BOSTON – Suffolk baseball's upperclassmen trinity of Jonny Gilbride, Harry Painter and Garret Roberts picked up their second all-region accolades of the season this afternoon as they each garnered spots on the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA)/Rawlings NCAA Division III All-Region Teams, the national organization announced.
Painter and Roberts received first-team recognition as a utility and designated hitter, respectively, while Gilbride earned a spot on the second team at shortstop. Painter received his third consecutive all-region accolade from the ABCA/Rawlings, while Gilbride and Roberts are first-team honorees.
The three honors in a single season are the most for Suffolk since it picked up three in 2017 when Matthew Brenner '17, Brady Chant '18 and Chuck Gibson '17 were all named to the first team.
A total of 50 players from 17 different programs were recognized on Region's 2 three teams. The blue-and-gold trio was three of 21 Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) student-athletes on the list.
The teams are voted on by members of the ABCA and the process is led by the ABCA NCAA DIII All-America & Coach of the Year Committee.
Painter's third consecutive all-region award comes on the heels of a season that he provided all over the diamond. The right-handed pitcher proved to be the most effective arm on Suffolk's staff with a 3.02 ERA over 44.2 innings in seven appearances, all starts, en route to a 5-1 record. He fanned a team-best 61 batters. At the dish, the three-hole power hitter had a squad-high 62 hits that included 28 extra-base knocks broken down to 18 doubles, five triples and five homers. The Essex, Massachusetts product's 60-plus hits land on Suffolk's single-season top ten list, while his 18 two-baggers sit second in a Rams season in program history. He brought in 43 runs on a .350/.415/.593 slash line and scored 47 runs himself. With 105 total bases this year, he is the first known Ram in program history to have multiple 100-plus total base seasons as he accomplished the feat in 2022 as well.
Painter is the first Ram to have three ABCA/Rawlings All-Region nods since Chant collected three straight from 2016 through 2018.
Gilbride proved to be one of the most consistent bats in the blue-and-gold's order with 59 hits on a .337 connection rate at the plate. He went on a 14-game hit streak from March 30-April 21. In that span he had 24 hits including seven doubles, one triple and four homers. The Beverly, Massachusetts product had a stand-out 4-for-4 effort in a 9-2 win over Curry April 27 when all his hits were good for extra bases with two bombs, one double and triple, respectively, to finish a single shy of the cycle and 13 total bases. He brought in 51 runs and scored 51 himself to be the second-ever Ram to have 50-plus RBI and runs scored in a single season in program history. He also became the eighth-ever Suffolk player to send double digit balls out of the park in a single season with 10 jacks to his credit.
Roberts, who hails from Stratham, New Hampshire, supplied 52 hits, 34 RBI and 44 runs scored as a positional pitcher. The left-handed batter put together a .371/.486/.650 slash line with 10 doubles, seven triples and five homers. His seven triples land among Suffolk's single-season top ten. As a right-handed pitcher, he assembled a 5.22 ERA and 47 punchouts in 60.1 innings of work in 13 appearances, 12 starts for a 4-3 record with one save.
Earlier today, the trio was named to D3baseball.com All-Region 2 Teams with Painter on the first team and Roberts and Gilbride representing the Rams on the third team.
ABCA/Rawlings All-Region First-Team selections are nominated for ABCA/Rawlings All-America honors, which will be announced Thursday, May 30 immediately following the Opening Ceremony at the 2024 NCAA Division III Championship in Eastlake, Ohio.
The ABCA All-America team was first recognized in 1949 and now includes nine divisions: NCAA Division I, II and III, NAIA, NJCAA Divisions I, II and II, Pacific Association Division and high school.
Since the inception of the ABCA/Rawlings All-Region teams, in conjunction with the NEIBA in 2003, Suffolk has taken home 38 honors, with at least one Ram taking home the feat each season that is has been handed out dating back to 2016. Of the 38 awards, 16 have come under Anthony Del Prete's guidance. When broken down, Suffolk has received 19 first-team, eight second-team and 11 third-team distinctions over the last two-plus decades.
2024 ABCA/RAWLINGS NCAA DIVISION III ALL-REGION TEAMS: REGION 2
Region 2 Position Player of the Year: Johnny Knox, Nichols
Region 2 Pitcher of the Year: Jordan Gottesman, Endicott
FIRST-TEAM
C – Jack Morin, Roger Williams
1B – Kyle Douin, Southern Maine
2B – Aidan Blake, UMass Boston
3B – Brett Velzis, Mass. Maritime
3B – Cody Waterbury, Western New England
SS – Johnny Knox, Nichols
OF – Ryan Boyle, Framingham State
OF – Justin Gouveia, UMass Boston
OF – Brennan Hyde, Nichols
DH – Garret Roberts, Suffolk
UT – Harry painter, Suffolk
P – John Connolly, Endicott
P – Jordan Gottesman, Endicott
P – Ryan Lapierre, Westfield State
P – Adam Maher, UMass Dartmouth
SECOND-TEAM
C – Jacob Hurreell, Fitchburg State
1B – AJ Pietrafesa, Mass. Maritime
1B – Daniel Trzepacz, Rhode Island College
2B – Scott Emerson, Bridgewater State
2B – Devyn Vezina, UMass Dartmouth
3B – Andrew Possi, UMass Dartmouth
SS – Jonny Gilbride, Suffolk
SS – Kevin Lindsay, Bridgewater State
SS – TJ Liponis, Endicott
OF – Joey Frammartino, Endicott
OF – Aidan Hawley, Roger Williams
OF – Ray Leonzi, Eastern Connecticut State
DH – Cole Podedworny, Rhode Island College
UT – Sam Palmer, Westfield State
P – Kyan Bagshaw, Endicott
P – Nathan Furino, Eastern Connecticut State
P – Charlie Hale, Endicott
P – Dillon Ryan, UMass Boston
THIRD-TEAM
C – A.T. DiPina, Wentworth
C – Mathew Pigeon, Bridgewater State
1B – Danny MacDougall, Endicott
2B – CJ Demers, Gordon
2B – Lucas McElroy, Rhode Island College
3B – Bostyn Burris, UMass Boston
SS – Johnny Bova, Western New England
SS – Zach Donahue, Eastern Connecticut State
OF – Ben Jerome, Nichols
OF – Nic Notarangelo, Endicott
OF – Anthony Poole, Southern Maine
DH – Brendan O'Neil, Endicott
UT – Dylan Pacheco, Endicott
UT – Matthew Wootton, Eastern Connecticut State
P – Nick Cannata, Endicott
P – Aidan O'Donnell, UMass Dartmouth
P – Evan Scully, Endicott