2010 Division III All-NEIBA Team
Boston, MA --- Junior designated hitter Corey McDonald (Hudson, MA) and senior closer Kevin Hayes (Medford, MA) have been named to the New England Intercollegiate Baseball Association (NEIBA) in a vote by the coaches from around the region. For both this is the first time that either has received an All-New England honor.
McDonald, a first-team All-NEIBA honoree, currently leads the MASCAC in batting (.414), slugging (.707), on base percentage (.518) and total bases (94) while his eight home runs are tied for the league lead. McDonald is also third in RBIs (41), fourth in runs (41) and fifth in hits (55).
McDonald was tabbed as the MASCAC Tournament Most Valuable Player as he helped lead the Lancers to capture their fourth conference championship since the league playoff started in 2001. McDonald has also been hit by 15 pitches this season and he is tied for 29th in the NCAA Division III.
Hayes, a second-team All-NEIBA selection, put up one of the most remarkable seasons for a closer in school history. In a school record 23 appearances, Hayes posted a 2-1 record with seven saves and a 1.82 earned run average to go along with 23 strikeouts in 29.2 innings. Hayes’s save total was the second-best in the MASCAC and tied for seventh nationally.
Hayes set the program mark for single season and career stops (10) while he is the school’s all-time leader in appearances (59). If the season ended today, Hayes’s 2.52 ERA would be the fourth-best mark in the record book.
Hayes was one of four closer’s to be honored on the team as Tufts sophomore Chris DeGoti (Miami, FL) and Wheaton senior Jon Shepard (Salisbury, MA) each notched first-team recognition and Western New England sophomore Mike Lawlor (Windsor, CT) was honored on the second team.
McDonald and Hayes were the only members of the squad from the MASCAC on the first and second team while senior teamates Jeff Fields (Pittsfield, MA) and Kevin Lyons (Braintree, MA) of Westfield were on the third-team.
Worcester State (31-9-1) under the direction of 14th year head coach Dr. Dirk Baker is making their fifth NCAA Tournament appearance. As the fifth seed in the New England Regional they will take on #4 Eastern Connecticut on Wednesday at 10 AM.
The Lancers were recently ranked fifth in the final eight-team NEIBA coaches poll of the season.