Baseball Places Six On All-CCC Teams

CCC ALL-CONFERENCE RELEASE

BEVERLY, Mass. — The Endicott baseball team saw six of its student-athletes earn Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) postseason honors earlier today, as announced by the league office. 

Michael DeDonato (Chelmsford, Mass.), Alexander Mandrus (Acton, Mass.), and Will Bryant (Cumberland, Maine) were all named to the All-CCC First Team, while Dan Cacciola (Saugus, Mass.), Michael Casciano (Somers, Conn.), and Brad Rebello (Bellingham, Mass.) were all chosen to the All-CCC Third Team.

In addition to their individual honors, the Gulls also received the league's Team Sportsmanship award.

ALL-CCC FIRST TEAM

DeDonato earned his spot on the All-CCC First Team behind a .391/.433/.517 slash line (.avg/.obp/.slg), 32 runs scored, 59 hits, 13 doubles, two home runs, 32 RBI, 78 total bases, eight walks, and 32 stolen bases. 

DeDonato, who is now a three-time All-Conference selection, currently ranks first in the conference in hits, total bases, and stolen bases. He also is seventh in runs, second in doubles, eighth in home runs, sixth in RBI, second in batting average, 13th in on-base percentage, and fourth in slugging percentage. Nationally, DeDonato is No. 8 in stolen bases and No. 9 in stolen bases per game (0.81).

Along with those gaudy numbers, DeDonato has notched 19 multi-hit games, eight multi-RBI games, put together a 10-game hitting streak (currently on a six-gamer) this year, and reached base safely in 15 straight contests (all team-highs).

Meanwhile, Mandrus sports a 5-1 record and two saves, all as a reliever for the Gulls. In 20 appearances, Mandrus has logged 42 2/3 innings, a 2.53 earned run average (ERA), and 32 strikeouts. Mandrus is currently 10th in the league among starters and/or relievers in innings pitched and first among all relievers by a wide margin (six innings, minimum zero starts). His ERA is also sixth in the conference, while his strikeouts per nine innings (6.75) is 10th among all starters/relievers and first among all relievers.

Additionally, 13 of Mandrus' league-leading 20 relief appearances this season have gone two innings or further - which includes a season-high 4 2/3 innings appearance in a 9-5 win over Western New England on 4/14. Lastly, the freshman reliever has come into several high-leverage situations this season as Mandrus has inherited a team-high 26 runners, but only allowed 13 of them to score (.500).

Bryant rounds out the list of All-CCC First Team honors for the Gulls. In 18 relief appearances this season, Bryant is 1-2 overall with 10 saves, 15 strikeouts (6.14 per game), and a 1.64 ERA in 22 innings pitched. His 10 saves this season currently ranks first in the CCC and No. 10 overall among all NCAA Division III closers, while his 18 appearances are second in the league. Bryant, who has only allowed four inherited runners to score in 15 opportunities this season, is now a two-time All-CCC First Team selection.

ALL-CCC THIRD TEAM

Cacciola is hitting .253/.375/.333 on the season in 35 games played. Cacciola also has scored 22 runs, collected 22 hits (four doubles, one homer), notched nine RBI, walked 13 times, and stolen 17 bases (6th in CCC). This marks Cacciola's first career All-Conference honor.

Now a two-time All-CCC Third Team selection, Casciano boasts a .293/.407/.444 slash line alongside 19 runs, 29 hits (four doubles, one triple, three homers), 15 RBI, 44 total bases, 21 walks, and four stolen bases. Casciano currently ranks fifth in the CCC in homers, seventh in walks, and 17th in slugging percentage.

Rebello concludes Endicott's All-Conference honorees with a .331/.421/.347 slash line, 23 runs, 41 hits (two doubles), 16 RBI, 43 total bases, 16 walks, and seven stolen bases. Rebello ranks No. 17 in the conference in average and on-base percentage, and No. 19 in walks. This also marks Rebello's first career All-Conference honoree.

WHAT'S NEXT

Fourth-seeded Endicott (24-14) will take on fifth-seeded Wentworth in Newport, Rhode Island in game one of the Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) Tournament on Saturday at 12 PM. (TOURNAMENT PREVIEW) 

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(Photo Credit - David Le '10)