Baseball's Cochrane, DelaCruz Receive NECC Weekly Honors
MARSHFIELD, Mass. – A pair of Mitchell College baseball players were recognized by the New England Collegiate Conference on Monday morning.
Junior Steve Cochrane was named NECC Player of the Week while freshman Dougie DelaCruz earned NECC Rookie of the Week honors for the fourth time this season. The two outfielders led Mitchell to a 6-0 record last week that included wins over Lesley University, Eastern Nazarene College and Elms College.
Cochrane batted .529 with three doubles, a team-high nine RBI and eight runs scored last week as the Mariners went unbeaten in league action. He went 5-for-7 with two doubles, three RBI and five runs scored in a sweep of Lesley. He then knocked in two runs in the series finale at Eastern Nazarene, and in the opening game against Elms he had three hits and drove in four runs. Cochrane slugged .706 for the week and had an on-base percentage of .556.
DelaCruz batted a team-high .533 with three doubles, a homer, six RBI and nine runs scored over the six-game span. He went 3-for-3 with a double, homer and four RBI in the opener against Lesley, and he also had a three-hit game against Elms in the series finale. He slugged .933 for the week and had an on-base percentage of .667.
Cochrane is batting .402 with 48 RBI and 45 runs scored in 32 starts this season. He ranks second on the team with 18 extra-base hits, including a team-high three triples and five home runs. DelaCruz continues to enjoy a stellar first season in which he's batting a team-high .410 with 48 RBI and 41 runs scored in 37 starts. His 50 hits and six home runs also lead the team.
Mitchell (31-6 overall, 15-1 NECC), which has won 17 straight games, has earned the top seed in the upcoming NECC Championship. The Mariners will host the double-elimination portion of the tournament, which begins on Thursday, May 2 and continues May 4-5.
Mitchell will wrap up the regular season at Coast Guard Academy on Tuesday, April 30 at 3:30 p.m.
