5 Bears gain baseball honors

Aaron Izaryk, who has been instrumental in the success of the University of Maine baseball team during each of his four seasons, has been named to the All-America East first team.

It marks the fourth straight year the senior catcher from Markham, Ontario, has earned all-league accolades and is his third first-team nod.

Black Bears pitcher Steve Richard, outfielder Ryan Quintal and designated hitter Greg Creek of Manchester were named to the second team, while freshman Curt Smith was an All-Rookie selection.

Power hitting third baseman Mathieu Bergeron of Binghamton earned Player of the Year honors, sophomore righthander Adam Ottavino of Northeastern was the Pitcher of the Year and Binghamton lefty Scott Diamond claimed the Rookie of the Year award. Tim Sinicki of Binghamton was selected as the Coach of the Year.

Izaryk, a stabilizing force behind the plate, goes into the America East tournament with a .325 batting average and 26 runs batted in. The Bears co-captain has thrown out 16 runners trying to steal in 38 attempts (33 percent) this season.

Richard, UMaine’s ace, has been among America East’s top starters. The sophomore righthander from Billerica, Mass., has compiled a 7-1 record with a 2.19 ERA and 82 strikeouts in 86 1/3 innings.

Quintal, the Bears’ left fielder, has been among the team’s best hitters. The junior from Manchester, N.H., is hitting .342 with five home runs and 36 RBIs. He leads UMaine with 64 hits.

Creek, relegated to designated hitting duties after fracturing his wrist on the Florida trip, is a second-team pick for the second year in a row. The senior co-captain is batting .338 with a team-best nine homers. He has driven in 27 runs and leads UMaine in walks (27) and on-base percentage (.449).

Smith was the league’s top rookie everyday player. His .349 average leads the Bears and he has posted 2 homers, 32 RBIs and 10 stolen bases in 12 tries.