned runs to go along with seventeen strikeouts. Bahnick dominated the hill for the Lasers in nine total contests – starting in six – to earn a 3-2 wins loss record for the year.
Hurty, McKenzie, and Sammarco earned Second Team honors, while Flaherty, Post, and Sherman were named to the Third Team.
Hurty ranks sixth in the conference for runs batted in with 22 total, while scoring 18 runs of his own. Sammarco – the top hitter in the Lasers lineup – cranked out 33 hits this season with four doubles, a triple, and eight RBI's. With a .337 batting average, Sammarco ranks 10th among GNAC stat leaders. McKenzie sits just below Sammarco with a .330 average, steering the Lasers with 29 hits, two doubles, and eight ribbies.
Sherman sits just below Bahnick (fourth overall) in stat leaders among conference pitchers with a 3.12 ERA. Sherman appeared in eight games while starting in seven, recording five saves for the year. In 43.1 innings pitched, Sherman allowed 15 earned runs while registering 32 punchouts. Flaherty highlighted the GNAC third team with 22 hits, two doubles, and his first collegiate home run to account for 13 runs batted in. Post swung into a team-high six doubles with one home run to equal 21 hits and six RBI's.
Senior catcher Dan Mickens (Montclair, N.J.) was chosen as the Lasell representative for the All-Sportsmanship Team, as he presented leadership, respectable ethics, and dedication to the Laser baseball program. Mickens finished the year with two hits, a double, and a run batted in.
First Team
C – Joe Coyne, Saint Joseph's (Me.)
INF – Taylor Black, Rivier
INF – J.J. Montello, Rivier
INF – Brett Barbati, Saint Joseph's (Me.)
INF – Taylor Black, Saint Joseph's (Me.)
OF – LaShawn Thomas, Norwich
OF – Scott Betts, Saint Joseph's (Me.)
OF – Taylor Reuillard, Saint Joseph's (Me.)
DH – Dan Donovan, Saint Joseph's (Me.)
UTIL – Lincoln Sanborn, Saint Joseph's (Me.)
P – Jake Marchesseault, Johnson & Wales (RI)
P – Alex Valenti, Saint Joseph's (Maine)
Second Team
C – Wes Hurty, Lasell
INF – Nate Frederick, Anna Maria
INF – Ryan Cabral, Johnson & Wales (RI)
INF – Aj McKenzie, Lasell
INF – Max McCoomb, Saint Joseph's (Me.)
OF – Matt Sammarco, Lasell
OF – David Cusack, Rivier
OF – Dennis Meehan, Saint Joseph's (Me.)
DH – Andrew Hunton, Johnson & Wales (RI)
UTIL – Carlos Sanabria, Johnson & Wales (RI)
P – Dan Meeken, Saint Joseph's (Me.)
P – Josh Desai, Suffolk
Third Team
C – Jon Lapolla, Suffolk
INF – Justin Poirier, Albertus Magnus
INF – Tyler Robertson, Albertus Magnus
INF – Lou Umberto, Johnson & Wales (RI)
INF – Tyler Flaherty, Lasell
OF – Anthony Pellegrino, Albertus Magnus
OF – Jeremy Ball, Rivier
OF – Brady Chant, Suffolk
DH – Kevin Post, Lasell
UTIL – Anthony Pellegrino, Albertus Magnus
P – Greg Sherman, Lasell
P – Alex Mears, Rivier
Player of the Year – Joe Coyne, Saint Joseph's (Maine)
Pitcher of the Year – Alex Valenti, Saint Joseph's (Maine)
Rookie of the Year – Josh Bahnick, Lasell
Coach of the Year – Will Sanborn, Saint Joseph's (Maine)
Institutional Sportsmanship Award – Norwich University
All-Defensive Team Team
C – Brandon Pedley, Norwich
1B – Brett Barbati, Saint Joseph's (Me.)
2B – Nate Frederick, Anna Maria
3B – Mike Scanlon, Rivier
SS – Lou Umberto, Johnson & Wales (RI)
OF – Carlos Sanabria, Johnson & Wales (RI)
OF – Taylor Reuillard, Saint Joseph's (Me.)
OF – Brady Chant, Suffolk
P – Lane Compton, Johnson & Wales (RI)
All-Sportsmanship Team
Arber Mehmedi, Albertus Magnus
Michael Kilcoyne, Anna Maria
Rob Bocchetti, Johnson & Wales
Dan Mickens, Lasell
Brandon Place, Norwich
Charlie Savard, Rivier
Anthony Zawistowski, Saint Joseph's College (Me.)
Paul Pollano, Suffolk