May 20, 2013

Cambridge, Mass. - Fresh off a winner-take-all series at Hartford that clinched the final spot in the America East Championship, the Stony Brook baseball team secured two of the three final America East weekly honors, the conference office announced Monday. Junior Brandon McNitt (Chino Hills, Calif.) was named America East Pitcher of the Week, and freshman Jack Parenty (Wantagh, N.Y.) was named America East Rookie of the Week.

McNitt was superb in Saturday's rubber game at Hartford. With the winner of the game earning the final playoff bid, McNitt made sure to give his offense a chance by blanking the Hawks through the first six innings as Stony Brook built up an 8-0 lead. He finished the game having tossed seven innings and allowing just one run on five hits. He walked one and struck out six as he earned his third win of the season in Stony Brook's 10-3 victory.

McNitt, who earned his second career Pitcher of the Week honor, finished the regular season 10th in America East in ERA (3.61), second in innings pitched (94-2/3) and sixth in strikeouts (59).

Parenty hit .500 (9-for-18) in four games last week and reached base in 11 out of 22 plate appearances. He scored four runs, including the first run in each of Stony Brook's games at Hartford. It was his one-out single in game one that sparked a two-run inning that held up in Stony Brook's 2-1 win. He then led off game two and game three with singles and came around to score, sparking a Seawolves offense that scored 18 runs in the two games combined. Against Sacred Heart, he produced his third four-hit game of the season.

Parenty, who was also America East Rookie of the Week on March 25, ended the regular season hitting .348, best on the team and fourth-best in America East. He also leads the conference in base hits with 69. In conference games only, he hit .358, which was third-best in the league.

McNitt, Parenty and the Seawolves won their last four conference series weekends to overcome a tough start and earn a bid into the America East Championship for the eighth consecutive season, the longest active streak of any member institution. Stony Brook, which is the defending tournament champion, will be the No. 4 seed and play No. 1 seed Maine Wednesday at LeLacheur Park in Lowell, Mass., at 4 p.m.