Four GNAC Student-Athletes Take Home Baseball Regional Honors

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

D3BASEBALL ALL-NEW ENGLAND
ABCA/RAWLINGS ALL-REGION
NEIBA ALL-NEW ENGLAND

The D3baseball.com, ABCA/Rawlings, and New England Intercollegiate Baseball Association (NEIBA) regional awards were released this past week with four GNAC student-athletes gaernering recongition. 

From Suffolk University, 2018 GNAC Player of the Year Brady Chant added to his resume with an First Team selection from D3baseball.com, ABCA and NEIBA. The senior captain has also been chosen to put on the Rams' uniform one final time at the 2018 NEIBA All-Star Game, which will be held Thursday, May 31 at McCoy Stadium in Pawtucket, R.I. 

From Saint Joseph's College of Maine, senior pitcher Josh Partridge (Deerfield, N.H.) has collected D3baseball.com Second Team, ABCA/Rawlings Third Team, and NEIBA Third Team All-New England accolades while junior outfielder Jared Gagne (Dover, N.H.) has earned Third Team All-Region honors from all three organizations.

Also, Johnson & Wales University sophomore Colby Greenhalgh was recognized as a Third Team All-Region selection by both ABCA/Rawlings and the NEIBA.

Arguably one of the most decorated Suffolk baseball players in the history of the 71-year-old program, Chant left his mark in the Rams' record books, graduating as the all-time leader in triples (25), total bases (362) and at bats (687). Throughout his senior season in 2018 he chased the all-time hits record and came up just five knocks shy, sliding into second with 233 career hits, becoming just the fifth Ram to boast over 200 hits throughout their careers. He also holds second in doubles (43) and stolen bases (68), while also appearing on the lists for runs scored (151) and walks (84). 

Chant paced Suffolk to its fourth consecutive GNAC Championship, eighth title overall, to punch the Rams' its fourth straight ticket to the NCAA Division III Tournament and the program's eighth trip overall. A fixture in centerfield, Chant, who appeared in the most games (177) in Suffolk baseball annals, is one of the most consistent fielder's in the Rams' history. In 484 total chances he made just five errors for an impressive .990 career fielding percentage. More impressive, he saved his best for last with a perfect showing in center as a senior, successfully playing 126 total chances with 123 putouts and three outfield assists for an unblemished 1.000 fielding percentage. 

Offensively this season, Chant paved the path for Suffolk, leading the way in every offensive category producing 60 hits on a .349 average for 34 RBI to go along with 35 runs scored and 22 stolen bases. 

Partridge, the 2018 GNAC Pitcher of the Year, claims a trio of All-New England honors for the second-consecutive season after posting a 2.45 ERA with a 5-2 record and six saves while fanning 56 and holding opponents to a .215 batting average over 44 innings and 23 appearances (new SJC single-season record). He led the conference in appearances, saves (6), strikeouts per nine innings (11.45), and ERA and ranked third in strikeouts and fourth in victories.

The senior southpaw allowed an earned run in just five of his 24 appearances and yielded just eight extra-base hits all season. Partridge, who held opposing hitters to a paltry .274 slugging percentage over four seasons, capped his career having not allowed a home run in his last 51 appearances spanning 120 innings.

For his career, the three-time All-GNAC honoree posted a 2.33 ERA with a 16-5 record and 13 saves while striking out 159 hitters in 158.2 innings and 67 total appearances. He graduates ranked second in program history in career ERA, third in appearances and opponents' batting average (.223), and fourth in saves, WHIP (1.14), and hits allowed per nine innings (7.43).

Gagne burst onto the scene in 2018, as the junior outfielder hit .402 (49-122) with 30 runs, seven doubles, four triples, a home run, 25 RBI, and 25 stolen bases during his first season as a regular starter. The 2018 First Team All-GNAC selection paced the conference in batting average, ranked second in stolen bases, third in triples, OBP (.475) and sac hits (7), fourth in hits and total bases (67), and fifth in runs.

Gagne posted 14 multiple-hit games with eight multi-RBI performances and recorded a 10-game hitting streak during the season. He notched at least one hit in all but 10 games and swiped multiple bases in six different games, including four in a 13-6 victory over Bates College on April 30th.

Under the watch of 26th-year Head Coach Will Sanborn '86, Saint Joseph's went 29-13 overall with a 10-4 mark en route to earning the #2 seed in the GNAC Tournament this spring. The Monks, selected as a predetermined host for the 2018 tourney, opened postseason play with a 9-5 loss to #3 Johnson & Wales University on May 3rd and fought their way into the GNAC Championship with elimination-game triumphs over Lasell College and Johnson & Wales before falling to top-seeded Suffolk University, 6-5, in the title game on May 6th.

With Greenhalgh, it marks the second year in a row that JWU has had an all-region selection. Greenhalgh is the team's ninth all-region player and the first catcher.After sharing the catching duties last year, Greenhalgh took over as the main guy behind the plate in 2018. He's Top 10 in the GNAC for batting average, runs, doubles, triples, RBIs and slugging percentage. Named to the GNAC All-Tournament team, the Plainfield, Conn. native led the league with 41 RBI.

Information Provided by JWU, SUFFOLK, SJC Athletics Communications.