Navigators well-represented at NCAA Regionals

Nine Navigators from five different schools are set to begin NCAA Regional play on Friday, it was announced on Monday. The players include:

LHP Crayton Bare (So.), Baylor
RHP Miles Landry (So.), Baylor
2B Mike Dunster (Fr.), Clemson
1B Jon McGibbon (Fr.), Clemson
RHP Kevin Pohle (Fr.), Clemson
INF Cody Dent (So.), Florida
INF Drew Dahlberg (Fr.), Oklahoma
RHP Kindle Ladd (Fr.), Oklahoma
OF Saulyer Saxon (Fr.), Oklahoma State

Florida (45-16) received the No. 2 overall seed in the tournament and will face Manhattan in the Gainesville Regional bracket.

Meanwhile, Clemson (41-18) will take on Sacred Heart while Oklahoma (41-17) draws Dallas Baptist. Baylor (29-26) will square off against California, and Oklahoma State (35-23) faces Troy.

The Navigators open up their home schedule on Saturday, June 11 (6:15 p.m.) against the Laconia Muskrats at Fraser Field.

Navs’ Cody Dent (2 RBI) leads Florida to SEC title

Courtesy of GatorZone.com

Navigators infielder Cody Dent (Boynton Beach, FL.) went 1-for-2 with a game-high two RBI in the Gators’ 5-0 win over No. 4 Vanderbilt on Sunday afternoon in the 2011 Southeast Conference title game. The SEC championship was the first in 20 years for the No. 3 Gators.

Dent, the son of three-time MLB All-Star Bucky Dent, had 14 RBI and 14 runs scored in 21 games for the Navigators last season. The sophomore will also return this summer for a second stint with the Navs, who begin their season June 8 at Holyoke. The team’s home opener will take place Saturday, June 11 at Fraser Field against Laconia (6:15 p.m.).

In the second inning of Florida’s SEC title victory, Dent laid down a perfect sacrifice bunt to plate a run and take a 1-0 lead as he successfully executed a safety squeeze. He also reached first and took second on the play after a throwing error. The third baseman later singled to lead off the seventh and worked a bases load walk for an RBI in the eighth.

Although Dent has appeared in 37 games on the year for the Gators, he has started only 11. Nonetheless, he has worked his way into the regular lineup of late, having started at third base and hit out of the ninth spot in each of the last seven games. Dent has a .400 on-base percentage during that stretch and Florida is 5-2 over that span.

As a result of the number of premier caliber players in Florida’s program, Dent had yet to establish an everyday role prior to his recent stretch. Florida shortstop and fellow sophomore Nolan Fontana, for example, is hitting .308 with 41 RBI in 60 games for the Gators. Fontana will play for the Team USA collegiate national team this summer, which is set to play against the Navs on Sunday, June 26 (6:15 p.m.) at Fraser Field.

The SEC title was not the only good news the Gators received on Sunday, as Florida’s McKethan Stadium at Perry Field was selected as one of the 16 regional hosts for the 2011 NCAA Baseball Championship. As a result, the Gators will begin NCAA Regional play at home on Friday.

Clemson was also selected as a regional host. Freshmen Mike Dunster, Jon McGibbon, and Kevin Pohle of the Tigers will all join the Navigators after the completion of the postseason. Oklahoma, while not a host, is also likely to receive a bid this afternoon during the NCAA Tournament Selection Show at 12:30 p.m. The Sooners’ Kindle Ladd and and Drew Dahlberg will both play for North Shore this summer as well.

Mark Williams named a D3baseball.com All-American

LYNN, MA — Former North Shore Navigators pitcher Mark Williams has been named to the D3baseball.com All-American Second Team. Williams, a junior at Marietta College, went 7-1 this spring with a 1.67 ERA for the Pioneers. The righthander had 84 strikeouts in 70 innings of work.

As a key member of the 2010 NECBL championship team, Williams went 2-1 with a 4.45 ERA in a team-high 20 appearances last summer.

With Marietta, Williams made the transition into the starting rotation this season after serving as a reliever for two years. The Pioneers were a unanimous selection for the No. 1 D-III team in the country in the final regular season rankings and enter the national tournament with a 34-3 record. They will take on Salisbury this afternoon in postseason play.

Navs sign 1B/OF Jake Schrader

LYNN, MA — The North Shore Navigators announced on Thursday they have signed first baseman/outfielder Jake Schrader of St. John’s River State College. Schrader, a sophomore, will attend the University of Tampa in the fall.

This season, Schrader hit .287 with 11 home runs and 39 RBI for the Vikings. He reached base at a .395 clip and also had a .625 slugging percentage as SJRJC finished its season with a 19-18 record. As a freshman, Schrader hit .355 with 19 homers and 61 RBI.

In his senior year at Pasco High School, Schrader hit .554 with 13 home runs and 46 RBI. He was also a two-time St. Petersburg Times North Suncoast Player of the Year.

Navs Player Profile: RHP Dan Slania

The Navigators and The Daily Item of Lynn have partnered this spring to produce a weekly Player Profile page as part of the publication’s Newspaper in Education series. Reliever Dan Slania of Notre Dame, who was selected in the 42nd round by the Boston Red Sox in the 2010 MLB Draft, appeared in this week’s series. Check it out HERE.

The first seven Navs Player Profiles
May 17: OF Eric Jagielo, Notre Dame
May 11: C Blake Berger, Tennessee
May 3: 1B Jon McGibbon, Clemson
April 27: SS Cody Dent, Florida
April 14: OF Saulyer Saxon, Oklahoma State
April 5: RHP Kindle Ladd, Oklahoma
March 29: LHP Crayton Bare, Baylor

Boulter selected to three All-Region teams

LYNN, MA — North Shore Navigators infielder Matt Boulter of Southern New Hampshire University has been selected to the First Team in the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) and American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) All-Region teams. He was also a Second Team Daktronics All-East Region pick.

Boulter, a sophomore, was also a 2011 Northeast-10 First Team selection this spring after leading the Penmen with a .338 average. He was also one of two players to start all 47 games and his .338 average was good for 11^th in the NE-10. He finished with three home runs and was second on the team in RBI (31).

Navs sign Jacksonville State RHP Hunter Rivers

LYNN, MA — The North Shore Navigators announced on Friday they have signed righthander Hunter Rivers of Jacksonville State. Rivers, a sophomore, is 8-2 with a 5.03 ERA in 16 games this season for the Gamecocks.

On April 30, Rivers was just two outs away from a no-hitter against Southern Illinois Edwardsville, throwing a seven-inning, complete game shutout in the process on just 65 pitches.

Rivers also pitched for the Navs last season and was a key member of the Navigators bullpen, going 4-1 with four saves and a 3.97 ERA. In the NECBL playoffs, Rivers was dominant en route to the league title, as he went unscored upon in five appearances and had four saves. The righthander was on the mound for the final out in the decisive Game 3 win over the Danbury Westerners at Fraser Field.

Navs sign Baylor RHP Miles Landry

LYNN, MA — The North Shore Navigators announced on Wednesday they have signed Baylor pitcher Miles Landry. Landry, a 6-5 righthander from Houston, was a redshirt freshman with the Bears last season.

At Strake Jesuit College Preparatory High School, Landry went 7-5 with a 2.48 ERA as a junior and 10-7 with a 2.34 ERA in his senior season. He also had 100 strikeouts over 102.0 innings in the high school ranks.

He will accompany Baylor teammate Crayton Bare, a lefthander who was an 2010 NECBL All-Star for the Navs last season. Baylor is currently No. 35 in the country according to the latest NCAA rankings released on Tuesday.

Navs Player Profile: Eric Jagielo of Notre Dame

The Navigators and The Daily Item of Lynn have partnered this spring to produce a weekly Player Profile page as part of the publication’s Newspaper in Education series. Infielder Eric Jagielo of Notre Dame, who was selected in the 50th round by the Chicago Cubs in the 2010 MLB Draft, appeared in this week’s series. Check it out HERE.

 
The first six Navs Player Profiles
May 11: C Blake Berger, Tennessee
May 3: 1B Jon McGibbon, Clemson
April 27: SS Cody Dent, Florida
April 14: OF Saulyer Saxon, Oklahoma State
April 5: RHP Kindle Ladd, Oklahoma
March 29: LHP Crayton Bare, Baylor

Navs sign Butler LHP Brad Schnitzer

LYNN, MA — The North Shore Navigators announced on Tuesday they have signed junior lefthander Brad Schnitzer of Butler University. Schnitzer, an Illinois native, transferred to Butler from the University of Tampa after his sophomore season.

With Butler this season, the reliever has a 4.00 ERA in 16 appearances out of the bullpen for the Bulldogs. The lefty has 26 strikeouts in 27.0 innings pitched and is holding opponents to a .240 batting average.