Leahey Named GNAC Second Team All-Conference

WINTHROP, Mass. – Anna Maria College senior baseball player, Matthew Leahey (Rutland, Mass.) was named to the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) All-Conference Second Team (Infield) as announced by the league's office on Monday afternoon. Sophomore Callan Finn-McMahon (West Hartford, Conn.) was named to the GNAC all-sportsmanship team.

Leahey led the AMCATS both on the mound, in the field, and at the plate this season. He appeared in 38 total games and made nine starts on the mound. He pitched 50.9 innings and led the team with a 5.90 earned run average. He led the AMCAT starting lineup at the plate with a .317 batting average. Leahey finished his career with 101 total hits including 40 hits this season.

Saint Joseph's College of Maine senior infielder Taylor Black was voted the 2017 GNAC Baseball Player of the Year. The conference's eight head coaches also voted Suffolk University senior righthander Chuck Gibson the GNAC Pitcher of the Year.

Black led the GNAC in hitting with a .417 average for the Monks, who once again earned the league's regular-season title and top tournament seed. He also tied for the league-lead with 44 RBI and scored 37 runs.

Fresh off a complete-game three-hitter to help the Rams claim their third straight GNAC Championship on Sunday evening, Gibson was named Tournament MVP.

Johnson & Wales University freshman infielder Joe Maracic was selected as the GNAC Rookie of the Year by the league's head coaches. In his rookie campaign, Maracic hit .292 with 19 RBI in 35 games played for the Wildcats.

Norwich University head coach Frank Pecora was voted the GNAC Coach of the year by his fellow head coaches. The Cadets went 6-8 in conference play in 2017, a four-win improvement from the 2016 squad.

For the complete All-Conference and Gold Glove selections, please see below.

First Team
C – Matt Brenner, Suffolk (Sr., Eliot, Maine)
INF – Andrew Scully, Albertus Magnus (Sr., Stratford, Conn.)
INF – Brett Barbati, Saint Joseph's (Me.) (Sr., Melrose, Mass.)
INF – Taylor Black, Saint Joseph's (Me.) (Sr., Cardiff By The Sea, Calif.)
INF – Max McCoomb, Saint Joseph's (Me.) (Sr., South Berwick, Maine)
OF – Dave Matthews, Johnson & Wales (RI) (So., Newtown, Conn.)
OF – Brandon Valentin, Lasell (Sr., Meriden, Conn.)
OF – Brady Chant, Suffolk (Jr., Warwick, R.I.)
DH – Jameson Collins, Saint Joseph's (Me.) (Sr., Sandown, N.H.)
UTIL – Hector Coscione, Lasell (Sr., Newton, Mass.)
P – Josh Partridge, Saint Joseph's (Me.) (Jr., Deerfield, N.H.)
P – Chuck Gibson, Suffolk (Sr., Malden, Mass.)

Second Team
C – Jacob White, Saint Joseph's (Me.) (Jr., Salem, N.H.)
INF – Matthew Leahey, Anna Maria (Sr., Rutland, Mass.)
INF – Lou Umberto, Johnson & Wales (RI) (Sr., Cranston, R.I.)
INF – Dom Mascolo, Lasell (Jr., Waterbury, Conn.)
INF – Kevin Belskie, Suffolk (Sr., Norristown, Pa.)
OF – Rob Ballinger, Johnson & Wales (RI) (Jr., South Kingston, R.I.)
OF – Dennis Meehan, Saint Joseph's (Me.) (Sr., Gardiner, Maine)
OF – Luke Ronchi, Suffolk (Sr., Randolph, N.J.)
DH – Edison Mercado, Johnson & Wales (RI) (Jr., Providence, R.I.)
UTIL – Tyler Ferdinand, Rivier (Jr., Middleboro, Mass.)
P – Brandon Budlong, Johnson & Wales (RI) (So., Cranston, R.I.)
P – Kyle Farquharson, Norwich (Sr., South Ryegate, Vt.)

Third Team
C – Brandon Pedley, Norwich (Sr., Northfield, Vt.)
INF – Ivan Reyes, Johnson & Wales (RI) (Sr., Cranston, R.I.)
INF – Andre Marchesseault, Lasell (So., Cheshire, Conn.)
INF – Sean Cameron, Suffolk (Sr., Milford, Conn.)
INF – Kevin Higgins, Suffolk (So., North Attleboro, Mass.)
OF – Skylar Beckerman, Lasell (Gr., Pensacola, Fla.)
OF – Kevin Lynch, Norwich (So., Randolph, Mass.)
OF – Seth Coiley, Suffolk (Jr., Arlington, Mass.)
DH – Matt Sirois, Norwich (Sr., Southington, Conn.)
UTIL – Noah McDaniel, Saint Joseph's (Me.) (So., Eliot, Maine)
P – Travis Godbout, Saint Joseph's (Me.) (Jr., Portland, Maine)
P – Ryan Pordes, Suffolk (Jr., Hawthorne, Calif.)

Gold Glove Team
C – Jacob White, Saint Joseph's (Me.) (Jr., Salem, N.H.)
1B – Ryan Cabral, Johnson & Wales (RI) (Sr., Scituate, R.I.)
2B – Ivan Reyes, Johnson & Wales (RI) Sr., Cranston, R.I.)
3B – Taylor Black, Saint Joseph's (Me.) (Sr., Cardiff By The Sea, Calif.)
SS – Lou Umberto, Johnson & Wales (RI) (Sr., Cranston, R.I.)
OF – Rob Ballinger, Johnson & Wales (RI) (Jr., South Kingston, R.I.)
OF – LaShawn Thomas, Norwich (Sr., San Antonio, Texas)
OF – Brady Chant, Suffolk (Jr., Warwick, R.I.)
P – Lane Compton, Johnson & Wales (RI) (Sr., Freeland, Mich.) 

Player of the Year – Taylor Black, Saint Joseph's (Me.)
Pitcher of the Year – Chuck Gibson, Suffolk
Rookie of the Year – Joe Maracic, Johnson & Wales (RI)
Coach of the Year – Frank Pecora, Norwich
Institutional Sportsmanship Award – Rivier University

All-Sportsmanship Team
Tom Moore, Albertus Magnus (Sr., East Haven, Conn.)
Callan Finn-McMahon, Anna Maria (So., West Hartford, Conn.)
Greg Joubert, Johnson & Wales (Sr., Cumberland, R.I.)
Matt Haskell, Lasell (Sr., Wallingford, Conn.)
Mike Lesco, Norwich (So., Somers, Conn.)
Charlie Savard, Rivier (Sr., Tyngsboro,, Mass.)
Cejay Suarez, Saint Joseph's (ME) (Sr., Abington, Mass.)
BJ Neil, Suffolk (Sr., Lynnfield, Mass.) 

Offensive Player of the Year – Max Stone, Johnson & Wales (RI)
Defensive Player of the Year – Chris Baglivi, Emmanuel (Mass.)
Goalkeeper of the Year – Jorge Salazar, Lasell
Rookie of the Year – Daniel Gorman, Lasell
Coach of the Year – Bill Mason, Lasell
Institutional Sportsmanship Award – Anna Maria College

All-Sportsmanship Team
Justin Bennet, Albertus Magnus (Sr., Fairfield, Conn.)
Daniel Rinkus, Anna Maria (Jr., Harwinton, Conn.)
Adam Crabtree, Emmanuel (So., Warwick, R.I.)
Nick Guerra, Johnson & Wales (So., Stratford, Conn.)
Pete Dolan, Lasell (Sr., Pearl River, N.Y.)
Cole Davis, Mount Ida (Sr., Chester, N.H.)
Connor McMahon, Norwich (Sr., Norwich, Conn.)
Isaiah Arteaga, Rivier (West Hartford, Conn.)
Joe O'Reilly, Saint Joseph's (ME) (Jr., Suffern, N.Y.)