Thursday, May 19, 2005

FOUR FROM JUMBO BASEBALL EARN POST-SEASON HONORS

MEDFORD – Four Tufts University Baseball players were named to All-Star teams announced earlier this week after a solid 23-11 season that had the Jumbos ranked among New England's best all year.

On the New England Intercollegiate Baseball Association (NEIBA) All-New England teams, senior designated hitter Greg Hickey (Medway, MA/Medway) was named to the second team and sophomore pitcher Aaron Narva (Albuquerque, NM/Albuquerque Academy) was selected to the Third Team. Hickey was also named to the Division III Senior All-Star Team that will play in the NEIBA College Baseball All-Star Game at Fenway Park on June 5.

The All-New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) teams had Jumbo sophomore first baseman Bryan McDavitt (Holden, MA/St. Peter-Marian) on the First Team. Hickey and sophomore pitcher Ben Simon (Providence, RI/Northfield Mt. Hermon) were voted on to the Second Team.

Hickey, returning from a year off, was welcomed back to the middle of the Jumbo batting order. He hit .361 with five home runs, 27 runs scored and 28 runs batted in. His 71 total bases led the Jumbos. Against UMass Dartmouth on April 19 he went 3 for 4 with two two-run home runs and five runs batted in. Five times he had three hits in a game and he finished with multiple hits on 13 occasions.

Narva set a Tufts record with 20 appearances out of the bullpen, smashing the former record of 16 set by Mike Saucier in 2000. Narva earned six saves, the second best total in team-history, and compiled a 2-1 record and 2.49 earned run average in 21.2 innings. He was not scored against in his first nine outings of the year. He struck out 25, a better than one per inning average.

McDavitt is eighth in NESCAC with a .389 batting average, leading Tufts with 49 hits, to go with two home runs and 25 RBIs. He also walked 22 times for a strong .487 on-base percentage, fielded his position at a .988 percentage, and stole nine bases. Also a starting defensive back on the Tufts Football team, he hit two home runs, including a grand slam, and had seven RBIs against Bates on April 1.

Simon was undefeated during the regular season and finished 5-1 with a 2.29 earned run average, fifth-best in NESCAC. The team's #1 starter throughout the season, he allowed just one home run and 12 walks in a team-high 59 innings. Against NESCAC East Division opponents, he was 3-0 with a 2.23 earned run average and .220 batting average against.

Tufts finished 10-2 in the NESCAC East to earn a berth into the conference tournament. The Jumbos were tied for seventh in the final NEIBA Division III poll of the year.

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