Click here for All-NEC List (PDF)

Noriwch, CT - Bryant is building a monopoly of sorts when it comes to the Northeast Conference baseball awards program.

For the second season in a row, the Bulldogs have garnered all three major individual student-athlete honors.

Bryant catcher Mickey Gasper claimed the NEC Player of the Year award while sophomore starting pitcher Steve Theetge snagged the NEC Pitcher of the Year to go along with his second consecutive All-NEC First Team selection.

First-year starting shortstop Jimmy Titus kept the NEC Rookie of the Year award in Bulldogs' paws for the sixth straight spring.

Central Connecticut skipper Charlie Hickey won a vote of his peers to capture the NEC Coach of the Year award for the fourth time in his career.

The CCSU Blue Devils, who finished percentage points behind Bryant in the NEC regular season standings, placed a league-high eight players on the All-NEC Teams. Meanwhile, the regular season champion Bulldogs garnered seven all-conference selection.

The NEC recognized the all-league honorees along with the major award winners on the eve of its 2017 championship tournament at Dodd Stadium. All honors were determined by a vote of the conference's head coaches.

Replacing an all-NEC backstop (the graduated Buck McCarthy), Gasper took over the catching duties on a full-time basis while providing plenty of power to the heart of the Bulldogs' order. In 52 starts, Bryant's No. 3 hitter batted .348 with a league-leading 53 RBI. While his batting average was fifth-highest on the NEC individual leader board, Gasper paced the circuit with a .471 on-base percentage. The New Hampshire product, who drew 39 walks, connected on 20 extra-base hits including seven round-trippers. The switch-hitting catcher was hot from the season's start, recording five hits as the Bulldogs opened the 2017 schedule with back-to-back road wins over WAC member New Mexico State. He remained productive throughout the spring, which was highlighted by a mid-April tear. Gasper put a 10-game hitting streak together during the heart of conference play, scoring at least one run in each of the 10 contests and recording an RBI in all but one. During the span, he victimized CCSU pitching to the tune on seven RBI in a weekend series and also delivered a game-winning, eighth-inning three-run homer against MAAC member Quinnipiac. On the season, he was responsible for 65 hits and 44 runs while slugging .540 for the NEC regular season champions. Gasper becomes the third Bulldog to capture the NEC Player of the Year award – Kevin Brown (2013), Robby Rinn (2016).

Theetge made seven appearances during the NEC schedule and he was the winning pitcher in all seven. The sophomore southpaw, who won the NEC Rookie of the Year award last spring, pitched to a 2.08 earned-run average against league opponents and logged three complete-game victories. Overall, he owns an 8-5 record and a 3.70 ERA. The eight wins lead the league while his ERA stands as the third-lowest on the NEC leader board. Against conference opponents, the tall lefty pitched to a 2.08 ERA while fanning 31 batters over 43.1 innings.

Titus saw his production rise as his rookie campaign wore on. He became one of the more-feared hitters during NEC play, batting .380 and scoring 25 runs over 25 league contests. His .640 slugging percentage against NEC opponents was the fifth-highest mark in the league. Overall, the starting shortstop batted .298 with a team-leading eight home runs and 41 RBI in 51 starts.

Hickey receives the NEC Coach of the Year award for the first time since 2006 as his Blue Devils finished with a .750 conference win percentage while securing more overall wins (33) than any other team in the league. Hickey hit the 600-win career milestone with the Blue Devils’ 14-6 triumph over Fairleigh Dickinson in last Friday’s series opener. He has won 497 games in his 18 years at CCSU and had 106 wins in three seasons at Providence before coming to Central. Since his arrival, the decorated skipper has built a perennial title contedner in New Britain. Central Connecticut has won four NEC Tournament titles under Hickey with the last coming at the 2010 event in Somerset, NJ. His teams have qualified for the postseason in eight of the past 10 years. This season, CCSU leads the NEC in both team ERA and fielding percentage. Offensively, the Blue Devils are batting .280 as a team with league highs in hits (501). doubles (99) and triples (20).

MORE TO KNOW...
> Three players are repeat all-NEC first team honorees - Theetge, Bryant sophomore outfielder Nick Angelini and Central Connecticut junior second baseman Dean Lockery. Angelini hit .322 with 25 extra-base hits and 36 RNI in 53 games. Lockery, who had 68 hits in 53 games, ranked second amongst NEC leaders in on-base percentage (.466).

> Wagner starter Austin Goeke and catcher Phil Capra earned all-NEC first team status this spring after enjoying second team accolades in 2016. Goeke, who owns a 6-2 record, has fanned 75 batters in 77.0 innings pitched. Capra owns a .407 batting average against conference opponents, the second-highest mark on the circuit.

> Wagner Seahawks occupied two starting pitching spots on the All-NEC First Team. Seniors Danny Marsh (1.52) and Austin Goeke (2.69) rank first and second, respectively, amongst conference ERA leaders.

> Fairleigh Dickinson placed a pair of senior infielders on the All-NEC First Team. First baseman Ryan Brennan, who was a second team selection in the outfield as a junior, hit .370 with 45 RBI in 46 games for the Knights. Shortstop Matt McCann won the NEC individual batting race with a .379 average.

> All three of CCSU's second team selections are underclassmen. Starting pitchers Mike Appel (sophomore) and Michael Delease (freshman) went 3-1 and 5-0 against NEC opponents, respectively.

> Central infielders Ryan Costello (3B) and Dean Lockery (2B), who were both named to the First Team, ranked first and second amongst NEC leaders in doubles with 21 and 20 respectively.