Five Blue Devils Named to All-Northeast Conference Baseball Team

Five Central Connecticut baseball players were named All-Conference on Wednesday night, on the eve of the start of the 2009 NEC Baseball Tournament. The Blue Devils, the #3 seed in the tourney, will play Sacred Heart at 3:30 p.m. on Thursday. At New Britain Stadium on Wednesday night, all four teams gathered for a barbecue to honor the two All-Conference teams. Senior Sean Parker, juniors Anthony Scialdone, Sean Allaire and Richie Tri, and sophomore Pat Epps were all honored for their efforts during the 2009 season.

Epps and Scialdone were both named to the first team for their efforts. Scialdone, a shortstop, led the Blue Devils in hitting this season with a .361 average in 39 games played. Earlier this season he posted the longest hitting streak in the conference at 28 games. His 60 total hits were tied for second on the team, along with Epps, and he drove in 30 and scored 38 runs on the year. He was tied for second on the team with four home runs.

Epps finished second on the team with his .349 average, and drove in a team-high 51 runs while posting 60 hits. He scored 39 runs and walked 22 times on the year. In just two seasons in New Britain he has 73 RBI and a career average of .334, with 111 hits and 64 runs scored.

Allaire was named to the second team, along with classmate Tri and senior catcher Parker.

Allaire was third on the team with his .345 average with a team-high 70 hits and 53 runs scored. He also drove in 23 runs and had 16 extra-base hits. He played and started in all 46 games, batting lead off in each one.

Tri had a resurgence in his junior season, after missing all of last year with an injury. He hit .338 with 39 RBI and 28 runs scored. He had a team-best 16 doubles and 21 extra-base hits on the year.

Parker, one of the top defensive catchers in the league, also did it with the bat in his senior season. He batted .343 with 41 RBI. He had 13 doubles and four home runs on the year and played in 43 games.

The Blue Devils face Sacred Heart on Thursday at 3:30 p.m. at New Britain Stadium in the double-elimination tournament. Wagner and Monmouth will meet in the first game at 12 p.m.