NEC baseball summary
Thirteen schools have won the regular season or tournament titles. Fairleigh Dickinson won or shared four regular season titles, while Rider won or shared three straight regular season titles and three straight tournament titles from 1994-96. Monmouth, the 1998 NEC Tournament Champions, defeated Navy in the play-in series and made its first NCAA Baseball Championship appearance. The Hawks went on to repeat in 1999 and earn the conference's first-ever automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. In 2000, Wagner became the first #4 seed to win the NEC Tournament. UMBC and Central Connecticut State won their first NEC baseball crowns in 2001 and 2002, respectively. CCSU repeated in 2003 and made it three in a row in 2004 when they set league records for wins (41) and winning percentage (.703). Quinnipiac captured its first league title in 2005, while Nutmeg State counterpart Sacred Heart did the same in 2006. Monmouth claimed its third league title in 2007, then dropped a pair of tight games in the NCAA Tournament. Mount St. Mary's won its first NEC title as the #4 seed in 2008. Monmouth came back to earn its fourth championship in 2009. In its first year competing as a member of the NEC, Bryant ran away from the pack to win the regular season title. CCSU would go on to capture its fourth tournament championship. Sacred Heart won back-to-back NEC Tournament crowns in 2011 and 2012. Bryant claimed its first NEC title in 2013 and then became the first NEC team to win an NCAA Tournament game with a 4-1 win over Arkansas. The Bulldogs repeated in 2014. Sacred Heart rallied in the ninth inning of the championship game to break Bryant's streak in 2015. The Bulldogs came back to win it all in 2016. CCSU sandwiched titles in 2017 and 2019 around LIU claiming the championship in 2018. The Blue Devils came back out of the loser's bracket for the second straight time in 2021, winning the program's seventh championship. LIU returned to the winner's circle in 2022, taking a seventh game against Bryant. CCSU won its third NEC title in four years and record eighth overall in 2023, going to an 11th game to beat Wagner. LIU collected its third NEC crown in six years, rallying in the ninth to beat SHU in the 2024 title tilt. CCSU made it nine titles in 2025, outlasting LIU in 12 innings in the longest game seven in tournament history.
Rider junior designated hitter Jason Koehler was a third team All-American and GTE Academic All-American in 1995. Monmouth second baseman Joe McCullough was selected as a second team All-American in 1998 and pitcher Brian Gismonde was named a third team All-American for the Hawks in 1999. The 2001 season saw Monmouth outfielder Jason Law become the first NEC ballplayer to be tabbed a first team All-American. Law's teammate, Greg Landis, was selected as a second team Verizon Academic All-American. In 2002, UMBC shortstop Jared Boyd was recognized as a third team All-American. Central Connecticut State pitcher Barry Hertzler garnered second team All-America honors in 2003. In 2004, Central Connecticut State's Rob Hosgood became the first four-time all-conference player in league history. FDU outfielder Matt Maher was named an ESPN The Magazine Third Team Academic All-American in 2008, then followed with first team honors in 2009. CCSU's Sean Allaire earned recognition as a Third Team Louisville Slugger All-American and a Third Team ABCA All-American in 2010. Monmouth's Pat Light, who was drafted by the Boston Red Sox with the 37th overall pick, earned ABCA/Rawlings All-American Third Team All-America honors following the 2012 season. Bryant's Kevin Brown and Sacred Heart's John Murphy were tabbed ABCA third team All-Americans in 2013.
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