Nine Baseball Players Selected to America East All-Conference Teams
5/24/2011 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
ORONO, Maine - The University of Maine baseball team had nine players honored on Tuesday with America East All-Conference honors. Keith Bilodeau (Bourne, Mass.) and Joey Martin (Portland, Maine) were each named to the America East First Team, while Jeffrey Gibbs (Toronto, Ontario), Shaun Coughlin (Northfield, Conn.), Justin Leisenheimer (Middle Village, N.Y.), Troy Black (Mississauga, Ontario), Michael Fransoso (Portsmouth, N.H.) and Alex Calbick (Burnaby, British Columbia) were named to the America East Second Team. Black, Calbick and Fran Whitten (Westborough, Mass.) all earned a spot in the America East All-Rookie Team.
Bilodeau had an outstanding junior campaign for the Black Bears. He finished the season 9-2 with a 2.97 ERA. He struck out 71 batters in 75.2 innings. He finished with four complete games, including a pair of comlete game shutouts. In America East Conference play, Bilodeau was 7-0 with a 1.76 ERA. He was named America East Pitcher of the Week on March 7. Bilodeau was the first Black Bear to win nine games since 2005.
Martin, a tri-captain, hit .326 for the Black Bears with 30 runs scored and a team-high 41 RBI. He had eight doubles and four home runs to go along with three triples. He stole 16 bases on the season. He had a .465 slugging percentage to go along with a .407 on-base percentage. He drew 25 base on balls, which was second on the team. He finished with a .990 fielding percentage.
Gibbs earned a spot on the All-Second Team. He was 6-5 with a 3.90 ERA. He pitched 62.1 innings on the season, the second highest total on the team. He struck out 57 hitters on the season. Opponent batters hit just .229 against Gibbs on the season.
Coughlin also earned a spot on the Second Team as a relief pitcher. . He was 3-1 with a 2.68 ERA. He struck out 30 batters on the season, while walking just 11. Last weekend, he picked up a pair of wins in each game of a doubleheader. He earned America East Rookie of the Week honors on March 28.
Maine's entire infield was named to the America East Second Team. Junior Justin Leisenheimer was named to the team at first base. He had a .333 batting average. He scored 30 runs scored and drove in 21 RBI. He had eight doubles and seven home runs to go along with a pair of triples. All seven of his home runs came in America East play. He finished with a .989 fielding percentage. Leisenheimer was named America East Player of the Week on May 2.
Rookie Black was named to the Second Team at second base. He hit .400 on the season with 15 runs scored and 16 RBI. He had eight doubles. In 20 conference games, Black hit .421 with nine runs scored and 12 RBI. He had six doubles and stole six bases in league play.
Sophomore Fransoso was named to the Second Team at shortstop. He made the move after playing second base last season. Fransoso hit .307 with 37 runs scored and 28 RBI. He led the team in doubles with 14 and also had four home runs. He stole 17 bases on the season, which was second most on the team.
Rookie Calbick was named to the team at third base. He was Maine's lone rookie to see action in all 51 games this season, starting 50. He hit .285 with 27 runs scored and 25 RBI. He hit seven doubles and belted four home runs. He was named America East Rookie of the Week on Feb. 28 and May 9.
Black and Calbick were both named to the All-Rookie team along with Fran Whitten. Whitten, who was named America East Rookie of the Week twice this season, hit .256 with 18 runs scored and 20 RBI. He had nine doubles and finished second on the team with five home runs. He hit a walk-off three-run home run in Maine's win over Northeastern.
Maine returns to action on Wednesday, May 25 when it faces Binghamton in the first round of the 2011 America East baseball tournament. First pitch is scheduled for 11 AM.
-U-M-
