Kelly, Perry, Poplawski named to Collegiate Baseball Newspaper Players to Watch List
SEAHAWKS RECEIVING VOTES IN COLLEGIATE BASEBALL NEWSPAPER DIII NATIONAL POLL
NEWPORT, R.I. - Salve Regina baseball student-athletes Ryan Kelly (Waldwick, N.J.), Alex Perry (No. Attleboro, Mass.), and Cory Poplawski (Syracuse, N.Y.) have all been named to the Collegiate Baseball Newspaper NCAA Division III Players to Watch list.
The Collegiate Baseball Newspaper NCAA Division III Players to Watch list is chosen by all NCAA Division III coaches from across the country and compiled by the Collegiate Baseball Newspaper.
Kelly, a two-year captain, has patrolled centerfield each of the past three seasons for the Seahawks. He has the highest stolen base percentage (61 of 64; .953) in school history. Kelly eyes the top run scoring mark in program history as well, currently held by his head coach Eric Cirella (181 runs scored from 2002-05); the speedy senior enters 2016 with 143 runs scored.
"Ryan has been one of the top players both regionally and nationally throughout his career," says third-year head coach Eric Cirella. "He can really do it all when he is locked in, that's how dynamic he is as a baseball player. He is a run scoring machine who can get on base and cause havoc, while at the same time he can hit the ball a long way. Defensively he is one of the premier outfielders in all of D3 baseball. Across the board he is just exciting to watch."
Perry burst onto the scene in his freshman campaign, launching a walk-off grand slam against Muskingum (March 12, 2015) in Port Charlotte, Fla. The Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) rookie and player of the year (first time for any player in the same season), Perry led the nation in runs batted in per game (1.57 RBI/gm). In a jam-packed April with 21 games, Perry hit an incredible .487, with nine homers and 42 RBI, slugging .902 for the month. He later earned a spot as an ABCA/Rawlings All-American.
"Alex is coming off one of the best offensive freshman campaigns in the program's history," Cirella adds. "He carried a very young team last year that was riddled with some injuries in the middle of the year and really grew up and embraced a leadership role. He has outstanding power to all fields and continues to get stronger and faster. He has also made great strides running the bases as well as defensively. He is really that prototypical 3-hole hitter that drives in runs and makes pitchers have to work. He also does a great job punishing any mistakes made in the strike zone."
Poplawski earned his first win of 2015 hurling the final three frames of the 12-inning thriller decided by Perry's walk-off in Florida. He also pitched a complete-game three-hit shutout at Gordon, striking out five in the CCC triumph. The third-year pitcher finished with a 4-1 record and a 2.95 earned run average with 29 strikeouts in 39.2 innings pitched.
"Pop really turned the corner for us last year and became a legit front end starter in our rotation," says Cirella. "He isn't quite that upper 80s guy yet, but he is a pitcher in every possible way. He can locate and command 3-4 pitches and has the ability to throw any pitch in any count. His fastball command is outstanding and he does a tremendous job fielding his position and controlling the running game. Hopefully he just continues this trend because he has gotten better every year."
Cirella's teams have won 52 games in his two seasons at the helm, including capturing the 2015 Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Division III New England Championship last May.