Five From Baseball Earn All-Region Honors from D3baseball.com
NEW LONDON, Conn. – Five members of the Mitchell College baseball team earned All-Region honors from D3baseball.com on Tuesday when the popular website released its All-Region teams spanning 10 different regions. The 2026 season marks the 14th year 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 selected.
For each of the 10 regions, D3baseball.com also recognizes a Regional Player of the Year, Pitcher of the Year, Rookie of the Year, and Coach of the Year.
Representing the Mariners on the All-Region 1 Second Team was junior first baseman Michael Ficocelli (North Providence, R.I.). Meanwhile, senior catcher Nicholas Bracale (East Haven, Conn.), senior pitcher Thai-ler Sestokas (Danbury, Conn.), junior second baseman Christopher Piscione (Cranston, R.I.), and junior outfielder Chas Terni Jr. (Montville, Conn.) were all named to the All-Region 1 Third Team.
The Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Co-Player of the Year, Ficocelli is no stranger to All-Region honors after landing on the All-Region 1 Third Team in each of the previous two seasons. This spring, Ficocelli batted .392 with 56 hits, 38 runs scored, and 36 RBI across 43 games while leading the conference with 24 doubles, a total that also ranked among the national leaders at the Division III level. He added two home runs and 86 total bases while posting a .475 on-base percentage and .601 slugging percentage.
Against conference competition, Ficocelli elevated his production even further, batting a league-best .493 with conference highs of 35 hits and 13 doubles across 20 GNAC games. He also ranked fourth in the conference in on-base percentage (.540), sixth in slugging percentage (.718), and tied for fourth in RBI with 20 during league play.
Bracale wrapped up an outstanding collegiate career with a strong season behind the plate for the Mariners, batting .371 with 46 hits, 41 runs scored, and 34 RBI across 41 games. He added six doubles, three triples, and a home run while posting a .515 on-base percentage and .492 slugging percentage.
In conference play, Bracale batted .364 with 20 hits, 20 runs scored, and 15 RBI over 20 GNAC contests while posting a .478 on-base percentage. He also added two triples and nine walks during league action.
Defensively, Bracale continued to establish himself as one of the top catchers in the region, recording a .989 fielding percentage with only three errors in 264 total chances. Behind the plate, he threw out 23 runners attempting to steal while helping guide the Mariners pitching staff throughout the season.
Sestokas served as one of the top arms on the Mitchell pitching staff, finishing the season with a 7-2 record and a 3.56 ERA across 10 appearances and nine starts. Over 48.0 innings pitched, he struck out 37 batters while holding opponents to a .216 batting average.
A GNAC All-Conference First Team selection, Sestokas recorded two complete-game shutouts during the spring and posted a 1.27 WHIP while allowing just one home run all season.
Sestokas elevated his performance even further in conference play, going 4-1 with a 2.08 ERA across five starts. Over 30.1 innings, he struck out 26 batters, limited opposing hitters to a .191 batting average, and ranked among the conference leaders with a 1.02 WHIP.
Terni Jr. continued to establish himself as one of the premier offensive players in the region, batting .342 with 50 hits, 43 runs scored, and a team-high 48 RBI across 42 games. He added 10 doubles, one triple, and a team-best nine home runs while posting a .476 on-base percentage and .610 slugging percentage.
A GNAC All-Conference First Team selection, Terni Jr. elevated his performance even further during conference play, batting .397 with 25 hits, 23 runs scored, and 25 RBI over 20 GNAC contests. He also slugged .698 with five home runs while posting a .563 on-base percentage and stealing seven bases in league play.
Piscione enjoyed a breakout season for the Mariners, batting .367 with 54 hits, 33 runs scored, and 38 RBI across 42 games. He added nine doubles, four triples, and three home runs while posting a .470 on-base percentage and .544 slugging percentage.
A GNAC All-Conference Second Team selection, Piscione continued to produce against league competition, batting .355 across 19 conference games with 22 hits, 17 RBI, and 15 runs scored. He also added two triples, two home runs, and five stolen bases while posting a .419 on-base percentage and .565 slugging percentage during conference play.
To view the three complete All-Region Teams for Region 1, please click here.
