Otisfield, Maine, native heads list of four Ravens on All-Northeast Region teams

RINDGE, N.H. (May 17, 2004) - A program record four members of the Franklin Pierce baseball team have received ABCA/Rawlings All-Northeast Region honors, headed by junior catcher Eric Cavers (Otisfield, Maine/Oxford Hills) who earned the first Northeast Region Player of the Year award in program history.      

Cavers is joined on the All-Northeast Region first team by senior designated hitter Dante Blancarte (South Berwick, Maine/Amesbury (Mass.)) and sophomore second baseman Mike Chambers (Londonderry, N.H./Londonderry). The three first team selections are also a program best. Junior right-hander Keith Brouillard (Westport, Mass./Somerset) was named to the All-Northeast second team.      

Cavers, who earns the first Region Player of the Year award in program history, is a first-time All-Region selection. He completed the season leading the NE-10 in batting average (.394), on-base percentage (.481), slugging percentage (.670), runs scored (59), hits (80), triples (5) and home runs (10), while also ranking high among NE-10 leaders with 16 doubles (2^nd), 44 RBI (2^nd), 22 stolen bases (3^rd) and 31 walks (5^th). Cavers also leads the Ravens with a program-record 26 multi-hit and 12 multi-RBI games this season and posted a team season-high 15-game hitting streak earlier this spring. In Conference play this season, Cavers hit .402 (47-117) with 37 runs scored, 14 doubles, three triples, six homers, 24 RBI and 12 stolen bases.

      Cavers, a two-time NE-10 Player of the Week, is also the top defensive catcher in the Conference, having thrown out 32.6-percent (14-43) of the potential base stealers against him this season to go with seven pickoffs (2^nd NE-10).

      Cavers has established single-season records for hits and runs at Franklin Pierce, while his at bat total ranks second, batting average sixth, doubles second, triples second, home runs sixth, RBIs seventh, slugging percentage fifth, walks third and steals second on the program's single-season lists. He holds the program's career stolen base record with 57, while also ranking among career leaders with 43 doubles (2^nd), 139 runs scored (3^rd), eight triples (3^rd), 193 hits (4^th), 150 games played (6^th), 18 home runs (5^th) and 103 RBI (8^th).   

Blancarte, the first four-time All-Conference honoree in program history, earned first team All-Region honors for the second-straight year. Blancarte hit .299 (56-187) this spring with 30 runs scored, 15 doubles (6^th NE-10), three home runs and 35 RBI. One of the more respected hitters in the Conference, Blancarte leads the Northeast-10 with 38 walks, including a team-best five intentional passes, and has registered a .428 on-base percentage (8^th) and .428 slugging percentage this year.

      Blancarte holds the career RBI record at the College with 174 and also ranks among career leaders with 194 games played (1^st), 44 doubles (1^st), 234 hits (2^nd), 28 home runs (2^nd), 75 walks (3^rd) and 117 runs scored (6^th).      

Chambers is a first-time All-Region selection for the Ravens after also earning his first All-Conference honor this season as well. He hit .338 (68-201) this spring, which ranks seventh in the NE-10, with 32 runs scored, 16 doubles (2^nd), four home runs (8^th), 37 RBI (10^th) and 11 stolen bases to go with a .478 slugging and .414 on-base percentage. He has also totaled 20 multi-hit and 11 multi-RBI games this season and posted a ten-game hitting streak during one stretch, which ranks third longest on the team this season.

      Chambers has cracked the single-season lists at the College in doubles (2^nd) and hits (4^th) this spring. His 26 career doubles are good for ninth on the program's all-time list.      

Brouillard also earns his first All-Region selection after being named to the All-Northeast-10 first team as well this spring. Brouillard posted an 8-1 record (3^rd NE-10 in wins) with one save, a 2.76 ERA, 68 strikeouts and just 18 walks in 88 innings (4^th) of work over 14 appearances (10^th), ten starts this spring, with five complete-games and two shutouts. Opposing batters hit just .227 against him this season.

      Brouillard became the first pitcher in program history to open a season 8-0, which matched the program record for consecutive winning decisions, this spring. He also established records for consecutive shutout innings with 17.2 as well as consecutive innings without yielding an earned run with a streak of 36.1 innings during the season. Brouillard ranks among single-season leaders at the College with his 2.76 ERA (7^th), eight wins (4^th), 88 innings (5^th), 14 appearances (4^th), five complete games (8^th) and 68 strikeouts (10^th).

      Franklin Pierce (32-23, 23-8 NE-10) wrapped up its 2004 season by claiming its second ECAC Division II Baseball Championship over the last three years. The Ravens established a new program record for Conference victories and matched the program mark for overall wins in a season. The Ravens were runners up in the Northeast-10 Conference standings by a half game and reached the NE-10 Tournament for the fourth-straight year.