Perfect Game releases NEC baseball preview
SMITHFIELD, R.I. – Perfect Game released its Northeast Conference preview on Friday, predicting Bryant University baseball junior Tyler Mattison (Fort Ann, N.Y.) and freshman Tommy DiTullio (Pt. Pleasant, N.J.) to win major awards.
Mattison was tabbed as the preseason favorite to win pitcher of the year honors, while DiTullio was predicted to take home freshman of the year laurels. Perfect Game also announced its predicted order of finish, tabbing Bryant second, its preseason All-NEC team and its top pro prospects.
Mattison has now been selected as the preseason pitcher of the year by Perfect Game, Baseball America and D1Baseball.com. He went 9-1 with a 3.47 ERA in 15 starts a season ago. Mattison allowed 83 hits and struck out 67 in 80.1 innings. He has earned All-NEC honors in each of his first two seasons with the Bulldogs.
DiTullio was also selected as the league's preseason rookie of the year by Baseball America. The 5-foot-11, 185-pound freshman from Pt. Pleasant, New Jersey, enjoyed a stellar prep career at Christian Brothers Academy.
Mattison, senior Gaby Cruz (Miami, Fla.), sophomore Jake Gustin (Peabody, Mass.) and senior James Ciliento (Mahwah, N.J.) were named to Perfect Game's preseason All-NEC team. Cruz hit .354 with nine home runs and 37 RBI, Gustin hit .287 and scored 43 runs and Ciliento had 15 doubles, 10 home runs, 57 RBI and 66 runs scored.
Bryant also had five players listed among Perfect Game's top prospects for the next three MLB drafts. Mattison (No. 1), junior Will Treuel (Wolfeboro, N.H.) (No. 3) and classmate Tyler Schoff (Lee Center, N.Y.) (No. 5) made the list for the 2020 draft. Treuel made 22 relief appearances in 2019, while Schoff went 2-0 with a 5.84 ERA in 17 appearances (7 starts).
Sophomore Vincenzo Castronovo (Utica, N.Y.) and freshman Alex Lane (Andover, Mass.) were listed as the top pro prospects in the 2021 and 2022 classes. Castronovo had five doubles and four home runs in 52 at-bats as a freshman.
Bryant opens the 2020 season on Friday, Feb. 14 against Dayton in Wilmington, North Carolina.