GNAC Baseball Athlete Of The Week Report #9
PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Nathan Innerfield, Rivier (Jr.)
Junior Nathan Innerfield put together a dominant six‑game stretch, hitting .500 with a .571 OBP and .875 slugging while recording hits in every game. He totaled 12 hits (eight of them being extra base-hits), seven RBIs, seven runs, and 21 total bases, including four multi‑hit performances and back‑to‑back three‑hit games at Elms.
PITCHER OF THE WEEK
Carson Rath, Norwich (Jr.)
Junior Carson Rath delivered a strong week on the mound for Norwich, highlighted by a complete-game victory in a must-win GNAC matchup against New England College. The junior right-hander tossed all seven innings in a 6-1 win, allowing just one run on three hits while striking out 11. For the week, Rath made three appearances and logged 17.0 innings, posting a 2.65 ERA with 19 strikeouts and a 1.12 WHIP while holding opponents to a .206 batting average. He also threw a complete game against Dean earlier in the week and added four innings of relief in the 13-inning nightcap.
ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
Tyler Nelson, Saint Joseph's (Maine) (Fr.)
Freshman Tyler Nelson was dominant in a win over New England College, as the freshman southpaw allowed just two hits and no earned runs or walks while striking out six over six innings in the conference victory.
WEEKLY HONOR ROLL
Adriel Espada, Albertus Magnus - Espada had a .500/.630/.500 line, going 10-for-20 with six walks and three steals from the leadoff position while scored five runs.
Tyler Giambra, Dean- Giambra had a .478 AVG this week with 11 hits (three XBH), and four RBIs in 23 at-bats, including a 5-for-6 performance on Saturday v. Rivier.
Jayden Leveille, Dean - Leveille went 5-for-6 with two runs scored, three doubles, and four RBIs in 21-18 win at Framingham State.
Nason Busca, Elms - Busca went 9-for-19 with eight RBI's and a homer for the Blazers across six games.
Tim Callahan, Lasell - Callahan had a well-rounded week, batting .591 (13-for-22) with five RBI's and five stolen bases.
Calvin Sanft, Lasell - Sanft went 8-for-21 with seven RBI's for the Lasers this past week.
Dom Yarson, Mitchell - Yarson turned in a dominant performance on the mound to lead Mitchell to a non-conference victory, delivering one of the team’s top outings of the season. The right-handed pitcher tossed a complete-game effort against Eastern Connecticut State University, going 9.0 innings while allowing just two runs (one earned) on seven hits. He walked only one and struck out nine, finishing with a 1.00 ERA and a 0.89 WHIP on the week.
Jaken Pellerin, New England College - Pellerin hit two home runs this week while slashing .462/.563/1.000 across four games for the Pilgrims. He went 6-for-13 with seven runs batted in, four runs scored, three walks, and a stolen base. He had his biggest game against Norwich on Saturday where he went 3-for-5 with four RBIs and two runs scored.
Geffen Franus, Norwich - Franus led Norwich at the plate during a 2-4 week, batting .393 with 11 hits, 11 RBIs, nine runs scored, two doubles, one triple, and six stolen bases across six games. The senior outfielder produced multiple impact performances, including a four-RBI effort against St. Lawrence, a 4-for-5, five-RBI outing against VTSU Castleton, and a two-hit, three-run game in Norwich’s pivotal Senior Day win over New England College. Franus finished the week with a .452 on-base percentage, a .536 slugging percentage, and did not commit an error in the field.
Chris Volino, Rivier - Volino was lights‑out in his lone start of the week, throwing a 7.0‑inning complete‑game shutout against Dean. He allowed just three hits, one walk, and struck out five, finishing with a 0.00 ERA and 0.57 WHIP.
Dylan Brander, Saint Joseph's (Maine) - Brander tossed a gem at Colby-Sawyer College on Saturday, as the senior scattered four hits while fanning five batters over six shutout innings in a 4-0 conference victory.
Nick Villano, Saint Joseph's (Maine) - Villano hit .438 (7-for-16) with two runs, a double, a home run, four RBI, three walks, a .526 OBP, and a .688 slugging percentage in a 5-0 week. He reached base in four of five games, recorded three multi-hit efforts, and went 2-for-5 with a home run and three RBI in an 8-7 win over 328 Southern Maine.
Brandon Cahill, University of Saint Joseph (Conn.) - Cahill continued to anchor the USJ pitching staff with another dominant outing, improving to 7–2 on the season in a 6–5 win over Mitchell College on Saturday (4/25). The senior right-hander tossed his eighth consecutive complete game, allowing just four hits and five runs while striking out seven over seven innings. He finished with a 9.00 K/9 on the day, helping the Blue Jays secure the No. 2 seed in the upcoming GNAC Tournament.
Jack Kane, University of Saint Joseph (Conn.) - Kane turned in an impressive six-game stretch, helping lead the Blue Jays to a 4–2 week. The sophomore went 7-for-22 (.318) at the plate, posting a .385 on-base percentage and a .591 slugging percentage. He set the tone early with a 3-for-7 showing in Monday’s GNAC doubleheader sweep of Albertus Magnus (4/20), highlighted by a two-run home run and three runs scored. Kane added a hit in a 1-for-5 performance against Wheaton on Thursday (4/23) before finishing the week in dominant fashion. In Saturday’s GNAC doubleheader sweep of Mitchell College (4/25), he went 3-for-7 with another home run, driving in five runs and scoring three times to cap off a standout week.
ABOUT THE GREAT NORTHEAST ATHLETIC CONFERENCE
The Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) is an NCAA Division III association made up of 14 member institutions and over 4000 student-athletes across the New England region. Founded in 1995, the GNAC annually sponsors and administers 20 championships, while balancing academic integrity, athletic opportunity and community involvement in an effort to enhance the student-athlete experience.
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