FAIRFIELD, Conn. – Five student-athletes of the Fairfield University Baseball squad have been named to the College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District squad for maintaining a 3.50 GPA during their careers. Bowen Baker, Paul Catalano, Blake Helmstetter, Matt Bucciero, and Colin McVeigh all earned the distinction while leading the Stags to success on the diamond and in the classroom.
 
"It is not easy to balance a high academic school like Fairfield combined with a competitive schedule we put together to better our players," Head Coach Bill Currier said. "We are proud these talented players show they not only compete at a high level, but excel in the classroom also."
 
McVeigh, the MAAC Pitcher of the Year, maintained a 3.88 GPA as a marketing and finance major while also becoming the first Fairfield pitcher ever to win the conference Pitcher of the Year award. McVeigh led the MAAC and finished in the top-50 in the country in strikeout-to-walk ratio while placing second in the conference in WHIP. During the regular season, he posted a perfect 8-0 record in MAAC play while tying the program's single-season record with nine wins. His 94 strikeouts were also the most by any Stag pitcher in over a decade.
 
Bucciero was also an All-MAAC First Team selection while posting a 3.82 GPA as a business major. He was one of two players to start all 58 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 was near the team lead with 15 multiple RBI games.
 
Helmstetter tallied a 3.59 GPA while being named to the MAAC All-Academic team and a Deans' List honoree. On the diamond, he finished second among starters with a .256 opponent's batting average while posting five wins and 62 strikeouts. He was named the MAAC Pitcher of the Week on March 12 after firing seven no-hit innings against Florida Gulf Coast, en-route to the program's first-ever combined no-hitter.
 
Baker amassed a 3.68 GPA as a finance and marketing major while also making 13 starts and tallying five wins. He finished second on the team with 68 strikeouts and was also named the MAAC Pitcher of the Week after a dominant eight-inning shutout performance against Iona.
 
Catalano held a 3.74 GPA as a finance and marketing major. He appeared in 45 games during his senior season with 35 starts. He tied for the team lead with three triples while also swiping four bases and driving in 20 runs.
 
The quintette helped the Stags to their fourth-straight MAAC Regular Season Championship and their fifth-straight 30-win campaign. Fairfield finished their season in the MAAC Championship Series for the second-straight season while advancing to the title game for the fourth time in their last five chances.