All-Northeast-10 Teams

RINDGE, N.H. (May 10, 2016) – For the second straight season, junior third baseman Jay Jabs (Schwenksville, Pa.) of the No. 1/3 nationally ranked Franklin Pierce University baseball team is the Northeast-10 Conference Player of the Year, as announced on Tuesday afternoon by the Conference office. In addition, the Ravens collected eight All-Northeast-10 accolades and had nine players total honored in the Conference's year-end awards.

Joining Jabs on the All-Northeast-10 First Team were junior designated hitter Chris LaVorgna (North Haven, Conn.), sophomore right-hander Anthony Matarazzo (Medford, Mass.) and senior right-hander Tanner Bird (Adams, Mass.). Senior right-hander Paul Covelle (Medford, Mass.) landed on the All-Northeast-10 Second Team, while senior shortstop Justin Brock (Latham, N.Y.), senior right fielder Max DiTondo (Marshfield, Mass.) and sophomore right-hander John Amendola (Wallingford, Conn.) took home All-Northeast-10 Third Team honors. In addition, freshman right-hander Tanner Putnam (New Boston, N.H.) was selected to the Northeast-10 All-Rookie Team.

Jabs' selection marks the seventh time a Raven has earned Northeast-10 Player of the Year honors, as he joins himself (2015), Zach Mathieu (2012), Keith Renaud (2007), Garrett Olson (2006), Bryan Duplissie (2005) and Eric Cavers (2004). Jabs becomes just the second repeat Player of the Year in Conference history, joining Bentley's Mike Hill, who captured the award in 1996 and 1997.

Jabs earns his second straight selection to the All-Northeast-10 First Team as well. Somehow, he managed to improve on last year's already gaudy numbers and has posted a .380/.486/.676 slash line through 48 games and 179 at-bats (68-for-179) so far in 2016. Through May 8, he is tied for 36th in the country in runs batted in (57), ranks 42nd in runs batted in per game (1.19) and is tied for 43rd in walks (35). Within the Northeast-10, Jabs ranks first in slugging percentage, home runs (12) and runs batted in; tied for first in walks; second in batting average, on-base percentage and runs scored (55); third in hits; tied for 13th in triples (3); tied for 15th in doubles (11); and tied for 17th in stolen bases (16).

For LaVorgna, it also marks his second consecutive selection to the All-Northeast-10 First Team as well. While playing all 48 games at designated hitter for the Ravens and hitting primarily out of the clean-up hole, he has posted a .322/.385/.464 slash line over 183 at-bats (59-for-183) with nine doubles, four triples and three home runs. He is currently tied for 42nd in the country in stolen bases (23) and ranks 50th in stolen bases per game (0.48). Within the Northeast-10, LaVorgna ranks fourth in runs batted in (48), is tied for fifth in stolen bases (23), is tied for eighth in triples, ranks 11th in hits and is tied for 14th in runs scored (37).

Matarazzo, who logged just 9.2 innings as a freshman a year ago, earns his first career All-Northeast-10 selection as a sophomore. Through 11 starts, he has logged 72.2 innings and recorded 65 strikeouts (8.05 per nine innings) on his way to a 1.49 ERA and a 10-0 record with two complete games. Matarazzo has allowed 15 runs (12 earned) on 52 hits and walked 18 along the way. In the country, he currently ranks sixth in ERA, tied for sixth in wins, 13th in WHIP (0.96) and 20th in hits allowed per nine innings (6.44). Within the Northeast-10, Matarazzo ranks first in wins, second in ERA, tied for ninth in complete games, 10th in strikeouts, 11th in innings pitched and 15th in strikeouts per nine innings.

Bird, who had just 12.1 collegiate innings to his name entering the season, exploded onto the scene from the Ravens bullpen as a senior to earn his first All-Northeast-10 selection as well. He has made 19 appearances on the mound, including one start, and has logged 51.1 innings while recording 57 strikeouts (9.99 per nine innings) on his way to a 0.53 ERA, an 8-0 record and three saves. Bird currently leads the nation in both ERA and WHIP (0.68) and ranks second in the country in hits allowed per nine innings (4.38), 22nd in strikeout-to-walk ratio (5.70) and tied for 34th in wins. He has allowed just five runs (three earned) on 25 hits and has walked 10 against the 57 strikeouts. Within the Northeast-10, Bird ranks first in ERA, is tied for second in wins, ranks sixth in strikeouts per nine innings and ranks 14th in strikeouts.

Covelle earns his first career All-Northeast-10 selection in his senior season by landing on the Second Team. Pitching from the top of the rotation all spring, he has logged 75.1 innings over 11 starts and struck out 77 (9.20 per nine innings) on his way to a 2.27 ERA and an 8-1 record with three complete games. Covelle has allowed 21 runs (19 earned) on 44 hits and walked 13. He currently ranks fourth in the country in WHIP (0.76), eighth in hits allowed per nine innings (5.26), 20th in strikeout-to-walk ratio (5.92), tied for 34th in wins, 38th in ERA and 43rd in walks allowed per nine innings (1.55). Within the NE-10, Covelle is tied for second in wins, tied for third in complete games, ranked sixth in strikeouts and ERA, tied for seventh in innings pitched and ranked 10th in strikeouts per nine innings.

Brock picks up his second straight All-Northeast-10 selection for his work at shortstop in 2016. While starting in all 48 games thus far, he has put together a .351/.436/.500 slash line over 174 at-bats (61-for-174) with 13 doubles, two triples and three home runs. Brock currently leads the nation in stolen bases (46-for-53) and stolen bases per game (0.96) and has established new Franklin Pierce records for stolen bases in a season and a career this spring. Within the NE-10, he currently ranks first in stolen bases, fourth in runs scored (52), sixth in on-base percentage, tied for seventh in hits, tied for eighth in doubles, ninth in batting average, tied for 16th in slugging percentage, tied for 18th in RBI (31).

DiTondo, who moved into a permanent starting role for the first time in his career as a senior, earned his first All-Northeast-10 nod while starting all but one game in right field for the Ravens. Over 47 games, he has posted a .309/.410/.430 slash line over 165 at-bats (51-for-165), with seven doubles, two triples and three home runs. Within the Northeast-10, DiTondo currently ranks third in stolen bases (26-for-33), 14th in on-base percentage and tied for 16th in runs scored (35). He has driven in 28 runs and drawn 27 walks against 30 strikeouts along the way.

Amendola, a transfer from the University of Massachusetts, earns his first career All-Northeast-10 selection for his work in the middle of the Ravens rotation. He has logged 71 innings over 11 starts and recorded 58 strikeouts (7.35 per nine innings) on his way to a 2.15 ERA and a 6-1 record with one complete game. Amendola has allowed 24 runs (17 earned) on 58 hits and 15 walks. He currently ranks 29th in the country in WHIP (1.03) and 32nd in ERA. Within the Northeast-10, Amendola ranks fourth in ERA, is tied for ninth in wins, ranks 13th in strikeouts, is tied for 14th in innings pitched.

Putnam lands on the All-Rookie Team after making 13 appearances and two starts totaling 23 innings on the season. He allowed five runs (four earned) on 13 hits, walked seven and struck out 31 (12.13 per nine innings) on his way to a 1.57 ERA and a 2-0 record with one save.

The Ravens (44-4) captured their fifth straight Northeast-10 Conference Northeast Division title last week and will open the postseason at home on Tuesday night against Assumption in the first round of the Northeast-10 Championship. First pitch is set for 6 p.m. at Pappas Field in Rindge.

For more information on Franklin Pierce Athletics, please visit the official website of Franklin Pierce Athletics (http://athletics.franklinpierce.edu). Also be sure to follow the Ravens through the Department of Athletics' official Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/FranklinPierceRavens), its YouTube channel (http://www.youtube.com/franklinpiercesports) and its Twitter feed (http://twitter.com/FPUathletics). Fans wishing to purchase Franklin Pierce baseball apparel can do so at the Department of Athletics' online store (http://athletics.franklinpierce.edu/store).