Dylan DelaCruz Named NEC Co-Rookie of the Week in Baseball

Central Connecticut freshman Dylan DelaCruz was named the Northeast Conference baseball co-Rookie of the Week on Monday, it was announced by the conference office. DelaCruz and the Blue Devils opened the NEC season winning three of four at home over Bryant over the weekend.

DelaCruz picked the perfect time for a breakout performance. With defending NEC Champion Central Connecticut opening the 2011 league schedule against Bryant, last year's regular season winner, the freshman designated hitter produced six hits and four RBI to help his team to a series victory. DelaCruz appeared in all four games against Bryant, logging two starts and a pair of pinch-hit appearances, and batted .545. The right-handed hitting rookie made his NEC debut as a pinch hitter in the seventh inning of the series opener.

Fueling the fire for a six-run inning that erased CCSU's 9-4 deficit, DelaCruz delivered a pinch-hit RBI single and came around to score on a three-run homer. He took over the DH spot again in the sixth inning of the series' second game, going 1-for-1 with a run and a walk in an eventual 10-2 victory.

DelaCruz started Game 3 of the set as the designated hitter. Batting fifth in the lineup, he produced a pair of clutch hits and three RBI. He opened the game's scoring by lacing a two-run single in the first inning, but was far from done. With the game tied a 4-4 in the bottom of the seventh frame, DelaCruz sent a two-out single up the middle to plate the winning run. The Constitution State product, who added two hits and one run in the series finale with Bryant, is batting .324 over his first 10 collegiate games.