GNAC Baseball Weekly Honors: April 26

By Melissa Maitland

GNAC Sports Information Specialist

Ben Grant-Roy (St. Joseph’s (ME)), Dustin Shimkus (Norwich), and Marc Doyle (Suffolk) have earned Great Northeast Athletic Conference’s Baseball Weekly Honors.

PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Ben Grant-Roy, St. Joseph’s (ME), Sr., Biddeford, M.E.

Weekly Totals

Games (5), AB (19), Runs (6), Hits (10), RBI’s (10), Average (.527), Slugging % (.737)

Grant-Roy hit .526 (10-19) with 10 RBIs in a 5-0 week for the Monks.  Grant-Roy went 7-8 with 3 runs and 4 RBIs in a conference sweep over Norwich, 10-6 and 11-2, on April 24.  The senior first baseman belted his 4th homerun of the season and went 2-5 with 2 runs scored in an 11-8 victory over Southern Maine on April 21.  St. Joseph’s (ME) also swept Colby, 4-2 and 6-4 on April 25.  Grant-Roy is currently ranked 1st in the GNAC in hit by pitch (10), chances (248), putouts (228), and fielding double plays (27), is ranked 2nd in walks (18) and sacrifice flies (4), 3rd in on base percentage (.504), is tied for 4th in RBIs (32), and is ranked 5th in fielding percentage (.992).  The Monks finished the regular season in 2nd place in the GNAC with a conference record of 11-3 and an overall record of 28-10.  St. Joseph’s (ME) earned the No. 2 seed in the 2010 GNAC Baseball Championship, receiving a bye in the first round.  The Monks will face either Norwich or Johnson & Wales on May 1 in the semifinal round of the 2010 GNAC Baseball Championship. 

ROOKIE OF THE WEEK

Dustin Shimkus, Norwich, Fr., Collinsville, I.L.

Weekly Totals

Games (6), AB (23), Runs (6), Hits (11), RBI’s (8), Average (.478), Slugging % (.826)

Shimkus led all Norwich rookies in batting and slugging percentage last week and led his team in homeruns (2), RBIs (8), total bases (19), and runs scored (6).  Shimkus went 1-for-4 with a double and 1 run scored in the Cadets’ 7-4 loss to St. Michaels on April 22, and went 4-7 with a double, an RBI, and 2 runs scored as Norwich was swept by St. Joseph’s (ME), 10-6 and 11-2, on April 24.  Shimkus also went 5-for-9 with 2 homeruns, 6 RBIs, and 2 runs scored in a non-conference split with Plymouth State on April 25.  Norwich was defeated 10-1 in the day game against Plymouth State, but rallied back to earn a 16-5 victory in the nightcap.  The Cadets also lost to Salem State, 4-2, on April 21.  This is the 2nd time this season that Shimkus has been named as a GNAC Rookie of the Week.  He was previously honored on April 12.  The Cadets finished the regular season tied for 5th place in the GNAC with a conference record of 5-9 and an overall record of 8-27.  Norwich earned the No. 6 seed in the 2010 GNAC Baseball Championship and will face the No. 3 seed Johnson & Wales Wildcats in the 1st round of the GNAC Tournament on April 27.

PITCHER OF THE WEEK

Marc Doyle, Suffolk, Sr., Whitman, Mass.

Weekly Totals

GS (1), CG (1), APP (1), Saves (0), W-L (1-0), ERA (0.00), IP (7.00)

Doyle fanned 10 in a 15-0 shutout victory over Albertus Magnus on April 20, giving the senior southpaw his 3rd consecutive shutout.  Doyle allowed just 2 hits in over 7 innings of work.  His team also defeated Eastern Connecticut State, 11-9, on April 19, Albertus Magnus, 14-2, on April 20, Rivier, 10-4 and 18-0, on April 21, and Brandeis, 13-7, on April 23.  The Rams lone loss of the week was a 5-4 loss to Keene State on April 25.  Doyle is currently ranked 3rd in the GNAC in chances (186) and 4th in putouts (163).  This is the 2nd time this season that Doyle has been named as a GNAC Pitcher of the Week.  He was previously honored on April 12.  The Rams finished the regular season in 1st place in the GNAC with a conference record of 13-1 and an overall record of 19-13.  Suffolk earned the No. 1 seed in the 2010 GNAC Baseball Championship, receiving a bye in the first round.  The 2009 GNAC Champions will face either Lasell or Emerson on May 1 in the semifinal round of the 2010 GNAC Baseball Championship.

WEEKLY HONOR ROLL SELECTIONS

Jonathan Melendez, Johnson & Wales, Sr., Providence, R.I.

Mike Wood, Johnson & Wales, So., Hudson, Mass.

Rob Knox, Norwich, Sr., Conway, N.H.

Jhonneris Mendez, Suffolk, Fr., Roslindale, Mass.

Bobby Barrett, Suffolk, Sr., Milton, Mass.