Five Mariners Earn All-Region Honors from D3baseball.com
NEW LONDON, Conn. – Five members of the Mitchell College baseball team were recently named All-Region in Region 2 by D3baseball.com. The group led the Mariners to a 33-10 record this season that included an 11-1 mark in New England Collegiate Conference play. Mitchell picked up their ninth conference title, third in a row, and went on to win a program-best two games in the Regional Round of the NCAA Tournament.
For the second time in his illustrious career, senior Dougie DelaCruz (Uncasville, Conn.) landed on the All-Region Region 2 First Team. The left fielder also earned a spot on the All-Region Third Team in 2019. Additionally, senior right handed pitcher Ryan Solimine (Danbury, Conn.) was named to the All-Region Second Team, while senior catcher Matt Falk (Enfield, Conn.), junior right fielder Owen Robbins (East Lyme, Conn.), and sophomore first baseman Bo Yaworski (Brooklyn, Conn.) landed on the All-Region Third Team in Region 2. For Yaworski, it marks the second time he has earned All-Region honors from D3baseball.com, while Solimine, Falk, and Robbins earned All-Region honors by the website for the first time in their careers.
DelaCruz, who was also named NECC Player of the Year for the third time in his career, was one of three outfielders to make the All-Region First-Team. The senior started in all 43 games for the Mariners, slashing .430/.502/.776, with 60 RBI, 57 runs scored, 24 doubles, seven home runs, and six triples. His 24 doubles were third in the nation at the Division III level, his 60 RBI were top 20 in the country, and he was named to the NECC All-Tournament team after helping guide Mitchell to their third consecutive conference title.
Solimine returned to the mound after two injury plagued seasons to anchor the Mitchell starting rotation, posting a 7-2 record with a 2.28 ERA. Across 67 innings pitched, he allowed just 17 earned runs and 53 hits, while striking out 64. The senior came up big when it mattered the most, tossing eight innings of one-run ball in a win against New England College in the NECC tournament, before leading the Mariners to victory in the opening day of the NCAA Regionals, working five and two-third innings of two-run ball against Tufts University.
Falk was an iron man behind the plate for Mitchell, starting all 43 games at the catcher position while posting a .321/.424/.534 slash line. The senior slugged eight home runs and collected 60 RBI, which put him top 20 in the country at the Division III level, while his 1.40 runs batted in per game was in the top 25 nationally. Falk also scored 45 runs, hit 10 doubles and five triples, and worked 35 walks. On the defensive side, the senior was charged with just one error in 43 games.
Robbins enjoyed a breakout season for the Mariners, starting all 43 games in right field, while posting a .369/.440/.515 slash line. The junior tallied 42 RBI, 38 runs scored, 10 doubles, four triples, and three home runs. Robbins delivered in big moments as well, earning MVP honors of the NECC tournament after going 7-14 with eight RBI and seven runs scored across three games.
After earning All-Region Third Team Honors in 2022 by D3baseball.com, Yaworski followed up his freshman campaign with a big sophomore season, slashing .366/.461/.581, while starting all 43 games at first base. Yaworski was second on the team with 58 RBI, and added 50 runs scored, 15 doubles, six home runs, and two triples. He also posted a .994 fielding percentage, making just two errors all season in the field.
The 2023 season marks the eleventh year that D3baseball.com has named All-Region teams, with more than 1,000 players nominated. The ballot was then made available to D3baseball.com staff and contributors from which three teams in each region were determined.
