Cavers named Louisville Slugger MVP as College Division tops University, 9-6

RINDGE, N.H. (June 1, 2004) - Franklin Pierce first team All-American Eric Cavers (Otisfield, Maine/Oxford Hills) was named the Louisville Slugger Most Valuable Player as he led the College Division (Divisions II & III) to a 9-6 victory over the University Division (Division I) at the 30^th Annual New England College Baseball All-Star Game at Fenway Park on Sunday night.

Cavers, hitting in the No. 3 spot in the College Division lineup, was 3-for-3 with a double and two runs scored on the night. Cavers, who had two of the College Division's first three hits, got his night off to a fast start by doubling down the leftfield line in the first inning. He led off the fourth with a single through the left side and scored on a triple by Williams College senior Jabe Bergeron. Cavers added another single to left in the fifth inning and later scored on an error.

Also starting for the College Division All-Stars from Franklin Pierce were senior designated hitter Dante Blancarte (South Berwick, Maine/Amesbury (Mass.)), who finished 1-3 with an infield single in the fourth inning, and sophomore second baseman Mike Chambers (Londonderry, N.H./Londonderry) was 1-2 with a triple that hit off the wall in left center above the 379-foot marker to lead off the third inning. He later scored on a sacrifice fly.

Cavers and Chambers combined to account for the College Division's first three hits of the night.

Junior right-hander Keith Brouillard (Westport, Mass./Somerset) had a rocky outing in his inning of work, allowing three earned runs on three hits with no walks and strikeouts in the third inning. Brouillard yielded two home runs, both of which found the Green Monster seats in left, the second of which was a textbook "Fenway Fly."        

The four Franklin Pierce players participating in the New England All-Star game is a program record, doubling the previous high set in 2002.

Next up for Cavers is certain selection in next week's Major League Baseball First Year Player Draft, June 7-8. Cavers was listed at the No. 3-ranked prospect in the Upper New England (Maine, N.H., Vermont) region in Baseball America's 2004 Draft Preview. Blancarte is also a draft hopeful, while Chambers and Brouillard will return for the 2005 season for Franklin Pierce.

Franklin Pierce (32-23, 23-8 NE-10) rounded out its season ranked fifth in the final NCAA Division II Northeast Region rankings, narrowly missing out on a second-straight NCAA Tournament bid. The Ravens won their second ECAC Division II Baseball Championship over the last three years and matched the program record for overall victories set in 2003 and established a new record for conference wins.