Baseball Puts Four On Daktronics All-East Region Teams

Cote, Dowd, Vazquez on First Team; Ingui on Second Team

Daktronics All-East Region Teams

RINDGE, N.H. (May 13, 2009) – Senior left-hander Tom Cote (Swanzey, N.H./Univ. of Massachusetts), freshman catcher Mike Dowd (East Bridgewater, Mass./Cardinal Spellman) and junior right-hander Kyle Vazquez (Berlin, Conn./Berlin) of the Franklin Pierce University baseball team have all been named to the Daktronics Baseball All-East Region First Team, as announced Wednesday by Daktronics. In addition, sophomore designated hitter Derek Ingui (Sterling, Mass./Wachusett Regional) has been named to the All-East Region Second Team. The quartet has led Franklin Pierce to Northeast-10 Conference regular season and tournament championships.

Cote has teamed with Vazquez to give the Ravens a fierce one-two punch at the top of the rotation throughout the season and currently sports a 9-2 record, with the nine wins being the most of any pitcher in the conference. The southpaw currently ranks second in the Northeast-10 in earned-run average (1.87) and opposing batting average (.205) and fourth in innings pitched (82) and strikeouts (87). For Cote, the All-East Region First Team selection comes on the heels of the second All-Northeast-10 Conference First Team honors of his career.

Dowd, a true freshman, currently leads the Ravens in hitting by over 40 points, with a .393 batting average (77-for-196) that is good for third in the conference. He leads the Northeast-10 in on-base percentage (.464) and is tied for the lead in hits (77), while also ranking in the top 10 in the conference in six other categories. Dowd currently is tied for third in the Northeast-10 in doubles (15), ranks fourth in total bases (115), is tied for fifth in runs scored (46), ranks seventh in slugging percentage (.587) and is tied for seventh in runs batted in (43) and home runs (7). Dowd shared Northeast-10 Conference Freshman of the Year accolades with Ryan Geffert of Southern Connecticut State and was also named to the Northeast-10 Conference All-Rookie Team.

Vazquez has been the Franklin Pierce ace all season long, to the tune of an 8-1 record and a 1.77 earned-run average, which is good for second in the conference. In addition, he currently leads the Northeast-10 in strikeouts (103), is second in innings pitched (86.1), is tied for second in wins and is fourth in opponent batting average (.206). Vazquez threw three shutouts on the season, including a 10-inning, three-hit shutout with a career-high 15 strikeouts against Massachusetts Lowell on May 2 to clinch the Northeast-10 regular season title. Earlier this week, he was named Northeast-10 Conference Pitcher of the Year and All-Northeast-10 Conference First Team.

Ingui is currently second on the team with a .352 batting average (74-for-210) which places him eighth in the Northeast-10. He currently leads the conference with seven triples and is tied for the league lead with 129 total bases, while placing in the conference’s top 10 in six other categories. Ingui is currently second in the conference in runs scored (51); is third in slugging percentage (.614), hits (74) and runs batted in (47); is tied for third in home runs (9); and is tied for seventh in doubles (14). Ingui has already collected Northeast-10 Championship Most Valuable Player, CoSIDA/ESPN: The Magazine Academic All-District I Second Team and All-Northeast-10 Conference First Team accolades over the last week. This is the second All-Region selection for Ingui, who was a Daktronics All-America Honorable Mention and All-Northeast Region First Team selection as a freshman last season.

On Sunday, Franklin Pierce (37-16) defeated Assumption twice, 25-6 and 6-1, to rally from a first-day loss to claim the Northeast-10 Conference Championship for the third year in a row and the fourth time in five seasons. The Ravens return to the field this weekend as the second seed and host of the NCAA Division II Championship East Regional. Franklin Pierce opens play at 2:30 p.m. on Thursday against fifth-seeded Assumption.