Connolly, Fransoso and White Named to NEIBA All-Star Team
6/3/2013 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
BABSON PARK, Mass. -- University of Maine baseball players Mike Connolly (Bridgewater, Mass.), Michael Fransoso (Portsmouth, N.H.) and Eric White (Brewer, Maine) were all added to the 2013 New England Intercollegiate Baseball Association All-Star game roster. The game was scheduled to be played on Monday, June 3 at LeLacheur Park in Lowell, Mass., but was canceled due to the weather.
All three players had outstanding seasons for the Black Bears, including Connolly who was named an America East First Team catcher and a Second Team pitcher. He is the first player in conference history to be named to two teams at two different positions. He hit .310 on the season with 21 runs scored and 14 RBI. He had six doubles on the season to go along with a home run. He threw out 27 of the 52 base runners trying to steal against him. On the mound, Connolly posted a 6-4 record with a team-best 2.11 earned run average. He struck out 46 batters in 76.2 innings and opponents hit just .221 against him on the season. Connolly is one of 11 players currently on the Watch List for the 2013 Olerud Two-Way Player Award.
Fransoso was named the America East Player of the Year and earned a spot on the America East First Team. Last week, he was named a Third Team All-American. He is Maine's first All-American since Chad White in 1993. Fransoso hit .352 for the Black Bears with 45 runs scored and 49 RBI. He has 17 doubles, four home runs and two triples. He stole 20 bases on the season. He is Maine's career leader in stolen bases and ranks second all-time in both runs scored and doubles.
White also earned a spot on the America East First Team. He hit .347 for the Black Bears with 38 runs scored and 37 RBI in 56 games for the Black Bears. He had 10 doubles and led the team in home runs with six. He had a .503 slugging percentage on the season. White was named America East Player of the Week three times.
-U-M-
