Maine's Ryan Quintal (Manchester, N.H./Memorial) was named America East's baseball Player of the Week on Monday (April 3), while Hartford's Jason Krajeski (Woodbury, Conn./Nonnewaug) and Binghamton's Zach Groh (Reading, Pa./The Perkioman School) share Pitcher of the Week honors. Kevin McAvoy (Brewer, Maine/Brewer), also of Maine, was picked as Rookie of the week as well.
Quintal had an outstanding week for the Black Bears as he batted .688 with 10 runs scored and eight RBI in four games. He had 19 total bases on the week, including a triple and two home runs. Quintal had a 1.188 slugging percentage and a .700 on-base percentage with 11 hits over four games. He went 3-for-6 with four runs scored and two RBI in Maine’s 26-15 win over UMES and followed that up by going 4-for-4 with three runs scored and an RBI in the second game. Quintal was 3-for-3 with three runs scored and five RBI in Maine’s 12-5 win over DSU on Sunday and belted a three-run home run in the third inning of the game.
Krajeski pitched seven innings of two-hit baseball for the Hawks, helping them to the second victory this season and the first on the newly constructed on-campus baseball field, the first on the West Hartford campus since April 27, 1985. Krajeski, making his fifth start of the season allowed two first inning hits and then never allowed another over the next six innings. After allowing the first two hits he sat down 15 of the next 16 batters, six of those by virtue of a strike out, including three-straight strike outs after the second UMass hit. The outing was the longest this season for the veteran pitcher who set a new season high with his six K’s.
Groh stretched his scoreless innings streak to 13 with a sparkling performance at Central Connecticut State. He allowed two hits – one that left the infield – and lowered his season ERA to a miniscule 0.82 in four outings.
McAvoy batted .350 for the Black Bears with four runs scored and a team-high nine RBIs on the week. He belted his team-leading fourth home run of the season on the week and was 3-for-7 with three runs scored and three RBI in Maine’s 26-15 win over UMES in the first game. He followed that up by going 3-for-4 in the second game with three RBI and had a hit, scored a run in drove in three in Maine’s 12-5 win over Delaware State in game one on Sunday.