HEADING INTO 2012: Will serve as a captain of the Black Bears... has a ton of experience as a fifth year senior... expected to see time as both a starter or as a closer... named a Maine Scholar-Athlete Award winner.
2011: Started four of the 17 games he pitched in during the 2011 season... finished with a record of 3-1 with an 5.31 ERA... struck out 42 batters in 42.1 innings... also earned a save against Fairleigh Dickinson (3/27)... pitched 2.2 perfect innings against Saint Peter’s (3/26), recording six strikeouts... struck out seven batters against Colby (4/19)... gave up only one hit and struck out six batters against UMBC (4/30)... named a Maine Scholar-Athlete Award winner... named to Team Maine, for having the highest GPA on the baseball team the last calendar year... named to the America East Academic Honor Roll and also earned a spot on the America East All-Academic Team.
2010: Sat out the season as a medical redshirt... named a Maine Scholar-Athlete Award winner and also named to the America East Commissioner’s Academic Honor Roll.
2009: Made 12 appearances on the mound for the Black Bears in 2009, earning six starts... finished 3-0 on the season with a 3.88 ERA... recorded one save... struck out 31 batters... named America East Pitcher of the Week on March 10 after pitching a complete game shutout with a 3-0 win against Fairfield (3/4)... fanned a career-high seven batters in the game... picked up a save in Maine’s win over Sacred Heart (3/22)... picked up wins against America East foes Hartford (4/12) and UMBC (4/18).... named to the America East Baseball All-Academic Team... named a Maine Scholar-Athlete Award winner... named to the America East Academic Honor Roll.
2008: Saw action in 11 games for the Black Bears his rookie season... pitched a season-high four innings against Binghamton (5/15)... had a season-high three strikeouts on three different occasions... named a Maine Scholar Athlete *Rising Star*.... named to the America East Commissioner’s Academic Honor Roll.
BEFORE MAINE: Captain for Raymond Van Gurp for the Sta. Maria Pirates... was 6-1 in 2007 with a 2.43 ERA... team was crowned Curacao Champions in 2005, 2006 and 2007... played in the Big League Latin America tournament and finished as silver medalists... finished in the top three of his high school class at Peter Stuyvesant College... born Sept. 9, 1989... son of Deborah Balentina-Riviere and Rafaelito Balentina... a civil engineering major.
