Senior shortstop Dan Fratus, junior center fielder Chris Hoyt named to first team
Campbell |
Fratus |
Hoyt |
Nicholson |
EASTON, Mass. (May 6, 2015) – A program record eight members of the Stonehill College baseball team have earned All-Northeast-10 Conference honors as voted by the league's 15 head coaches, it was announced yesterday.
Senior shortstop Dan Fratus (Plymouth, Massachusetts/Plymouth North) and junior outfielder Chris Hoyt (Walpole, Massachusetts/Xaverian Brothers) were named to the first team, senior catcher Eric Schneider (Camarillo, California/Saint Bonaventure), senior right-handed pitcher Armand Rugel (Middletown, Rhode Island/Middletown) and junior outfielder Brian Campbell (Franklin, Massachusetts/Mount Saint Charles Academy) earned second team accolades, while junior left-hander Patrick Nicholson (Middleboro, Massachusetts/Middleboro) and sophomore right-hander Aubrey Solomon (Groton, Massachusetts/Lawrence Academy) garnered third team recognition. Freshman right-hander Michael Young (Mashpee, Massachusetts/Pope John Paul II) rounded out the honorees with his selection to the All-Rookie Team as the NE-10 Rookie Pitcher of the Year.
Stonehill's total of eight all-conference selections surpasses the previous high of seven from the 1999 season, when head coach Pat Boen earned his first NE-10 Coach of the Year honor, and Hall-of-Famers Mark Langone '00 and Junior Medina '02 were named Player and Freshman of the Year, respectively.
Fratus, an American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) All-East Region second team and All-NE-10 second team performer his first year with the program as a sophomore in 2012, caps his career with an All-Conference first team nod. The Plymouth, Massachusetts native has provided power in the middle of Stonehill's lineup this spring, posting a .316/.430/.494 slash line with a conference-leading 20 doubles, two home runs and a team-high 34 runs batted in to go with 30 walks (3rd in NE-10) and 38 runs scored. Fratus is currently riding a nine-game hitting streak, a stretch in which he has scored 12 runs and driven in nine.
Hoyt earns NE-10 first team honors as the catalyst of a Stonehill offense that ranks third in the conference in runs (270) and fifth in team batting average (.274). An All-Rookie team selection as a freshman in 2013, Hoyt has started all 43 games in center field this spring and leads the Skyhawks with a .335 (65-for-194) average out of the leadoff spot. He has been one of the most effective base stealers in the conference, swiping 32 bags (2nd in NE-10) while being caught just four times. Hoyt has also recorded seven doubles and 25 RBI while scoring 40 runs, the second most on the team.
Rugel, an ABCA All-East Region and All-NE-10 second team selection as Stonehill's closer last season, has enjoyed a smooth transition back to the starting rotation in 2015. The Middletown, Rhode Island native is 7-0 in eight starts this spring with a 1.97 earned run average and 50 strikeouts in 65.0 innings of work. He has held opponents to a .222 batting average and 19 runs (14 earned) on 51 hits, recording one complete game and one save. Rugel has lasted at least six innings in all eight of his starts, allowing one earned run or fewer on three occasions and striking out a season-high of eight batters twice.
Campbell earns his second career All-Conference honor following his selection to both the third team and All-Rookie team as a freshman in 2013. The junior has hit for both power (ten doubles, three home runs, .446 slugging percentage) and average (.319) this season while drawing 20 walks, recording 23 RBI and scoring a team-high 42 runs (7th in NE-10). Campbell has posted 17 multi-hit efforts in 43 games, ten of which have come over the last 16 contests.
Rugel |
Schneider |
Solomon |
Young |
Schneider joins Rugel and Campbell on the second team with the first All-Conference selection of his career. The senior catcher is hitting .331 (50-for-151) with three doubles, nine walks, 21 RBI and 24 runs scored in 39 starts this season. He posted a 12-game hitting streak from April 12th-26th, and is batting .384 (28-for-73) over his last 17 contests with 14 RBI and 15 runs scored.
Nicholson, a junior lefty that had started just five games coming into this season, earns the first All-Conference honor of his career with his selection to the third team. He has gone 6-1 with a 2.87 ERA in 11 appearances and seven starts this spring, recording 36 strikeouts in 53.1 innings of work. Nicholson lasted at least six innings in all but one of his starts, including a complete game victory against the University of Bridgeport on March 13th.
Solomon also stepped into a bigger role this season, taking over as Stonehill's closer after making just three appearances out of the bullpen as a freshman in 2014. The sophomore tied for the NE-10 lead in saves during the regular season with seven, while also compiling a 2.29 ERA and recording 25 strikeouts in 19.2 frames. Solomon earned saves in five straight opportunities from March 8th-April 8th, including a 2.2-inning outing against Merrimack College on March 27th in which he struck out a season-high five batters and did not allow a hit.
Young, the NE-10 Rookie Pitcher of the Year, made an immediate impact for the Skyhawks during his freshman campaign. The Mashpee, Massachusetts native went 3-2 in 13 appearances and three starts, leading the Stonehill pitching staff with a 0.71 ERA. In 38.0 innings, Young totaled 42 strikeouts while issuing just seven walks and holding opponents to a .137 batting average. Of the 18 hits that he gave up, just three went for extra bases. Making his first collegiate start on April 18th against Saint Anselm College, Young struck out eight batters over 7.2 shutout frames, allowing just three hits and one walk in the process.
Stonehill, ranked third in the latest NCAA East Regional Rankings, defeated Southern New Hampshire University 4-3 last night in the first round of the NE-10 Tournament. The second-seeded Skyhawks will be back in action tomorrow at noon against Southwest Division No. 4 seed Adelphi University as the double elimination round begins at the University of New Haven.
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