Four Bulldogs earn ABCA All-Northeast Region honors
SMITHFIELD, R.I. – The historic season for the Bryant University baseball team continued as four players earned American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) All-Northeast Region honors, including three first-teamers, it was announced by the organization on Wednesday afternoon.
Senior first baseman Robby Rinn (Warwick, R.I.), junior outfielder Matt Albanese (East Haddam, Conn.) and sophomore pitcher James Karinchak (Walden, N.Y.) were all named to the first team, while senior catcher Buck McCarthy (Saugus, Mass.) earned second team honors. All those named to the first team are eligible for All-American honors. The four selections ties a program high and they are the only players from the Northeast Conference to be recognized.
The All-Northeast honor adds another accolade to an impressive senior season for Rinn who was named the NEC and New England Player of the Year, a Louisville Slugger Second Team All-American and a First Team ECAC All-Star. Rinn, a 25th round selection of the Kansas City Royals, is more than deserving of the accolades after leading the team in nearly every offensive category. He hit .373, set a program record with 25 doubles and finished with 63 RBI and 54 runs scored. Rinn posted 26 multi-hit games, seven multi-double games and reached base safely in 50-straight games at one point. In total, Rinn reached safely in all but two games during the 2016 season.
A seventh round selection of the Minnesota Twins, Albanese picks up his first all-region honor despite missing the final 10 games of the year. Prior to his season-ending injury, Albanese tore the cover off the ball. He hit .366 with 13 doubles, 11 home runs, 52 RBI and still led the team with 56 runs scored. He also led the team with a .471 OBP, stole a team-high 15 bases and played a flawless centerfield. Albanese posted two multi-homer games, drove in 5+ runs three times during the season and struck out just 15 times in 183 at-bats.
Karinchak turned into a bonafide ace this spring, putting together the best season in program history. He finished the year 12-3 with a 2.00 ERA and 112 strikeouts in 94 2/3 innings. Karinchak set program records for wins and strikeouts on his way to NEC Pitcher of the Year honors. He struck out 10+ batters twice during the season, including a 13-strikeout performance against George Mason. Karinchak allowed two runs or less in 12 of his 15 starts and struck out eight and allowed just one run over 6 1/3 innings in his first-career NCAA Tournament appearance.
The All-Northeast honor is the second for McCarthy in his career after he earned first team honors in 2014. As a senior, McCarthy rebounded from a slow start to produce one of the best offensive seasons in Bryant's DI history. He hit just .278 but produced 16 doubles, eight home runs, 56 RBI and 46 runs scored, all career highs. In addition, McCarthy also walked a career-high 30 times, posted a .368 OBP and committed just three errors in 377 chances for a .992 fielding percentage. He led the team with 16 multi-RBI games, driving in three or more runs on eight occasions. An NEC All-Tournament team selection, McCarthy homered in the NEC Tournament for the third-straight year.