Teams: Baseball: Press Releases

Thursday, May 12, 2010

SEVEN JUMBOS RECOGNIZED BY NESCAC FOR 2010 BASEBALL SUCCESS

Sophomore 3B Sam Sager is one of seven Jumbos honored by NESCAC in 2010

MEDFORD -- Six members of the 2010 New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) champion Tufts University baseball team received All-Conference honors released by the league office today. That's the most members of the Tufts team ever recognized in the NESCAC's annual awards.

Sophomore closer Chris DeGoti (Miami, FL), junior shortstop David LeResche (St. Louis, MO), and sophomore third baseman Sam Sager (Cranston, RI) were all voted on to the All-NESCAC First Team by the league's coaches. Sophomore pitcher Kevin Gilchrist (Medford, MA) and junior second baseman Frank Petroskey (Dallas, TX) are on the Second Team. Senior catcher Alex Perry (Danvers, MA) was selected as the Defensive Player of the Year. Coach John Casey, who directed Tufts to its second conference championship, was named Coach of the Year.

With the Jumbos entering NCAA play, DeGoti has a school-record 11 saves to lead NESCAC. Five of those came in NESCAC East Division play. Overall, DeGoti has allowed three earned runs in 20.1 innings for a 1.33 earned run average. He struck out 22 opponents in a conference-high 18 appearances.

LeResche and Sager make up an outstanding left side of the infield for the Jumbos. Together they combined to finish in the top 10 of the conference in seven offensive categories. The lead-off hitter, LeResche is tied for fourth in the league with 46 runs scored, is fourth with 18 stolen bases, and has a .483 on base percentage to rank 10th in NESCAC. He hit .367, led Tufts with 23 walks, and handled 167 of 181 chances while starting every game at short (.923). Sager, who has a .380 batting average, broke a Tufts single-season record with 18 doubles to place second in NESCAC. He's among the league top 10 in hits (54), runs batted in (36), and total bases (80).

Gilchrist blossomed as a mid-season addition to the starting rotation. He made his first start in the second game of a doubleheader against Trinity and earned the win allowing two runs in six innings. He then pitched a complete-game one-hitter to beat Bowdoin on April 23. He opened the team's NESCAC Championship play on May 7 by defeating Wesleyan. In 38.2 total innings, the lefty is 5-0 with a 2.33 earned run average that is the best in NESCAC for pitchers with at least one inning pitcher per team game played.

Petroskey, a transfer from Vermont, was a superb addition to the team this spring. He led the regulars with a .398 batting average, scoring 26 runs and driving in 29. His .544 slugging percentage and .445 on base percentage go along with a steady .954 fielding mark, as he made just six errors in 130 chances.

Perry had a 23-3 record in 26 starts at catcher. He calls every pitch thrown by the Tufts staff, which leads NESCAC with a 4.10 earned run average. Perry managed a pitching staff that includes three of the top five earned run averages in the league, and the conference's saves leader. He fielded .983 for the season with just three errors and four passed balls.

Casey directed Tufts to its fourth NESCAC East Division pennant and the right to host the conference championship tournament. The Jumbos won the title and presented Coach Casey with the 500th victory of his 27-year career in the NESCAC final. The Jumbos are 31-5 heading into the NCAA Tournament, a school record for victories.

The Jumbos begin play in the 2010 NCAA Division III Baseball Regional at Eastern Connecticut State University on May 19.

►2010 NESCAC Baseball All-Conference Teams

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