University of Massachusets Athletics
2010 Team Awards Presented At Annual Baseball Banquet
October 04, 2010 | Baseball
Oct. 4, 2010
AMHERST, Mass. - Head coach Mike Stone and the UMass baseball program recently announced the squad's 2010 team awards at the annual team banquet. Pitchers Bryan Leigh and Jared Freni, along with second baseman Eric Fredette were all recognized for their performances last season.
Both Fredette and Leigh were honored with the 2010 E. Joseph Thompson Most Valuable Player Award.
Fredette led the Minutemen with a .384 average this spring, his first at UMass after transferring from Vermont, and was named to the Atlantic 10 All-Conference second team. The second baseman played and started 45 of the squad's 46 games and totaled 32 runs scored, 11 doubles, one triple, four home runs and 31 RBI. His team-best 19 walks helped him boast a .443 on-base percentage, while he led the squad with 10 sacrifices, as well. Fredette registered a team-high 22 multi-hit games on the year and hit safely in 40 of the 45 contests he appeared in, reaching base in all but one. His 71 hits in 2010 ties him for ninth all-time in the UMass record book.
Against A-10 foes, Fredette batted .351 (39-for-111) with 12 runs scored, five doubles, two home runs and 20 RBI. He reached base in 25 of the 26 A-10 games he saw action in, including a 19-game hitting streak in conference play.
As a senior in 2010, Leigh enjoyed is finest campaign in a UMass uniform, leading the squad with six wins and boasting the top ERA among the team's starters, 4.80 over 69.1 innings on the mound. Leigh tossed four complete games, good for third-most in the Atlantic 10. He totaled 55 strikeouts to just 20 walks, including fanning a career-high 11 vs. Saint Louis on Apr. 24.
In conference play, Leigh finished fourth in the A-10 with a 2.98 ERA over seven appearances. He compiled a 5-2 record with 39 strikeouts and 10 walks in 48.1 innings on the hill. The two-time A-10 Pitcher of the Week ranked fifth in wins and opponent batting average (.247) in Atlantic 10 contests, as well.
Freni was presented with the Coaches' Award, going to the team's most improved player. The right-hander appeared in 12 games in 2010, starting 11, and was 3-5 with a 6.35 ERA. He totaled 57 strikeouts to 35 walks, tossing a team-high 72.1 innings. Freni, UMass' all-time leader in career starts, threw two complete games in 2010, including his finale as a Minuteman, vs. La Salle on May 21. He logged a career high in strikeouts on Apr. 11, fanning 13 Richmond batters.