Five Mariners Grab ABCA/Rawlings All-Region Honors
[Complete ABCA/Rawlings All-New England Teams]
NEW LONDON, Conn. – The 2021 ABCA/Rawlings Division III All-Region teams and Regional Players of the Year were announced in all eight regions on Tuesday afternoon.
Seniors Anthony Laureano, Jakari Pellegrini and Roland Thivierge and juniors Dougie DelaCruz and Hunter Yaworski were among the 48 players honored in the New England region. Laureano was a first team selection at second base while DelaCruz and Yaworski each grabbed first team spots in the outfield. Pellegrini and Thivierge landed second team spots for utility and pitcher, respectively.
The teams are voted on by members of the American Baseball Coaches Association and the process is led by the ABCA NCAA Div. III All-America Committee. ABCA/Rawlings All-Region first team selections are nominated for ABCA/Rawlings All-America honors, which will be announced on Thursday, June 3.
The Mariners now boast 23 ABCA all-region selections over the past 11 years. DelaCruz was the only repeat selection, having earned third team honors as a rookie in 2019. Mitchell's five selections are the most in the program's history for a single season.
A total of eight programs were recognized on the first team, with Mitchell tying with Eastern Connecticut State University and the University of Southern Maine for the most with three selections. It marked the first time in school history that the Mariners have placed more than one player on the ABCA first team.
Laureano played in 32 games and made 28 starts in his first full season with the Mariners. He batted .318 with eight doubles, one triple, four homers, 23 RBI and 25 runs scored. The all-conference selection made only two errors in 98 total chances at second base, finishing the season with 54 assists and 42 putouts.
DelaCruz started and played in all 35 games and batted a career-high .430 with 13 doubles, eight homers, a school-record 58 RBI and a league-high 39 runs scored. In addition to being named NECC Player of the Year for the second time in his career, he was tabbed MVP of the 2021 NECC Championship after leading Mitchell to the title.
Yaworski enjoyed a breakout season in which he played in 28 games and led the NECC with a career-high .457 batting average. The all-conference first team selection also slugged a league-best .864 with nine doubles, eight homers, 39 RBI and 28 runs scored. He was the only Mitchell player with a pair of multi-homer games this season, which included a walk-off blast against Salve Regina University in the regular season finale.
Pellegrini made major contributions in his final season. On the mound he posted a 6-3 record with 50 strikeouts over 47.1 innings, finishing the year with a 4.18 ERA. The all-conference first team pick also started 18 games at first base and batted a career-high .429 with five doubles, two homers, 12 RBI and 23 runs scored.
Thivierge wrapped up his career by adding a second NECC Pitcher of the Year award to his resume. He went 7-2 with a 3.60 ERA in his final season on the bump, striking out a career-high 68 batters over 65.0 innings of work. He led the NECC in wins, starts, strikeouts and innings pitched and ranked third in ERA. Most recently he was named one of six finalists for the NECC Male Student-Athlete of the Year award.
The group led the Mariners to a 26-9 record this season that included a 14-2 mark in New England Collegiate Conference play. Mitchell won its seventh NECC title and competed in the NCAA DIII regionals for the sixth time, picking up its fourth postseason win since 2014.
The ABCA All-America team was first recognized in 1949 and now includes nine divisions: NCAA Divisions I, II and III, NAIA, NJCAA Divisions I, II and III, Pacific Association Division, and high school. ABCA/Rawlings Golf Glove teams were first recognized in 2007.