CAA Recognizes Seven Elon Baseball Players

RICHMOND, Va. – After placing third in the league, the Elon University baseball team saw a total of seven players earn postseason recognition from the Colonial Athletic Association as the conference announced its yearly awards on Tuesday, May 24. Four Phoenix players, the second-most in the league, picked up first-team All-CAA honors.

Garnering first-team recognition were relief pitcher Chris Hall, first baseman Tyler McVicar, designated hitter CJ Young and utility player Nick Zammarelli. Shortstop Ryne Ogren was a third-team selection, while Ogren and Liam O’Regan were named to the CAA All-Rookie Team. Finally, third baseman Danny Lynch earned a spot on the CAA All-Academic Team.

Hall, a junior from Winnetka, Ill., went 2-2 with 10 saves and a 3.07 ERA in 23 appearances in 2016. He walked just eight hitters and struck out 27, while holding opponents to a .259 batting average. In CAA games, Hall was 1-1 with five saves. Hall ended the regular season ranking second in the conference in saves and tied for ninth in appearances. Hall’s play was key in Elon’s series win at Northeastern in April. In game two of the series, a 2-0 Phoenix win, he picked up the save. The next day he threw a career-long 4.0 innings, striking out a personal-best five hitters to pick up the victory. Hall’s 10 saves are tied for the fifth-most ever in a season by an Elon pitcher.

McVicar, a senior from Melrose, Mass., hit .326 with 15 doubles, two triples and nine home runs in 51 games. He drove in 46 runs and scored 38 times while slugging .565. McVicar ended the regular season ranked in a tie for eighth in the conference in doubles, tied for sixth in RBI and eighth with 109 total bases. In league play, McVicar hit .353 with five doubles, two triples and five homers. He also scored 20 times and drove in 21 while slugging .635 in CAA play. He leads the team with 20 multi-hit games and has 24 two-out RBI this year. McVicar, who ended the regular season riding a 24 game streak of reaching base safely, had two games in which he homered twice and drove in seven runs during the 2016 campaign.

Young, a junior from Coatesville, Pa., hit .302 with 13 doubles in 47 games. He scored 31 runs, drove in 27 and was a perfect 4-for-4 in stolen base attempts in his first year with the Phoenix. His .384 batting average in conference games was the second-best in the league, while his nine doubles in CAA play were the most by any player. Young has 14 multi-hit games and 12 two-out RBI in 2016. He recorded three doubles, a season-high, in a league victory over Towson.

Zammarelli, a junior from Lincoln, R.I., led Elon with a .332 batting average, 71 hits, 22 doubles, 55 runs scored, 48 RBI and 10 stolen bases. Zammarelli added two triples and eight home runs. He was one of two Phoenix players to start all 52 games during the regular season. His 71 hits rated eighth in the CAA. He also ranked among the conference leaders in runs scored (tied for third), doubles (tied for first), RBI (fifth), total bases (fourth) and slugging percentage (fifth). The team MVP notched 18 multi-hit games and 11 multi-RBI performances in 2016. In league games, he hit .348 with 21 runs scored, 20 RBI, seven doubles and three homers. Zammarelli concluded the regular season riding a 22-game streak of reaching base safely. He set a new career-high with five hits in a victory over UNCG. His 22 doubles rate as the second-most in a season by any player in program history.

Ogren, a freshman from Devon, Pa., hit .290 with five doubles, two triples and four home runs in his first collegiate season. He scored 35 runs and drove in 32 in 50 contests. Ogren tallied a .306 average with four doubles, two homers, 19 runs scored and 13 RBI in 22 league games. He has made his mark on the program’s NCAA Division I freshman records charts this year, ranking sixth in runs scored, sixth with 53 hits, fourth in triples, 10th in home runs, fourth in RBI, eighth with 74 total bases and second with 28 walks. Ogren has had 18 multi-hit games and carries a 21-game streak of reaching base safely into the conference tournament.

O’Regan, a freshman from Middletown, R.I., belted a program NCAA Division I freshman record nine home runs in his rookie season. He hit .262 with 30 runs scored, nine doubles and 28 RBI in 45 contests. In CAA play, O’Regan hit .271 with seven home runs, 14 runs scored and 19 RBI. Among Elon’s NCAA Division I freshman, O’Regan also ranks tied for fourth in triples, tied for seventh in RBI and seventh with 78 total bases.

Lynch, a senior from Miami, Fla., earned a spot on the league’s all-academic team after graduating with a final GPA of 3.57 as an exercise science major. On the field, Lynch batted .264 with 12 doubles, two triples and five home runs in 52 games. He drove in 43 runs and scored 30 times. He had 13 multi-hit games and 11 multi-RBI outings in 2016.