Boston College Athletics
Four Eagles Named to NEIBA All-New England Team
May 20, 2015 | Baseball
Chestnut Hill, Mass. - Four members of the Boston College baseball team earned New England Intercollegiate Baseball Association honors, the NEIBA announced on Wednesday. Junior Chris Shaw led the way with a first-team selection, while seniors Blake Butera, Eric Stone and sophomore Mike King earned third-team honors.
Shaw is a two-time honoree, picking up first-team accolades as a sophomore. He led the Eagles (27-27, 9-19, ACC) with a .319 batting average, 11 home runs, 43 RBIs and a .611 slugging percentage. He was on a 15-game hit streak with seven doubles and seven home runs when he fractured a bone in his hand on April 10. He returned 18 days after having surgery to record pinch-hit singles in back-to-back games at Virginia Tech to extend his hit streak to a career-long 17 games, which ranked third in BC record books. His 11 home runs tied for ninth on BC's single-season record list. Earning All-Atlantic Coast Conference Second-Team honors earlier in the week, the Lexington, Mass., native is a two-time All-ACC outfielder, collecting first-team accolades as a sophomore. His 23 career home runs ties for ninth all-time.
Butera was a mainstay for the Eagles in the infield, missing just nine games in his four-year career at The Heights. A four-year starter, the second baseman holds the Boston College records for career walks (112) and at bats (774) and is second in BC record books for career starts (205), games played (207), and reaching base 345 times. His 205 hits tied for sixth and he is third all-time after getting hit 29 times. In 2015, the Madisonville, La., native tallied a .284 batting clip. He led the team with five sacrifice hits, was second with 52 hits, 29 RBIs, tied for second with nine doubles and 10 stolen bases, ranked third with 69 total bases and was fourth with 22 walks. He recorded a career-high four RBIs in the victory over Maine on May 12.
Right-handed starter King led BC pitchers with a 3.03 ERA. In 14 appearances, he tallied a 1-5 record with two saves. Over 62.1 innings, he allowed 53 hits, just 24 runs - 21 earned - only 12 walks and struck out 52. Opponents hit just .235 against the Warwick, R.I., native. On April 20, he earned ACC Pitcher of the Week honors and was named a Louisville National Player of the Week for throwing a complete-game, one-hit shutout in the Eagles' 1-0 victory over No. 24 Georgia Tech on April 17. He struck out a career-high eight in the victory and returned the following week to pitch a complete game at No. 23 North Carolina. King was one of only two ACC pitchers two throw two complete games on the year and one of only six to pitch a complete-game shutout.
Stone went 5-0 in 2015, recording a 2.38 ERA with 29 strikeouts and just eight walks. Over 34 innings, he allowed just 25 hits, 12 runs - nine earned - and opponents hit just .207 against hit. He did not surrender a run in three of his six starts and helped the Eagles to two shutouts this year. Of the 25 hits allowed, just two were extra-base hits: a double and one home run. The West Haven, Conn., native struck out a career high seven in the victory over Maine on May 12 to cap off career in the Maroon and Gold. He threw two innings of relief in the Eagles' 2-0 victory against Massachusetts at Fenway Park on April 22 to bring the 11th Beanpot title back to The Heights, allowing just one hit and striking out two. In the first meeting with the Minutemen on April 1, he struck out six over five innings, allowed just two hits, one run and one walk.
Connecticut took home three of four yearly NEIBA awards as Vinny Siena was voted Player of the Year, Carson Cross the Pitcher of the Year and Jim Penders the Coach of the Year. Rhode Island's Tyler Wilson was voted Rookie of the Year. For complete list of the three NEIBA teams, click here.
