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Posted: May 17, 2023

Ortega/Boucher Selected to 2023 MASCAC Baseball All-Conference Team

Ortega/Boucher Selected to 2023 MASCAC Baseball All-Conference Team

SALEM, Mass. -- Brahiam Ortega (Lawrence, Mass.) and Jake Boucher ( Wallingford, Conn.) were selected to the 2023 MASCAC Baseball All-Conference Team in a vote by the league's eight coaches, which was announced on Wednesday, May 17. Ortega, a graduate-student, was named to the first team while Boucher, who is a junior, earned second team honors, garnering his third straight selection to the team.

Ortega tied for the co-lead in hits for the Vikings with 41, while batting .318 in 37 starts. The shortstop, who topped the team in doubles (10), home runs (8) and slugging percentage (.597), finished in the top-10 in the league in each category. Boucher netted second team honors for the second year in a row after appearing on the first-team as a freshman. The junior led Salem State with a .336 batting average and tied Ortega for the team-lead in hits (41). The second baseman drove in 19 runs and had 20 walks. He also made 11 appearances on the mound, drawing a 2-1 record while posting a pair of saves.  

Austin Rachiele of MCLA and Matt Josselyn of Bridgewater State were named the 2023 Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference Player and Pitcher of the Year. The senior outfielder from Pittsfield, Mass. had a historic season for the Trailblazers, leading the MASCAC with a .453 batting average, 14 home runs, 63 hits (tied program record), four triples, 127 total bases (new program record) as well as a .550 on base percentage and a .914 slugging percentage. The center fielder also scored 53 runs (new program record), finished with 40 RBI, drew 28 walks and stole 17 bases which were in the top 10 of the conference. Six times during the 2023 season, he registered four or more hits. 
 
Taking home 2023 MASCAC Pitcher of the Year honors was Josselyn, a grad student from Hanson, Mass. During the 2023 season that saw the Bears repeat as regular season champs, he finished with eight wins, all complete games, three shutouts, 74 strikeouts, a 2.41 ERA, only allowing 19 earned runs and 13 walks. His eight complete games currently leads all of Division III. His best outing of the year came in the win over Rivier where he pitched a perfect game, retiring all 21 batters faced with 13 strikeouts to earn NCBWA DIII Pitcher of the Week. 
 
James Gilleran of Framingham State took home the 2023 MASCAC Rookie of the Year honors. The freshman from Mansfield, Mass. had a solid first season with the Rams. On the hill, he collected six wins over 60.2 innings pitched with a 3.86 ERA, 67 strikeouts and 25 walks. On the offensive side, he batted .236 with six doubles, three home runs, 23 RBI, 14 runs scored and eight walks for the Regular Season Champion Rams. 
 
After leading the Rams to their first-ever MASCAC Regular Season title, Sean Callahan of Framingham State was voted the 2023 BSN Sports Coach of the Year as selected by his peers. 
 
Grabbing a spot on the MASCAC First Team All-Conference along with Josselyn and Rachiele are Bridgewater State's Scott Emerson and Jay Wladkowski, Fitchburg State's Vincent Eramo and Lowell Pare, Framingham State's Ryan Boyle and Caleb Hendrix, MCLA's Randy Adams, Salem State's Ortega, Westfield State's Dan Burnett, Ryan Lapierre and Nick Marshall.
 
Earning a spot on the MASCAC second team are Bridgewater State's Kevin Lindsay, Mathew Pigeon and Matthew Seavey, Fitchburg State's Jacob Hurrell, Framingham State's Steven Burbank, Robert Johnston and Anthony Panza, Mass. Maritime's AJ Pietrafesa, John Tropea and Brett Velzis, Salem State's Boucher, Westfield State's Ethan Day and Worcester State's Alex Sorenti-Burns and Cole Glassburn.