Gingras named NEWMAC's top pitcher, among five all-league honorees

April 29, 2008

WORCESTER, MA- Wheaton College junior Adam Gingras (Woonsocket, RI/Woonsocket) was named New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) Pitcher of the Year, the Lyon baseball team placed five players on all-conference squads and head coach Eric Podbelski earned top skipper honors during the league's postseason meeting at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) on Tuesday.

Gingras, senior Chris McDonough (Weymouth, MA/Weymouth) and junior Robert Foote (Walpole, MA/Walpole) all landed on the all-conference first team, while sophomores Jeff Lieneck (Foxboro, MA/Xaverian Brothers) and Paul Malaguti (Andover, MA/Andover) drew second-team laurels during their first season as regulars. McDonough became the fourth Lyon to draw three all-conference laurels and the second to land on the first team three times since the league began naming two teams in 2003. Each of the remaining four players earned their initial league accolade for Wheaton, which won the NEWMAC Tournament for the ninth time in 10 years.

Wheaton hurlers have now earned top pitcher honors two of the three years the award has been handed out, while Podbelski drew his eighth conference coaching laurel since the NEWMAC began play in 1999. Three Lyons placed on the all-conference first team, marking the fourth straight year at least three made the top squad, while Wheaton had at least a trio of all-league honorees for the 10th consecutive season.

Gingras paces the league in earned run average, runs allowed and earned runs surrendered. He is second in wins, opposing batting average and innings pitched, and tied for fourth in strikeouts. Four of his six wins came in conference play, as he tied a program mark with two shutouts. In 30.1 innings during conference play, Gingras yielded one earned run and two extra-base hits.

Foote is tied for fourth in the NEWMAC in doubles, tied for sixth in hits, seventh in batting average and ninth in slugging percentage. During conference action, Foote led all NEWMAC players in doubles and slugging percentage while placing second in batting average and on-base percentage. Overall, he has 12 multiple-hit games.

McDonough is among the NEWMAC leaders in several statistical categories, including ranking third in strikeouts. He is also tied for second in games started, tied for third in wins, fifth in earned run average and sixth in innings pitched. Three of his five wins came in conference play, tying a program mark with two shutouts. In 28.0 innings during conference play, McDonough allowed five earned runs and just three extra-base hits.

Moved into the starting catching role after the graduation of a two-time NEWMAC Player of the Year, Lieneck has been solid in all facets of the game, including throwing out nearly 42 percent of would-be base stealers. Offensively, Lieneck is tied for fourth in the league in RBI, sixth in on-base percentage, tied for sixth in hits and home runs, tied for seventh in runs and 10th in each batting average and slugging percentage. He fields at a .993 clip in 272 total chances and leads the league by catching 13 runners attempting to steal. Lieneck has 12 multiple-hit and nine multiple-RBI games, and he also recorded a hitting streak of nine contests earlier this year.

Serving as an everyday outfielder for the first time, Malaguti is second in the conference in hits, third in batting average, sixth in slugging percentage, tied for sixth in home runs, seventh in on-base percentage and 10th in runs. He leads the team in hits, batting average and slugging while tying for first in home runs. Malaguti paces the Lyons with 19 multiple-hit games, twice recording four hits.

The Lyons, who finished second in the NEWMAC standings at 9-3, have a 31-7 overall mark and are ranked 12th nationally by the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA). Wheaton returns to action on Thursday at 28th-ranked Eastern Connecticut State University at 7:00 p.m.

This page is maintained by Scott Dietz. Last updated on 4/29/08.
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