Baseball's Anthony Del Prete Named GNAC Coach of the Year

BOSTON - Suffolk University Baseball Head Coach Anthony Del Prete was named Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Coach of the Year for the 2016 season.

Del Prete guided Suffolk to another GNAC championship, his second in two years since taking over the program prior to the start of last season. Suffolk claimed the program's sixth GNAC title on Sunday with a 5-4 victory over St. Joseph's College (Me.) and will make consecutive NCAA appearances for the first time ever and sixth overall.

Suffolk currently stands at a 33-11 overall record on the year, the second most wins in program history trailing 2000's 38-9 mark. The 33 wins are currently the most of any team in the New England region as Suffolk is just one of 26 nationally to surpass the 30-win season plateau so far this year. Suffolk led all teams in the GNAC this season in overall wins and finished second in league play with an 11-3 overall record against conference teams.

It's been a banner year for Suffolk who has nearly doubled their win total from last season. Suffolk earned a total of 17 postseason accolades by the GNAC, including Pitcher of the Year (sophomore Worth Walrod) and Rookie of the Year (freshman Jake Frasca). Sophomore Brady Chant was also named GNAC Tournament Most Valuable Player.

Suffolk led the GNAC in virtually every offensive category during the season scoring over 100 more runs than their next closest foe with 338 so far on the year. The 94 stolen base total this season is a new program record, while 472 hits currently stands as the third most by a Suffolk lineup (500 in 2011). Suffolk led all GNAC teams in: batting average (.327), slugging percentage (.467), on-base percentage (.415), doubles (84), triples (17), home runs (38) and RBI (300). The pitching staff posted a league-best 3.32 ERA which is the lowest since Suffolk led the nation in 2000 with a program best 2.69. Suffolk also holds a .963 fielding percentage which is a league and program best.

Del Prete replaced Cary McConnell prior to the start of the 2015 season, who relinquished the role as he was named the University's Director of Athletics. Del Prete is just the sixth baseball coach in the program's 69 year history. Del Prete served as an assistant coach at Suffolk for the 10 seasons prior to taking over the reigns. In 2014 he was promoted to Associate Head Coach as Suffolk won their program's second Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Division III New England Championship.

Suffolk will be idle until Wednesday May 18 when the NCAA Regional Tournaments open up. The full 56-team field will be announced late Sunday May 15. The New England Regional this year will be held at Eastern Connecticut State University in Willimantic, Connecticut.