D3baseball.com Release | Region 2 Honorees
BOSTON – Harry Painter of the Suffolk baseball team collected all-region honors as the sophomore designated hitter earned a spot on D3baseball.com's Region ii First-Team, the organization announced Tuesday morning.
Over 1,088 student-athletes were nominated for the regional ballot, which is in its 10th season, and was distributed to Sports Information Directors, who voted for a predetermined number of players in their region, as well as the organization's staff and contributors. Players chosen to the D3baseball.com All-Region team are eligible for All-American selection, which will be announced tomorrow, Wednesday, June 1.
The 44 Region ii student-athletes recognized represent 17 different schools. Painter is one of 14 Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) competitors to find his way on the list along with six student-athletes from Endicott, three from Roger Williams and Salve Regina, respectively, and one from Western New England.
Painter is the first Ram to garner an all-region nod from D3baseball.com since Tim Brigham '20 grabbed a spot on the third-team in 2019. The DH is the first Ram to receive a first-team accolade since Brady Chant '18 did so in 2018. As a sophomore, Painter is the youngest Suffolk student-athlete to grab a first-team all-region distinction from the national organization. He is the first sophomore to clinch an all-region spot since Chant and Worth Walrod '19 were each rewarded for their efforts as sophomores with a second-team and third-team recognitions, respectively.
Since Suffolk earned its first D3baseball.com all-region nod in 2013, the Rams have gone on to pick up 11 all-region accolades (five first-team, two second-team and three third-team). The all-region award is the first of Painter's collegiate career and adds to his trophy shelf that includes CCC Player of the Year and a first-team All-CCC nod.
The Essex, Massachusetts native was the backbone to Suffolk's offensive unit with 64 hits including 28 extra-base knocks highlighted by a dozen dingers, good for a share of second in the region and 40th in the nation. He barreled a the eighth-best average (.403) and the third-best slugging percentage (.742) in the region to go along with a .461 on-base percentage. The clean-up hitter dominated opposing pitchers, safely hitting in all, but one game he made a plate appearance this season. He brought in 47 RBIs and finished with 118 total bases, which ranks in the top 50 in NCAA DIII.
Painter pushed Suffolk to its second CCC postseason appearance in as many years where the sixth-seeded Rams won their first CCC playoff game, the play-in game over seventh-seed Gordon, 9-3, but were unable to find the win column in the double-elimination portion of the bracket to finish the year 23-20 overall.