University of Maine redshirt junior lefthander Caleb Leys, who missed all of last season after undergoing Tommy John surgery on his pitching elbow, has been named the America East Pitcher of the Year.
He was also one of two Black Bears to be selected to the All-America East first team along with junior center fielder Brody Rasmussen, a transfer from Lassen Community College in California.
Five other Black Bears also received All-America East honors.
Junior pitcher Gianni Gambardella, senior second baseman Myles Sargent and freshman third baseman Evan Menzel earned second team recognition. Menzel and left fielder Aidan Bardi were chosen to the All-Rookie team.
Redshirt junior pitcher Colin Fitzgerald was selected to the All-Academic team.
Bryant University shortstop Drew Wyers was chosen the Len Harlow Player of the Year; Bryant pitcher Michael Belcher was the Rookie of the Year and Bryant’s Ryan Klosterman was the Coach of the Year for guiding the Bulldogs to the regular season title.
Leys, who is from Middletown, Rhode Island, went 5-1 during the regular season with a 2.44 earned-run average. He struck out 70 and walked 25 in 59 innings. He allowed 50 hits but just eight extra-base hits and no homers. His 2.44 ERA is 20th best in the country among pitchers at 299 Division I schools. Opponents hit just .233 against him.
In league games only, he was 5-0 with a 1.10 ERA.
He is the eighth Black Bear to be named Pitcher of the Year and the first since Nick Sinacola earned it in 2021.
“He has the best arm in the league, by far,” said UMaine head coach Nick Derba.
Rasmussen, who is from Boise, Idaho, hit .308 with seven homers, 31 runs batted in and two triples to go with 12 doubles. He has 20 multiple-hit games and leads the team in hits with 61 and in runs scored with 40. And he hasn’t made an error in 117 chances.
Righty Gambardella has been on an All-America East team for three straight years. He was a second teamer last year and a first-teamer and Freshman All-American two years ago. The West Haven, Conn. native is 5-4 with a 4.82 ERA. He has struck out 51 and walked 23 in 61 ⅔ innings.
Sargent had his best season as a Black Bear, hitting .335 with seven homers and a team-leading 40 RBIs. He has 12 doubles and a triple and has scored 25 runs. He had 14 multiple-hit games. He led the team in slugging percentage at .553. He also made just four errors on 182 chances and was involved in 26 double plays.
Menzel hit .354 with four homers and 18 RBIs. He played in 34 games and had 15 multiple-hit games. He led the team in on-base percentage at .460 and was second in slugging percentage at .549. The Coventry, Connecticut, native had 10 doubles.
Bardi, who is from Long Island, New York, hit .309 with a homer and 14 RBis. His .444 on-base percentage was second to Menzel. He had four doubles.
Fitzgerald, from Lititz, Pennsylvania, earned All-Academic honors with his 3.97 grade-point average in Sport Management.