TUCSON, Ariz. – Second baseman Harry Oringer (Dartmouth, Mass.), senior pitchers JJ Branch (Milford, Mass.) and Zac Poland (Essex Junction, Vt.), and sophomore outfielder Cam Farnham (Andover, Mass.) have all been named 2015 Players to Watch by Collegiate Baseball Newspaper. The announcement comes in conjunction with Endicott being ranked #27 on the Collegiate Baseball Division III Preseason Poll.
Oringer, named a D3Baseball.com Preseason All-American First Team second baseman, is coming off a career year in 2014 as a junior. Oringer batted .383 with 47 runs scored, 36 RBI, 11 stolen bases, and 21 extra-base hits. He was named D3Baseball.com Second Team All-American and First Team All-New England, ECAC Division III New England Second Team, NEIBA All-New England Second Team, First Team All-CCC, and CCC Player of the Week on two separate occasions.
Branch gave one of the best, single-season pitching performances in program history last spring en route to winning CCC Pitcher of the Year and All-CCC First Team honors. Branch maintained a 2.88 ERA over 81.1 innings and went 8-2 with five complete games and two shutouts. Opposing hitters batted .241 and struck out 45 times. Branch was also named D3Baseball.com All-New England First Team and NEIBA All-New England Second Team while earning two CCC Pitcher of the Week awards.
Poland, an All-CCC Honorable Mention and one-time CCC Pitcher of the Week, went 7-0 with a 2.61 ERA in his 2014. Poland exceeded his career-highs in his junior season, throwing 51.2 innings and making 12 appearances including nine starts. He threw two complete games with one shutout. Poland struck out 26 batters.
Farnham excelled in his first season patrolling the outfield for the Gulls, earning CCC Rookie of the Year honors as well as a spot on the All-CCC Second Team. He was also named CCC Rookie of the Week once last spring. Farnham batted .371 and totaled 37 runs, 13 RBI, 10 walks, nine stolen bases, and nine extra-base hits. Farnham ended the season strong with a 22-game hit-streak, raising his batting average from .268 on April 19th to .371 on the last day of the year, May 18th.
Endicott has won back-to-back CCC Championships and have come within one game of making their first appearance in the NCAA Division III College World Series in program history with two straight NCAA New England Regional Finals showings. Under eighth year head coach Bryan Haley, Endicott won at least 30 games in three out of their last four seasons including a record-breaking 35-win year in 2013.
The Blue and Green begin their spring practice schedule in anticipation of the team's season opener at home on Saturday, March 7th against North Shore rival Salem State.