POMONA, N.Y. – Fairfield University Baseball right-hander Colin McVeigh was named the unanimous Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Pitcher of the Year, highlighting a group of eight all-MAAC selections. Among those eight student-athletes, five were named to the All-MAAC First Team with: Ethan Hibbard, Dean Ferrara, Zach Selinger Matt Bucciero and McVeigh earning the selections. Infielders Luke Nomura and Matt Bergevin received All-MAAC Second Team honors while right-hander Ben Alekson picked up a spot on the MAAC All-Rookie team.
 
"Having five players on the First Team and two on the Second Team shows the hard work from the players to improve their abilities from year to year," Head Coach Bill Currier said. "It also shows the commitment from the coaches and to the culture we have built here in our program to expect only the best."
 
McVeigh becomes Fairfield's first-ever MAAC Pitcher of the Year after posting a perfect 8-0 record with a 1.84 ERA in eight starts in the conference. He tallied 91 strikeouts in 78.2 innings, tying the most by a Fairfield pitcher in a decade. He is one of the most efficient pitchers in the country, leading the MAAC with a 1.04 WHIP and 5.06 strikeout-to-walk ratio, both ranking in the top-30 in the nation. His nine wins also ties the program's single-season record.
 
"Colin is the hardest worker and fully committed player on the team," Coach Currier said. "Everyone in the program knows this. He has such a professional and competitive makeup and work ethic as he demands the most out of his abilities, week after week during the season."
 
Hibbard finished second on the team with a .342 batting average, 60 RBI, and 16 home runs, which were also second in the league. He was named the back-to-back MAAC Player of the Week in March after an 11-game stretch that saw him hit .500 with 10 homers and 28 RBI. He tied Fairfield single-game records with three homers against Fordham (3/16) and nine RBI at FGCU (3/10).
 
Ferrara broke Fairfield's single-season hits record with 91 base hits, a number that is also in the top-five in the nation. He led the Stags with 28 multiple hit games that included four contests with four hits. He made history by hitting for the cycle in his first four at-bats at Mount St. Mary's while also tying the program's single game record with six hits (4/20). He is also second in the MAAC with a .394 average, ranking in the top-25 in the nation. Entering the tournament, he is one base hit away from tying the MAAC's single-season record.
 
Selinger batted .312 with a .926 OPS in his first and only season with the Stags after transferring from Fordham. His numbers were even more impressive in the conference as he was second on the team with a .410 clip while also posting a team-high .524 on-base percentage, also the highest in the MAAC. He also places second in the league with a 1.159 OPS against MAAC teams which featured 11 extra base hits.
 
Bucciero was a solid presence in right field for the Stags as he was one of two players to start all 54 games. He showed his power with 15 homers and 61 RBI, both placing in the top-three in the MAAC. He tallied a career-high 15-game hitting streak in April that saw him bat .400 with seven homers and 28 RBI in 60 at-bats. He tied for the team lead with 15 multiple RBI games.
 
McVeigh makes his second-straight appearance on the All-MAAC First Team and has posted a 13-0 record in the regular season against the conference over that stretch. He went 6.0 innings with at least seven strikeouts in all but one of his MAAC starts this year while posting a career-high 14 strikeouts against Canisius.
 
Bergevin was one of two Stags to earn All-MAAC Second Team honors after leading the MAAC with 17 homers and tying for the conference lead with 55 runs scored. His 58 RBI, .615 slugging percentage, and 41 walks are all ranked in the top-10 in the league. He belted a pair of homers in four games while totaling 24 RBI in conference games. He also posted 15 multiple RBI contests and was named the MAAC Player of the Week for the first time in his career after smashing three homers and seven RBI against Siena.
 
Nomura was a consistent presence for the Stags in his first season as an everyday starter, checking into the starting lineup in all 54 games. He batted .311 with 10 homers and 33 RBI, leading all MAAC shortstops in homers and doubles (14). He amassed a .950 OPS which included a team-best 41 game on-base streak, boosting his .419 on-base percentage. He was also near the top among Fairfield infielders in fielding percentage during his 193 total chances.
 
Alekson was the lone Stag named to the All-Rookie team after posting a 6-1 record with a 3.61 ERA in 14 appearances and 11 starts in his freshman season. Alekson appeared in three MAAC contests over the last two weeks, tallying a 2-0 mark with a 0.64 ERA which included a career-high eight strikeouts against Niagara. For his efforts against the Purple Eagles, he was named both the MAAC Pitcher and Rookie of the Week.
 
Along with the eight All-MAAC honorees, 17 student-athletes were named to the MAAC All-Academic team while maintaining a 3.2 GPA including: Bowen Baker, Bergevin, Evan Berta, Bucciero, Paul Catalano, Jack Erbeck, Blake Helmstetter, Hibbard, Kevin Kell, Tyler Kipp, McVeigh, Jake Memoli, Peter Ostensen, TJ Schmalzle, Ryan Strollo, Nick Sturino, and Will Youngman.
 
The Stags posted a 20-4 conference record and claimed a share of the MAAC Regular Season Championship and will be the No. 1 seed in the MAAC Championships for the fourth-straight year. The team will open tournament play on Thursday at 11am at Clover Stadium in Pomona, N.Y.