The Suffolk University Baseball team garnered 10 postseason accolades by the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) for the 2011 season. The Rams currently stand at a 20-19 mark while finishing third within league play with a 9-5 record. Suffolk advanced to the GNAC Tournament finals for the sixth straight season.
Freshman Jake Cintolo (Wrentham, Mass.) took home Rookie of the Year honors. The Rams third baseman currently leads all hitters in the GNAC with 64 hits on the season, while batting .441, which stands second in the conference. Cintolo currently ranks 15th among all NCAA Division III players in the nation in hits (as of May 1), he is second among all New England players, while his hit total is the most among as rookies in the country. Cintolo has been the catalyst for much of the Rams offense this spring as he scored 40 times, while his on base percentage is top's on the team and within the GNAC at a .529 mark. Cintolo's ability to get on base has been in large part to the number of pitches he has taken, as he has been worn out by opposing pitchers drawing 16 hit by pitches. This season Cintolo has hit safely in 31 of 39 games, while recording 22 multiple hit games. Since moving to the second spot in the Rams lineup 13 games ago, Cintolo has hit at a .474 (27-for-57) clip scoring 21 runs. Along with his top honors as freshman, Cintolo also earned All-Conference second team honors.
Senior Alex Torres (Framingham, Mass.) was named as the GNAC's top hurler taking home Pitcher of the Year honors, along with being named a first team All-Conference selection. Torres led the league in almost every pitching category: earned run average (3.94), innings pitched (64), strikeouts (60), while posting a 5-5 record, with one save. Torres has started six games this season, throwing six complete games. Torres was 3-1 in four GNAC starts this season, completing all four contests. On April 18 of this season, Torres was named GNAC Pitcher of the Week, along with ECAC Pitcher of the Week after a 4-0 shutout of St. Joseph's College.
Senior Mark Annese (Winchester, Mass.) was named a first team All-Conference selection at catcher. Annese also earned a selection to the GNAC All-Sportsmanship team. Anesse is currently hitting .339 on the season with 14 extra base hits, including 12 doubles which ranks fifth among all GNAC players. This season Annese has caught 20 games behind the dish for the Rams while driving in 28 runs which is second on the team.
Freshman Devan Jones (Roslindale, Mass.), seniors Mark Addesa (Revere, Mass.), Andrew Babb (Ashland, Mass.) and Charles Kilgore (Milford, N.H.) all earned second team All-Conference honors.
Jones has been the leading run producer this season for the Rams as he has driven in a team-high 34 runs, while also connecting on a team-best four home runs. As a freshman Jones has started all 39 games for the Rams hitting in the three hole in the Rams lineup, leading the Rams with 18 extra base hits. Along with the four home runs, Jones has also produced 10 doubles and four triples. Jones was named GNAC Rookie of the Week on March 24 that was highlighted by his go-ahead grand slam against Curry College in a 13-9 Suffolk victory over Curry College. Jones is also tops among all GNAC players with 40 runs scored on the season.
Addesa is currently hitting .353 on the season at the top of the Rams lineup. In 116 at-bats this year, Addesa has 41 hits, including 10 doubles. Along with his GNAC honor, Addesa also was award with the Ken Garni 10th Player Award for the 2011 Suffolk season. The honor is awarded to a member on the Suffolk squad by the coaching staff for commitment to the program both on and off the field.
Babb was selected as an outfielder as he has hit .322 (49-for-152) on the season. Both of Babb's home runs this year came in game one of an 8-7 extra inning GNAC victory over Emerson College. That day, Babb hit the go-ahead home run in the top of the eighth inning. Babb has also been one of the toughest hitters to strike out in the nation as he currently ranks 31st among all NCAA Division-III players only fanning six times in his 152 at bats on the season.
Kilgore has been one of the most durable arms on the Suffolk staff this season as the senior righthander has appeared in 12 contests. Kilgore holds a 2-1 record with a save and a 2.35 ERA in 38 1/3 innings pitched. Kilgore had an impressive performance in a three-hit shutout over Rivier College that took just 56 pitches (42 strikes to complete).
Senior Nick Travelyn (Bedford, N.H.) rounded out the All-Conference selections for Suffolk being named to the third team. Travelyn leads the GNAC with seven triples and is fourth in the league with a .593 slugging percentage. In 14 GNAC games Travelyn hit .450 (18-for-40), while posting a .382 average on the season in 39 games. 15 of Travelyn's 47 hits this season have been for extra bases.