Worcester, MA --- Senior Matt Hart (N. Easton, MA) has been selected as an American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) Rawlings Division III All-American as a second-team honoree. This is the second All-American honor that Hart has received in the past week after he was tabbed to the third team of the D3baseball.com squad last Wednesday.
Hart instrumental in the success of the Lancers this season as
the squad captured their seventh MASCAC regular season championship
with a 13-1 record and posted the second 30-win campaign in program
history at 30-15. Hart, a first-team NEIBA selection and this
season's MASCAC Player of the Year, is currently 15th in the NCAA
Division III in total bases (132), 18th in slugging (.815), 11th in
homers (14) and 32nd in total stolen bases (27).
Hart led the MASCAC in six statistical categories which included
batting average (.426), hits (69), runs (54), homers, on-base
percentage (.500) and slugging (.815). Hart also was third in
stolen bases, tied for second in doubles (13) and triples (4) and
ninth in runs batted in (34). Hart, the team's lead-off hitter
reached base safely in 46 of 72 times to start out an inning (.639)
which includes 22 times in 45 games to start off a contest. Hart
also belted five lead-off homers in 14 MASCAC contests.
Hart had one of the most remarkable seasons ever put up in WSC
baseball history. Hart's single season marks of hits and stolen
bases were the second highest while his homers and total bases are
tied for the third-most. Hart also distinguished himself with a
career .379 batting average in two seasons which is good for 17th
on the all-time list.
Hall of Famer Eric Swedberg and Tim Leonard were the last
student-athletes to be named All-Americans. Swedberg was named a
Division III All-American in 2000, 2001 and 2002 while he was also
honored as an Academic All-American in 2002. Leonard received the
nod as an academic All-American in 2001.
The Lancers ended their 2009 campaign with a setback in the ECAC
New England Baseball Tournament to WPI in the championship game.
The team also fell 4-3 to Westfield State in Championship round of
the MASCAC Tournament.
Recipients of the squad from New England included senior's Sean Kileen (Greenfield, MA- C) and Jeremiah Bayer (Greenfield, MA - RHP) of Trinity, senior Shawn Giblair (Windham, CT-UTL) of Eastern Connecticut and fourth-year Conor Fahey (Cumberland, RI- RHP) on the first team.
Sophomore's Andrew Fatse (Hamden, MA-2B) of WNEC and Bobby Doyon (Keene, NH-OF) of Keene State were on the second team while junior Melvin Castillo (Danbury, CT-3B) and Anthony D'Alfonso (Westbrook, ME-OF) of Southern Maine notched third team accolades.
Ed Flaherty was the region's top coach while Giblair was honored as the Co-Player of the Year.