Baseball Has 11 Honored by NECC
ATTLEBORO, Mass. – A total of 11 Mitchell College baseball players were honored by the New England Collegiate Conference on Monday as the league announced its annual awards.
Leading the way for the Mariners was senior Kyle Hartenstein, who was named NECC Player of the Year. The four-year starter at second base becomes the fourth Mitchell player to win the award in the 10-year history of the conference.
Hartenstein was also one of seven all-conference first team selections from Mitchell, joining seniors Garet Griffin, Eddie Santiago, Jack Finnegan, and James Rangel, junior Eric Marriott and sophomore Jakari Pellegrini.
Senior Bryton Ferris and juniors Steven Pagan and Peter Abate all received second-team distinction, giving the Mariners a record 10 all-conference sections. Senior Sam Sabilia was one of seven players named to the NECC All-Sportsmanship Team. All awards were determined by a vote of the conference's head coaches.
Hartenstein and Griffin are repeat first-team selections, while Santiago garnered all-conference second-team status a year ago. The other seven players were first-time honorees.
Hartenstein played in 36 games and led the NECC with a .408 batting average and 52 runs scored. He hit safely in all 16 league games in which he played and batted a team-high .446 with 13 RBI and 23 runs scored. During the season he became Mitchell's all-time career leader in hits (231), runs (167), RBI (125), total bases (312), games played (155) and starts (155).
Griffin, a shortstop, batted .405 over 36 games and led the NECC in RBI (51), hits (63), triples (7) and total bases (99). His six home runs and 21 stolen bases were also the most on the team. In conference action he hit .333 with five homers, 24 RBI and seven runs scored.
Santiago logged the most innings (55.2) on the Mitchell staff and sported a record of 6-2 with a 2.91 ERA. His 59 strikeouts were the most on the team and ranked third in the NECC, and he held opposing hitters to a .202 batting average. In six league starts he went 4-1 with a 2.12 ERA and 37 strikeouts.
Finnegan batted a career-high .336 with 21 RBI and 26 runs scored while playing in 33 games in right field. In 16 league contests he hit .442 with four doubles, one homer and nine RBI.
Rangel joined the Mariners for his final collegiate season and manned first base for all 38 games, hitting .316 with 25 RBI and 22 runs scored. His three home runs tied for second most on the team and seventh most in the conference. In 18 conference games he hit .316 with a pair of homers and 11 RBI.
Marriott played spectacular defense in center field and hit .373 with 32 RBI and 48 runs scored in 38 games. Batting out of the leadoff spot, he hit three home runs and drew a team-high 30 walks while stealing 13 bases. He played in all 18 NECC games and hit .415 with two homers, 15 RBI and 24 runs scored.
Pellegrini owned the lowest ERA (2.39) in the conference and went 5-0 in nine starts. He struck out 53 batters in 52.2 innings and issued only 10 walks, holding opposing lineups to a .206 batting average. In six NECC starts he went 4-0 with a 1.25 ERA and 31 strikeouts.
Ferris went 5-2 on the bump with a 3.14 ERA in 10 starts. He fanned a career-best 30 batters over 51.2 innings and held opposing hitters to a .274 average. In five NECC starts he went 3-0 with a 2.02 ERA in 26.2 innings.
Pagan's selection gave the Mariners an all-conference representative at every infield position. The third baseman batted a career-high .377 with 33 RBI and 26 runs scored over 38 games, and he swatted his first career home run in the conference tournament. He hit .406 in 18 NECC games and knocked in 12 runs while scoring 11 times.
Abate moved into a starting role at designated hitter in his third season and hit a career-high .337 with 27 RBI and 37 runs scored. He also swatted a pair of homers, including a game-tying shot in the title round of the conference tournament. In 17 league contests he hit .341 with 10 RBI and 16 runs scored.
Sabilia, a four-year letterwinner, played in four games and finished with three hits, three RBI and two runs scored in eight plate appearances.
Mitchell (30-8 overall, 15-3 NECC) won the 2018 NECC Championship this past weekend and earned an automatic berth into the NCAA Championship. The NCAA field will be announced on May 13, with regional play scheduled for May 17-21.
