Suffolk’s Devan Jones and Jake Cintolo Earn NEIBA All-New England Honors

The New England Intercollegiate Baseball Association (NEIBA) announced their 2011 Division-III All New England teams on Wednesday afternoon that feature two Suffolk University Baseball players earning second team honors.

Freshmen Devan Jones (Roslindale, Mass.) and Jake Cintolo (Wrentham, Mass.) were two of 52 players selected from across the region. During the 2011 season the duo combined for 138 of the Rams' 500 hits on the season as Suffolk ranks ninth in the nation among 370 Division-III baseball programs in team hits.

Cintolo had a record breaking season for the Rams as he set the single-season program record for hits with 77. Cintolo breaks the previous record of 69 hits in a season that was held by Joe Duca (2000) and Mike Maguire (2003). In 45 games the Rams third baseman finished with a .438 average in 176 at-bats. Cintolo produced 18 extra base hits that included 16 doubles, one shy of the all-time single season Suffolk mark as well. During the season Cintolo scored 48 runs, while driving in another 31 for the Rams. Recognized as the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Rookie of the Year and a second team GNAC All-Conference selection as well, Cintolo caught fire towards the end of the season for the Rams as he hit .473 over the final 11 games of the season collecting 26 hits. Cintolo was also selected to the GNAC's All-Tournament team during the league's playoff series in which he was 13-for-24 over the five game stretch which included three doubles and six RBI. During the season, Cintolo hit safely in 37 of 45 games, while positing multiple hits in 27 of those contests. As the season draws to a close, Cintolo currently ranks third among all NCAA Division-III players in the nation in hits, 27th in batting average, and 45th in on-base percentage with a .512 mark.

Jones finishes the season hitting .361 (61-for-166) with a team-high 23 extra base hits. Hitting in the three-hole all season long as a freshman, Jones was the leading run producer for the Rams driving in 45 runs, while also scoring 46 times. Jones collected 23 extra base hits on the year that was highlighted by a team-high seven home runs, along with 12 doubles and four triples. The Suffolk shortstop also drew a team best 24 walks, while leading the team with 12 stolen bases. Jones got a power surge towards the tail end of the season as he hit five homers over the Rams last eleven games. In 45 games on the year, Jones either scored or drove in a run in 44 of those contests. Jones was also a second team All-Conference selection by the GNAC.

Head Coach Cary McConnell was pleased with what he saw from his two freshmen and excited for what the future holds in store. "Both Devan and Jake had tremendous freshman campaigns and we hope they continue to build on their early accomplishments to have productive successful careers here at Suffolk. Both players are tremendous workers and are both students of the game, which should bode well not only for them as players but us a program."

Suffolk finished the 2011 season with a 24-21 overall record. The Rams made it to the GNAC Conference finals for the sixth straight season before losing to St. Joseph's College 8-6 in the championship game. Suffolk also qualified for their seventh Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Tournament appearance under Coach McConnell. Suffolk advanced to the semifinal round before dropping a 10-5 decision to top-seed Endicott College.