BA breaks down the Northeast Conference, including our projections for player of the year, pitcher of the year and top prospects.
| Members: Bryant, Central Connecticut State, Fairleigh Dickinson, Long Island-Brooklyn, Mount St. Mary’s, Sacred Heart, Wagner. |
| Team to Beat: Bryant. After losing the Northeast Conference championship series to Sacred Heart in 2015, Bryant returns most of its potent lineup, with junior second baseman Cole Fabio leading the way after hitting .347/.438/.477 last season. Fabio will set the table for the powerful bats in the middle of the lineup, such as outfielder Matt Albanese (.319/373/.542) and first baseman Robby Rinn (.332/.414/.582). In the rotation, the Bulldogs lose Kyle Wilcox (7-3, 3.24), but return a proven ace in sophomore James Karinchak. Junior Brandon Bingle will pull double duty this year, serving as the DH and following Karinchak in the rotation. He hit .317/.403/.522 with a team-high seven home runs and went 5-2, 3.23 on the mound last year. |
| Player of the Year: Zack Short, ss, Sacred Heart. Short is a hard-nosed player with several weapons at his disposal on the baseball diamond. He’s a steady, sure-handed defender at shortstop, and brings intriguing raw power to the plate. He hit .305/.424/.535 with nine home runs as a sophomore in 2015, and spent his summer seeing high level pitching in the Cape Cod League. |
| Pitcher of the Year: James Karinchak, rhp, Bryant. Karinchak ascended to the top of Bryant’s rotation as a freshman in 2015. He went 8-5, 3.24 and threw six complete games for the Bulldogs. He pitches in the low 90s and has a promising breaking ball, and gives Bryant a bona fide ace to start each weekend. |
| Freshman of the Year: Kyle Ruth, ss, Long Island-Brooklyn. Ruth is a hard-nosed player with advanced baseball instincts, and he should make an immediate impact for the Blackbirds. |
| Tournament: Four teams, May 26-29 at Dodd Stadium in Norwich, Conn. |
| 1. Jason Foley, rhp, Sacred Heart |
| 2. Matt Albanese, of, Bryant |
| 3. Zack Short, ss, Sacred Heart |
| 4. Cole Fabio, 2b, Bryant |
| 5. Brian Drapeau, rhp, Long Island-Brooklyn |
| 6. Connor Fitzsimons, c, Central Connecticut State |
| 7. Buck McCarthy, c, Bryant |
| 8. Ben Ruta, of, Wagner |
| 9. Robby Rinn, 1b, Bryant |
| 10. Mark Hernandez, 1b, Long Island-Brooklyn |
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