Greyhounds Mike Baillargeon named ABCA all-America

May 26, 2009

WORCESTER, Mass. --- Assumption College senior second baseman MIKE BAILLARGEON (Worcester, MA/Holy Name) has capped off a superb career with the Greyhounds being named to the Rawlings/American Baseball Coaches Association N.C.A.A. Division II All American second team. He was also named an honorable mention on the National College Baseball Writers of America all-America team.

Baillargeon, who led the team to its winningest season in its 92-year history, is one of just two representatives from the Northeast-10 Conference and the New England region to be selected. Only junior pitcher Kyle Vazquez of Franklin Pierce University joined him as a third-team selection.

He is the ninth Greyhound (honored 11 times) to be honored as an all American in baseball.

GREYHOUND ALL-AMERICA BASEBALL PLAYERS

1971: Bob AUSTIN (SS), honorable mention

1973: Steve PEARSALL (OF), honorable mention

1975: Dave PANARELLI (C), 2nd-team

1986: Ray FAGNANT (C), 2nd-team

1987: Jack LEPORE (2B), 2nd-team

1989: Mike O'KEEFE (OF), 1st-team

1990: Mike O'KEEFE (OF), 3rd-team

1992: Mike O'KEEFE (OF), 3rd-team

1993: Steve SANTUCCI (OF), 3rd-team

2000: Dan MC GOWAN (OF), 1st-team

2009: Mike BAILLARGEON (2B), 2nd-team

Baillargeon ((PICTURED UPPER RIGHT)along with junior outfielder DEREK MIGRANTS (Ayer, MA/Ayer) ((PICTURED LOWER RIGHT) and senior third baseman MIKE DI REDA (Shrewsbury, MA/Saint John's) were selected to play in the annual New England All-Star game held at the home of the Brockton Rox June 4. Head Coach GEORGE REIDY served as the coach of the College Division team.

Previously, he was named a first-team performer by the Northeast-10 Conference, ECAC Division II, NCBWA East Regional (writers) and ABCA East Regional coaches and the sports information directors on the Daktronics all-East team,

He was also named the Player-of-the-Year on the Northeast-10 Conference, Daktronics all-East Regional, National College Baseball Writers Association East Region and the ABCA East Region team.

The Greyhounds finished their season at 33-21-1, setting program records for wins (33) and games (55), while advancing to the Northeast-10 Conference championship final for the first time since 2000 and to the N.C.A.A. Division II East Regional Tournament for only the third time (1978, 1982) in their history under Coach GEORGE REIDY , the Northeast-10 Conference 2009 Coach-of-the-Year.

Baillargeon was named the winner of the Andrew Laska Award as the Male Athlete-of-the-Year at the College for the second straight year. He is merely the fifth student-athlete to have won the award more than once. Sean Kenney ‘03 (tennis) won the award four straight years (2000, 01, 02, 03) and Drew Adderly ‘92 (basketball) won the award three straight years (1990, 91, 92). Other two-time winners include: Jim Best ‘88 (basketball) in 1987 and 1988; Fran DeFalco ‘95 (football) in 1994 and 1995 and Baillargeon. Dan McGowan ‘00 (present Holy Name High baseball coach) is the only previous baseball player to have won the award in 2000.

He is a three-time captain, just the second three-time captain in Greyhound baseball history joining Alumni-Athletics Hall of Famer Willie Chartier '22 who served in 1920, 21 and 22. He is also a three-time Most Valuable Player (2006, 08, 09).

Baillargeon batted .393 this past season with a team-record 84 hits and also led the squad in runs (56), singles (57), home runs (11), stolen bases (12), bases on balls (27) and total bases (136). He set career marks in games (187), games started (187), at bats (731), hits (267), triples (15, tied), sacrifice flies (11).

13 Baseball players named to Student-Athlete Honor Roll

In addition to their on-field exploits, Greyhound baseball players have also excelled in the classroom led by junior lefthander MICHAEL COLEBROOK (Leicester, MA/Saint John's). Colebrook, who spent the fall semester studying at the Sorbonne in Paris, France, is one of seven Greyhound student-athletes with a perfect 4.00 grade point average for the spring semester. Colebrook is a double French/philosophy major and was recently named the winner of the Rev. Alfred Berthaiume, A.A. Memorial Award for "going above and beyond" at the departments annual awards ceremony. He was also singled out at the College's Honor Convocation with the Omer and Laurette Boivin Scholarship for French/foreign languages. He tutors both French and philosophy in the Academic Support Center. His future includes graduate school for Philosophy and teaching at the collegiate level. He has earned Student-Athlete Director's Citations (3.5 grade point average or higher) in all six semesters including a perfect 4.00 in the fall of 2007 and this semester.

He was named to the CoSIDA academic first-team all-academic region team in both 2008 and 2009 and was named a Northeast-10 Conference all star and all-academic last year (this year's awards have yet to be announced). He has captained the team in both 2008 and 2009 and has been elected again for 2010. And, he was also named an Augustine Scholar---the premier award the College grants. Students must be juniors or seniors with a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.25 and must be noted for excellence in academics, leadership, character and service.

Also named an Augustine Scholar was junior catcher MATTHEW JOSE (Warwick, RI/Bishop Hendricken). Jose, a political science major, is a member of the Assumption College Honors Program and has served on the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee for the past two years. He is also a member of the Phi Sigma Tau, the Philosophy Honorary and has earned Student-Athlete Honor Roll six times in his career. He was named to the Northeast-10 Conference all-academic team in 2008. He is planning on graduate or law school and eventual volunteer service.

Jose, sophomore pitcher DAVE MC LEAN (North Attleboro, MA/North Attleboro) and freshman pitcher ANDREW COLEBROOK (brother of Michael) (Leicester, MA/Saint John's) also earned a Directors Citation for a GPA between 3.5 and 3.99.

Nine additional players earned a place on the Student-Athlete Honor Roll with a 3.00 grade point average including: sophomore outfielder WALLY DEROSIER (Shrewsbury, MA/Holy Name), junior relief pitcher TIM DUPUIS (Suffield, CT/Suffield High), sophomore shortstop SHAWN FRIGON (Worcester, MA/Saint Peter-Marian), freshman pitcher DOUG HOPPER (Coventry, RI/Saint Raphael), senior pitcher BRETT KULHAWIK (Trumbull, CT/Trumbull), junior outfielder DEREK MIGRANTS (Ayer, MA/Ayer), junior relief pitcher ANDREW QUINN (Taunton, MA/Coyle Cassidy), junior first baseman TIM SCAFIDI (Worcester, MA/Burncoat) and senior outfielder STEVE SCANNELL (Worcester, MA/Burncoat).

Northeast-10 Conference Honors

Mike Baillargeon (Sr., 2B, Worcester, MA/Holy Name), player of the year/first-team

(.393, 11 hr, 44 rbi, 27 extra-base hits)

Mike DiReda (Sr., 3B, Shrewsbury, MA/Saint John's), first-team

(.275, 9 hrs, 43 rbi, 23 extra-base hits)

DiReda left Monday for Latina, Italy to play professionally

Derek Migrants (Jr., OF, Ayer, MA/Ayer), first-team

(.361, 7 hrs, 61 rbi, team-record 8 sacrifice flies)

Shawn Frigon (So., SS, Worcester, MA/Saint Peter-Marian), second-team

(.305, 0 hr, 23 rbi, 11 sb, team-record 13 sacrifices)

Steve Scannell (Sr., OF, Worcester, MA/Burncoat), second-team

(.389, 1 hr, 22 rbi)

Tim Dupuis (Jr., RP, Suffield, CT/Suffield High), second-team

(4-1, 2.54 era, 29 games, team-record 10 saves, 32 strikeouts in 39 innings)

Tim Scafidi (Jr., 1B, Worcester, MA/Burncoat), third-team

(.322, 5 hrs, 32 rbi)

Jeff Barbale (Sr., SP, Charlton, MA/Saint Peter-Marian), third-team

(9-3, 3.92 era, 48 strikeouts) (19 career wins)

Mike Foley (So., C/OF, Worcester, MA/Saint John's), third-team

(.282, 1 hr, 32 rbi)

Frank Flynn (Fr., 1B/P, Worcester, MA/Saint Peter-Marian), all-rookie team

(.250, 2 hrs, 7 rbi and 5-1 record as pitcher)

George Reidy (Worcester, MA/Saint John's), coach of the year

National College Baseball Writers Association East Region Honors

Mike Baillargeon (Sr., 2B, Worcester, MA/Holy Name), player of the year/first-team

Mike DiReda (Sr., 3B, Shrewsbury, MA/Saint John's), first-team

Derek Migrants (Jr., OF, Ayer, MA/Ayer), second-team

Tim Dupuis (Jr., RP, Suffield, CT/Suffield High), second-team

Daktronics East Regional Honors

Mike Baillargeon (Sr., 2B, Worcester, MA/Holy Name), player of the year/first-team

Mike Foley (So., C/OF, Worcester, MA/Saint John's), second-team

Tim Dupuis (Jr., RP, Suffield, CT/Suffield High), second-team

ECAC Division II Honors

Mike Baillargeon (Sr., 2B, Worcester, MA/Holy Name), first-team

ABCA East Region Honors

Mike Baillargeon (Sr., 2B, Worcester, MA/Holy Name), player of the year/first-team

New England All-Star Game, June 4, 2009

Mike Baillargeon (Sr., 2B, Worcester, MA/Holy Name)

Mike DiReda (Sr., 3B, Shrewsbury, MA/Saint John's)

Derek Migrants (Jr., OF, Ayer, MA/Ayer)

George Reidy (coach)

CoSIDA Academic Honors

Michael Colebrook (Jr., SP, Leicester, MA/Saint John's), regional first team

(candidate for academic all-America honors)

(4-4, 4.44 era, 51 strikeouts)