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Five Huskies have earned NEIBA All-New England accolades, including Jacob Wallace, who earned first-team honors. |
BOSTON—The New
England Intercollegiate Baseball Association (NEIBA), released its Division I All-New England teams earlier this week, and the Huskies landed five players
landed on the three teams. Junior
Jacob Wallace
earned first team honors,
Mason Feole
and
Mike Woodworth
received second team status and
John Toppa
and
Anthony Prato
secured All-NEIBA third team.
Wallace garners All-NEIBA first team accolades after landing on the All-Conference first
team last week. The UConn closer has locked down 15 saves this year, one away
from tying
P.J. Poulin
(2018) of a single-season record. The right-hander is 3-1 with a 0.73 ERA and
has allowed only three earned runs and struck out 56 in 37.0 innings of work.
Feole also earned All-Conference first team recognition last week and has
pitched in 13 games this season. The left-hander is 3-3 with a 3.50 ERA and
leads the team with 75 strikeouts in 72.0 innings pitched. The Wakefield, RI native is closing in on the UConn all-time strikeouts record
set by
Tim Cate with
270 punch outs. Feole is tied with his former teammate entering NCAA Regionals
this week and is also just one win shy of 20 for his career. Only six pitchers
have logged 20 wins in their time in Storrs.
Woodworth leads the team with a .319 AVG, 54 runs scored, 72 hits and is tied
with 14 stolen bases. While playing both center field and second base, Woody
has made countless game-saving and game-altering catches to lead UConn to 36
wins so far in 2019.
Prato and Toppa
grab third team
accolades with both players tied for second on the team with 69 hits. Prato, is
hitting .311 with a team-high 15 doubles, two home runs and 30 RBIs. The UConn
shortstop has routinely made spectacular plays at short to aid the UConn
defense.
Toppa is the active hits leader for the Huskies with over 230 hits and has
played in 210 games in his Husky career. The senior captain is hitting .318
with 12 doubles, four home runs and 33 RBIs. The left fielder has played in
every game the past two seasons and is the first player since L.J. Mazzilli,
Dan Feehan and Billy Ferriter to play in three NCAA Tournaments.
NEIBA honored 43 players from 10 different schools, highlighted by the
selections of Pat McColl from Harvard University who was named player of the
year. Sal Frelick of Boston College was named rookie of the year, while
Steve Theetge of Bryant University as pitcher of the year. Additionally,
Harvard University skipper Bill Decker was tabbed as the NEIBA Division I Coach
of the Year.
Wallace a Finalist
Jake Wallace was named
one of five finalists for the
National
Pitcher of the Year, presented by the College Baseball Foundation. Wallace
was the only reliever among the finalists and was joined on the list by senior
Noah Song from Navy, junior Ryan Garcia from UCLA, junior Alek Manoah from West
Virginia and junior Ethan Small from Mississippi State. The award will be
presented later this summer by the College Baseball Foundation.
The junior has locked down 15 saves this year, one away from tying
P.J. Poulin (2018)
of a single-season record. The right-hander is 3-1 with a 0.73 ERA and has
allowed only three earned runs and struck out 56 in 37.0 innings of work.
Wallace earned first team All-New England and All-Conference honors and will be
in the running over the next couple of weeks to garner All-American
status.
The Huskies open NCAA Tournament play in the Oklahoma City Regional
against Nebraska on Friday, May 31 at 1 p.m.
ET. The game can be viewed on ESPN3.
—Staff Reports
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