Baseball places three to GNAC All-Conference Teams

(Winthrop, Mass.) The Great Northeast Athletic Conference unveiled their 2016 Baseball All-Conference teams this afternoon and three Raiders were selected across all three teams. Senior Taylor Black (West Springfield, Mass.), junior Jacob Rayner (Billerica, Mass.) and sophomore Tyler Ferdinand (Middleboro, Mass.) were all chosen after having successful seasons in the navy blue and white.

Black, a three-time All-Conference selection, returns to the GNAC First Team after hitting .322 with 17 extra base hits and 34 runs batted in. He set Rivier single-season records in RBI and doubles (14) while topping 100 hits in his career and becoming the all-time leader in hits. Black also slugged at a .476 clip and collected 46 hits in his final season.

A newcomer to the program, Ferdinand exploded onto the scene as he was tabbed to the GNAC All-Conference Second Team. The speedy leadoff hitter for the Raiders set the single-season record for hits with 58 and stole a program record 31 bases. Ferdinand led the team in runs scored (30), average (.403) and on base percentage (.460) as his year was a memorable one in the program history.

Also in his first year with the program, Rayner was deemed a Third Team honoree in 2016. The first baseman hit .325 as the primary fifth hitter in the order while totaling 38 hits on the season. He also committed just one error at first base and played in 37 of the team's 39 games.

Senior Mauro Da Silva (Pepperell, Mass.) was chosen to represent the Raiders on the conference's All-Sportsmanship Team. The four year student-athlete smacked his first collegiate hit this past season in his final career at-bat.

For the complete list of All-Conference honorees and All-Sportsmanship Team choices, please click here.

Founded in 1995, the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) is an NCAA Division III association made up of 12 member institutions and over 3,000 student-athletes across the New England region. Each year, the GNAC sponsors and administers 17 championships, while balancing academic integrity, athletic opportunities and community involvement.