Three Lyons each earn first career NEIBA All-New England accolade

May 16, 2008

NORTON, MA- At least three Wheaton College baseball players earned New England Intercollegiate Baseball Association (NEIBA) all-region honors for the fourth straight season, as juniors Robert Foote (Walpole, MA/Walpole) and Adam Gingras (Woonsocket, RI/Woonsocket) and sophomore Jeff Lieneck (Foxboro, MA/Xaverian Brothers) each drew the initial all-region accolade of their careers.

Gingras was one of three first-team pitchers, with the other two hailing from undefeated Trinity College, as 15 players landed on the first team. Lieneck was one of two catchers on the 17-member second team, while Foote stood among five outfielders on the third team, which was comprised of 19 athletes. Each of the three Lyons also drew New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) All-Conference laurels recently.

On Thursday evening, Gingras tied the school's single-season wins record by improving to 8-0 with a victory in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. He has posted a 1.70 earned run average this season, yielding 49 hits in 68.2 innings while striking out 47 and walking just 11. Opponents bat .199 off of Gingras, who also matched a program mark with two shutouts this spring. He yielded two runs or fewer in each of his last eight starts. In his last six outings, which encompassed 41 innings, Gingras walked only three while striking out 29.

During his first season as Wheaton's starting catcher, Lieneck bats .361 while throwing out over 44 percent of would-be base stealers. He has fielded at a .993 clip in 305 chances while tying for the team lead in home runs (4) and times hit by a pitch (14). He is also second in on-base percentage (.459), tied for second in stolen bases (7), third in average, runs (36), hits (53), RBI (37) and slugging (.517), and tied for third in doubles (11). Lieneck bats a team-high .457 with two down and has had 14 multiple-hit and 10 multiple-RBI games.

Foote has held down the starting job in right field for the second straight season, as the lefthanded hitter bats .375 and has committed just one miscue in 54 chances in the field. In addition to smacking a pair of home runs, Foote paces the team in average, is second in hits (54), doubles (13) and slugging percentage (.521), and stands fourth in RBI (27). He has turned in 15 multiple-hit games, and Foote bats .373 with runners on base.

The trio has led Wheaton to a 34-8 mark, as the nationally-ranked Lyons are currently competing in the NCAA Tournament in Harwich. The Blue and White, which is ranked 11th nationally by the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA), went 9-3 during NEWMAC play and won its ninth league tournament crown in 10 seasons. Wheaton takes on Trinity in a winner's bracket contest today at 4:30 p.m.

This page is maintained by Scott Dietz. Last updated on 5/20/08.
Questions about this page? Use our query form.

News Headlines

Wheaton baseball represented among collegiate summer league teams (more)

McDonough signs with Brockton Rox, becomes Wheaton's sixth professional (more)

Gingras named Wheaton's first ABCA All-America pitcher since 2002 (more)