BSB Voted 3rd, Feole Preseason Pitcher of the Year

PROVIDENCE, R.I. - The American Athletic Conference announced its preseason awards and poll, as voted on by the league's coaches, on Thursday. The Huskies have been picked to finish third (52 points) while junior left hander Mason Feole was voted as the Conference's Preseason Pitcher of the Year.

Joining Feole on the Preseason All-Conference team is shortstop Anthony Prato and right handed pitcher Jacob Wallace. Both Feole and Prato were unanimous selections by the coaches.

UConn finished third in The American Conference with a 14-10 record and earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament last season. The Huskies were one of four American Conference programs to reach the NCAA Tournament.

The Huskies received one first place vote and were picked behind ECU (60 points) and Houston (55 points).

Feole earns preseason Pitcher of the Year status after being recognized as a Preseason Collegiate Baseball All-American on December 17. The Wakefield, R.I. native is coming off a stellar sophomore season that ended with him being selected to pitch on the 2018 USA Baseball Collegiate National Team. Feole was named an All-American by ABCA/Rawlings Third Team All-American, Collegiate Baseball and Baseball America and the end of the 2018 camopaign. The left-hander was also an ABCA/Rawlings All-Region First Team performer along with being First Team American Athletic Conference. The Wakefield, R.I. natives became the Ace of the UConn pitching staff midway through last season and led the Huskies in ERA (2.50), wins (9), starts (16), inning pitched (100.2) and strikeouts (120). He became the first pitcher since Colin McLaughlin (1979) to record 120 strikeouts in a single-season.

Prato earns Preseason All-Conference accolades after leading the team with 79 hits, 12 hit by pitches and 18 stolen bases and hit .324. The shortstop added 11 doubles, two triples, two home runs, 23 RBIs and scored 42 runs. The Staten Island, N.Y. native was second on the team with .388 on-base percentage and led UConn with 24 multi-hit efforts. He racked up 12 hits (.667) in The American Championship which featured a four-hit (Cincinnati) and a pair of three hit games (USF & ECU) to earn All-Tournament Team honors for second-straight season. Prato was Third Team All-New England and was NCAA Conway Regional All-Tournament team member.

Jacob Wallace lands on the Preseason All-Conference team after pitching in 28 games out of the pen and served primarily as the Huskies setup man. The Methuen, Mass. native went 1-0 with a 3.95 ERA and collected three saves. He logged 43.1 innings, struck out 63 batters and held opponents to a .226 batting average against. The junior recorded 17 outings that lasted more than one inning. Wallace closed 2018 on a high note by earning Cape Cod League All-Star honors after throwing 13.2 scoreless innings on the Cape. The summer included six saves and 25 strikeouts in 12 appearances.

The Huskies begin the 2019 season in Lakeland, Fla., at the Spring Training home of the Detroit Tigers, against the Louisville Cardinals starting on Friday, Feb. 15 at 6 p.m.

2019 AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE PRESEASON BASEBALL POLL

Team (First-Place Votes) Points

1.	ECU (6)	60
2.	Houston (2)	55
3.	UConn (1)	52
4.	UCF	44
5.	USF	35
6.	Tulane	30
7.	Wichita State	23
8.	Cincinnati	16
9.	Memphis	9

2019 PRESEASON ALL-CONFERENCE TEAM

Pos Name 2018 Statistics

P Chris Williams* - UCF	4-3, 2.81 ERA, 93.0 IP, 79 K
P Mason Feole* - UConn	9-2, 2.50 ERA, 100.2 IP, 120 K
P Jake Agnos - ECU	4-4, 4.10 ERA, 63.2 IP, 86 K
P Tyler Smith - ECU	7-1, 1.78 ERA, 60.2 IP, 34 K
RP Jake Wallace - UConn	1-0, 3.95 ERA, 3 SV, 43.1 IP, 63 K
C Jake Washer - ECU	.287, 6 HR, 40 RBI, 10 2B, 1 3B, .436 SLG
1B Joe Genord - USF	.306, 16 HR, 53 RBI, 11 2B, .633 SLG, 114 TB
2B Luke Ritter - Wichita State	.341, 6 HR, 31 RBI, 12 2B, 1 3B, 76 H, 108 TB, .484 SLG
SS Anthony Prato* - UConn	.320, 2 HR, 23 RBI, 11 2B, 2 3B, 18 SB, 78 H, .406 SLG
3B Jared Triolo* - Houston	.344, 85 H, 5 HR, 28 RBI, 11 2B, 1 3B, 17 SB, .457 SLG
OF Ray Alejo - UCF	.299, 1 HR, 25 RBI, 14 2B, 3 3B, 34 SB
OF Bryant Packard - ECU	.406, 89 H, 14 HR, 24 RBI, 16 2B, .671 SLG, 50 RBI
OF Kyle Phillips - USF	.333, 5 HR, 22 RBI, 13 2B, .477 SLG
DH Joe Davis* - Houston	.318, 77 H, 18 2B, 13 HR, 62 RBI, 134 TB, .554 SLG

PRESEASON PLAYER OF THE YEAR

OF Bryant Packard - ECU .406, 89 H, 14 HR, 24 RBI, 16 2B, .671 SLG, 50 RBI

PRESEASON PITCHER OF THE YEAR

LHP Mason Feole* - UConn 9-2, 2.50 ERA, 100.2 IP, 120 K

* unanimous selection

University of Connecticut Athletics

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Mason Feole

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