LOWELL, Mass. - After claiming their third regular-season title in four years, the Stony Brook University Seawolves took home three of the four America East baseball major awards, which were announced Wednesday night at LeLacheur Park, home of the 2014 Baseball Championship. Junior Kevin Krause was named Player of the Year, while Cameron Stone was the pick for Rookie of the Year and head coach Matt Senk earned Coach of the Year honors. Hartford junior Sean Newcomb was the unanimous selection for Pitcher of the Year. The awards were decided in a vote by the league’s seven head coaches who were not permitted to vote for their own players.
Krause is the third Seawolf in the last four years to earn the conference Player of the Year award. The junior has paced the Stony Brook offense while also being a standout defensively at two positions; catcher and outfield. He leads the conference with eight home runs, 46 RBI, 42 runs scored and a .539 slugging percentage, while recording a .996 fielding percentage. Krause also stands fourth in batting average at .344. He is hitting .354 during league play with a conference-best 24 RBI and has thrown out nine of 33 base-stealers this season. He has helped the Seawolves lead the nation in fielding percentage at .984 and the conference in both team batting average (.282) and runs scored (277).
Stone continues a string of five-straight Rookie of the Year awards for the Seawolves after a stellar season out of the bullpen. He threw 30.1 innings in 16 relief appearances, allowing just 16 hits and five earned runs for a 1.48 ERA. The freshman totaled 39 strikeouts, good for ninth in the league and the most for any America East reliever. After allowing four runs over his first three outings, Stone has surrendered only one over his last 13 trips to the mound and none in his last eight innings of work. He has eight total saves entering the America East tournament, which ranks second in the league and is tied for the sixth most in a single season.
Newcomb, a unanimous selection for Pitcher of the Year, is the first major award winner in Hartford history. The junior led the America East in almost every major statistical category including ERA (1.36), strikeouts (92) and opposing batting average (.168). He ranks second in both wins with seven, and innings pitched with 86.1. The lefty did not allow an earned run over his first 40.0 innings of work this season and struck out seven or more batters in nine of his 13 starts. During conference play, Newcomb led the America East with six wins, 58 strikeouts and a 1.44 ERA, while holding opponents to a .163 batting average.
Senk is the fourth coach in America East history to be named Coach of the Year three times, doing so three of the last four years. He led Stony Brook to its third conference regular-season title in 2014 and ninth-straight trip to the America East tournament. Under Senk the Seawolves reached the 30-win plateau for the sixth time in the last eight years. Senk joins Binghamton head coach Tim Sinicki as the only current conference head coaches to take home the Coach of the Year award three times.
Newcomb was joined by Maine senior Tommy Lawrence as unanimous selections to the All-Conference First Team pitching staff. Stony Brook’s one-two punch of Frankie Vanderka and Brandon McNitt rounded out the starting pitchers and were two of six Seawolves on the first team. Stone was the pick as the all-conference first team reliever and Krause was unanimously selected as the first team catcher. Another Seawolf in Kevin Courtney earned the nod at first base. Joining Courtney in the infield was Albany second baseman Brian Bullard, Stony Brook shortstop Cole Peragine and UMass Lowell third baseman Matt Sanchez. A pair of Bearcats in Bill Beresniewicz and Jake Thomas along with UMass Lowell’s Ian Strom made up the outfield. Maine junior Scott Heath rounded out the team at DH.
Four different teams put pitchers on the All-Conference Second Team with Binghamton’s Jack Rogalla, UMass Lowell’s Mike Calzetta, Hartford’s Brian Hunter and Stony Brook’s Tyler Honahan earning selections. Hunter was one of five Hawks on the second team, including reliever Alex Gouin and catcher James Alfonso. Heath, the first-team designated hitter, was picked as the second team first baseman. The rest of the infield consisted of Binghamton second baseman Daniel Nevares, UMass Lowell shortstop Danny Mendick and Hartford third baseman David MacKinnon. The outfield featured Hartford’s Ryan Lukach, Maine’s Colin Gay and Stony Brook’s Jack Parenty. Albany sophomore Evan Harasta was named the second team designated hitter.
Due to a tie in voting, ten players were named to the All-Rookie team, headlined by Stony Brook’s Stone. All-Conference picks MacKinnon and Strom also landed on the All-Rookie team. Binghamton had two selections in Ed Posavec and Jextin Pugh. Stone was one of three Seawolves that included Ryley MacEachern and Casey Baker. Maine pitcher Jeff Gelinas and UMBC’s Andrew Casali and Hunter Dolshun rounded out the squad.
The All-Academic team also was announced on Wednesday night and included six all-conference performers. The All-Academic team has ten members and is voted on by a committee of Sports Information Directors, Academic Advisors and FARs. Alfonso, Bereszniewicz, Harasta, Hunter, McNitt and Thomas were the six all-conference picks to also be named to the All-Academic team. Joining them was UMass Lowell’s Nick Boutoures, Matt Mottola and Jacob O’Keefe along with Hartford’s Brady Sheetz.
Twenty-two of the 28 All-Conference selections will participate in the 2014 America East Baseball Championship May 22-25 at LeLacheur Park in Lowell, Mass., home to the UMass Lowell River Hawks and Boston Red Sox Single-A affiliate Lowell Spinners. No. 1 seed Stony Brook will face No. 4 Maine in game one on May 22 at 2 p.m. followed by No. 2 Hartford vs. No. 3 Binghamton. The entire championship will be streamed live for free on AmericaEast.TV. For more information, visit Championship Central at www.AmericaEast.com.
| 2014 America East Baseball All-Conference Teams |
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| First Team |
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| Player |
Pos. |
Cl. |
School |
Hometown/Previous School |
| Sean Newcomb* |
SP |
Jr. |
Hartford |
Middleboro, Mass./Middleboro |
| Tommy Lawrence* |
SP |
Sr. |
Maine |
West Haven, Conn./West Haven |
| Frankie Vanderka |
SP |
Sr. |
Stony Brook |
Levittown, N.Y./MacArthur |
| Brandon McNitt |
SP |
Sr. |
Stony Brook |
Chino Hills, Calif./Bishop Amat |
| Cameron Stone |
RP |
Fr. |
Stony Brook |
West Haven, Conn./West Haven |
| Kevin Krause* |
C |
Jr. |
Stony Brook |
Staten Island, N.Y./Tottenville |
| Kevin Courtney |
1B |
Sr. |
Stony Brook |
Lindenhurst, N.Y./St. John the Baptist |
| Brian Bullard |
2B |
Sr. |
Albany |
West Nyack, N.Y./St. Joseph Regional |
| Cole Peragine |
SS |
Jr. |
Stony Brook |
Belle Ewart, Ontario/Bell Ewart |
| Matt Sanchez |
3B |
Jr. |
UMass Lowell |
Sunrise, Fla./Nova |
| Bill Bereszniewicz |
OF |
Sr. |
Binghamton |
Sudbury, Mass./Lincoln-Sudbury |
| Jake Thomas |
OF |
Jr. |
Binghamton |
Merrick, N.Y./Calhoun |
| Ian Strom |
OF |
Fr. |
UMass Lowell |
Hopedale, Mass./Hopedale |
| Scott Heath |
DH |
Jr. |
Maine |
Westbrook, Maine/Westbrook |
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| Second Team |
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| Player |
Pos. |
Cl. |
School |
Hometown/Previous School |
| Jack Rogalla |
SP |
Jr. |
Binghamton |
Oak Park, Ill/ Oak Park River Forest |
| Mike Calzetta |
SP |
Sr. |
UMass Lowell |
Lawrence, Mass./Lawrence |
| Brian Hunter |
SP |
Sr. |
Hartford |
Port Jeff Station, N.Y./St. John the Baptist |
| Tyler Honahan |
SP |
So. |
Stony Brook |
Parker, Colo./Legend |
| Alex Gouin |
RP |
Sr. |
Hartford |
West Orange, N.Y./West Orange |
| James Alfonso |
C |
Sr. |
Hartford |
Raynham, Mass./Bridgewater-Raynham |
| Scott Heath |
1B |
Jr. |
Maine |
Westbrook, Maine/Westbrook |
| Daniel Nevares |
2B |
Sr. |
Binghamton |
Toa alta, Puerto Rico/Montverde Academy (Fla.) |
| Danny Mendick |
SS |
Jr. |
UMass Lowell |
Rochester, N.Y./Pittsford-Mendon |
| David MacKinnon |
3B |
Fr. |
Hartford |
Easton, Mass./Oliver Ames |
| Ryan Lukach |
OF |
Jr. |
Hartford |
Hillsborough, N.J./Hillsborough |
| Colin Gay |
OF |
Sr. |
Maine |
Franklin, Mass./Franklin |
| Jack Parenty |
OF |
So. |
Stony Brook |
Wantagh, N.Y./Holy Trinity |
| Evan Harasta |
DH |
So. |
Albany |
Webster, N.Y./Webster Thomas |
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| All-Rookie (nine regardless of position) *10 due to tie in voting |
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| Player |
Pos. |
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School |
Hometown/Previous School |
| Ed Posavec |
C |
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Binghamton |
Hatfield, Pa./North Penn |
| Jextin Pugh |
P |
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Binghamton |
Duncansville, Pa./Bishop Gilfoyle |
| David MacKinnon |
INF |
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Hartford |
Easton, Mass./Oliver Ames |
| Jeff Gelinas |
P |
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Maine |
Saco, Maine/Saco |
| Andrew Casali |
OF |
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UMBC |
New Canaan, Conn./New Canaan |
| Hunter Dolshun |
INF/DH |
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UMBC |
Warwick, N.Y./Warwick Valley |
| Ian Strom |
OF |
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UMass Lowell |
Hopedale, Mass./Hopedale |
| Casey Baker |
DH |
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Stony Brook |
Ronkonkoma, N.Y./Connetquot |
| Ryley MacEachern |
P |
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Stony Brook |
Saugus, Mass./Austin Prep |
| Cameron Stone |
P |
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Stony Brook |
West Haven, Conn./West Haven |
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| 2014 America East Baseball All-Academic Team |
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| Name |
Cl. |
School |
Hometown |
GPA |
| James Alfonso |
Sr. |
Hartford |
Raynham, Mass. |
3.47 |
| Bill Bereszniewicz |
Sr. |
Binghamton |
Sudbury, Mass. |
3.45 |
| Nick Boutoures |
Sr. |
UMass Lowell |
Wilmington, Mass. |
3.65 |
| Evan Harasta |
So. |
Albany |
Webster, N.Y. |
3.31 |
| Brian Hunter |
Sr. |
Hartford |
Port Jeff Station, N.Y. |
3.51 |
| Brandon McNitt |
Sr. |
Stony Brook |
Chino Hills, Calif. |
3.38 |
| Matt Mottola |
So. |
UMass Lowell |
Newburyport, Mass. |
3.61 |
| Jacob O’Keefe |
Jr. |
UMass Lowell |
Wellington, Fla. |
3.8 |
| Brady Sheetz |
Jr. |
Hartford |
Eighty Four, Pa. |
3.51 |
| Jake Thomas |
Jr. |
Binghamton |
Merrick, N.Y. |
3.53 |
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| Rookie of the Year |
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| Cameron Stone, Stony Brook |
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| Pitcher of the Year |
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| Sean Newcomb, Hartford* |
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| Player of the Year |
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| Kevin Krause, Stony Brook |
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| Coach of the Year |
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| Matt Senk, Stony Brook |
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| *unanimous selection |
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