Gasper named ECAC Player of the Year
SMITHFIELD, R.I. – A week after being named the Northeast Conference Player of the Year, Bryant University baseball junior Mickey Gasper (Merrimack, N.H.) has become the first player in DI program history to earn ECAC Player of the Year honors, the organization announced on Wednesday morning.
In addition to earning player of the year honors, Gasper was named a First Team ECAC All-Star. Sophomores Nick Angelini (Bedford, N.H.) and Steve Theetge (Syracuse, N.Y.) earned second team honors.
Gasper excelled in his first year as a full-time starter, hitting .342 (66-193) with 11 doubles, two triples, seven home runs and 53 RBI. He also scored 45 times, drew 42 walks, struck out just 18 times and posted a .470 OBP. Gasper became just the fourth player in DI program history to drive in 50+ runs in a year, just the second to walk 40+ times in a season and the first to complete the feats in the same season. He posted 18 multi-hit games, 16 multi-RBI games and enjoyed a four-game weekend series against Mount St. Mary's in which he reached safely in 15 of 17 plate appearances, including 13 straight at one point.
Angelini picks up his third postseason honor after earning First Team All-NEC and Second Team All-New England honors last week. He finished the year with a team-leading 67 hits, including 15 doubles, four triples, six home runs, 37 RBI and 46 runs scored. Angelini also walked 34 times, posted a .419 OBP and tied for the team lead with 19 stolen bases. He ended the season on a hot streak for the second-straight year, hitting safely in each of his final six games and reaching safely in each of the final 18 games of the year.
Theetge earns second team honors after leading the NEC in wins with eight. He finished the year 8-5 with 3.86 ERA in a team-high 81 2/3 innings. Theetge allowed just 72 hits, walked 38 and struck out 60. He went a perfect 7-0 against NEC opponents. Theetge proved himself to be one of the best ground-ball pitchers in program history once again in 2017, inducing a DI program record 13 double play balls. It comes a year after he induced 11, giving him 24 in 31 career appearances.