BERNSTEIN, COLLINS EARN MAJOR NESCAC HONORS AS BASEBALL'S ALL-CONFERENCE TEAMS ARE ANNOUNCED

2011 NESCAC Pitcher of the Year Ed Bernstein

MEDFORD - Tufts senior closer Ed Bernstein (Foxborough, MA) was named the 2011 New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) Pitcher of the Year, and Jumbo junior catcher Matt Collins (Hopkinton, MA) was selected Defensive Player of the Year when the All-Conference Baseball Teams were released today.

Bernstein and Collins were two of six Jumbos who earned NESCAC recognition. Bernstein is on the All-Conference First Team along with senior SS David LeResche (St. Louis, MO) and senior CF David Orlowitz (Wakefield, MA). Joining Collins on the All-Conference Second Team is junior pitcher Kevin Gilchrist (Medford, MA) and junior 3B Sam Sager (Cranston, RI).

With Tufts playing in the NCAA New England Regional this week, Bernstein has eight saves and has not allowed an earned run in 28 innings so far this season. In the team's 12 NESCAC East Division games, Bernstein was 1-0 with four saves and 11 strikeouts in 8.2 innings while allowing a .097 batting average. He pitched 4.2 innings of three-hit, no-run relief to earn the win when Tufts defeated Bowdoin 4-2 in 12 innings on May 7 as the Jumbos captured their second conference crown.

Collins is the second Tufts catcher to win the best defensive player award in as many years. Alex Perry, a 2010 graduate, was voted for the honor last season. Collins has thrown out 12 of 28 would-be base stealers (42.9 percent) this spring. He made just one error in 163 chances, while on offense he hit .343 with 11 doubles, three home runs and 21 rbi until getting injured late in the regular season.

LeResche earned his second straight All-NESCAC First Team honor at shortstop, and was recognized for the third time overall including on the Second Team in 2009.  The leadoff hitter, he's second on the team with 40 hits and he scored 25 runs. At short, the co-captain helped turn 25 double plays and has a solid .935 fielding percentage. Orlowitz leads Tufts with a .383 batting average, 38 runs, three triples, four home runs, a .636 slugging percentage and a .423 on base percentage while playing an outstanding center field. He was 8 for 10 with seven runs and four rbi at the NESCAC Championship.

Gilchrist was the team's Friday pitcher in NESCAC East action, and he posted a 2-1 record with a 1.91 earned run average in division games. He allowed five hits and no runs in eight innings at Trinity for a win on April 8, and is 5-2 with a 1.99 mark overall (second in NESCAC). Sager matched Orlowitz in productivity as the only Jumbo to top 30 in runs (32) and rbi (31). He's the league-leader with 27 walks. Both Gilchrist and Sager were All-Conference in 2010, Sager a First Team Pick and Gilchrist on the Second Team.

2011 NESCAC All-Conference Baseball Teams

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