Nine Baseball Players Garner GNAC Postseason Accolades

GNAC RELEASE: https://thegnac.com/sports/bsb/2020-21/releases/20210518yau8uc

The 2021 Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) baseball postseason accolades have been announced and nine Saint Joseph’s College players have earned honors.

Freshman Luke Stephens (Glastonbury, Conn.) highlights the list of SJC honorees after being selected as the GNAC Rookie of the Year and claiming First Team All-Conference honors. Graduate Ben Gravel (Rochester, N.H.) joins his freshman teammate on the First Team while graduate Drew Healey (Rochester, N.H.) and seniors Dylan Fournier (South Windsor, Conn.) and Jonathan Marchia (Chicopee, Mass.) have earned Second Team accolades.

Sophomore Jackson Stanton (Saugus, Mass.) and senior Hunter Richardson (North Monmouth, Maine) have collected Third Team All-Conference honors while Richardson and senior middle infielders Luke Johnson (East Hampton, Conn.) and Justin Juliano (Lynnfield, Mass.) are listed on the All-Defensive Team.

Stephens garners Rookie of the Year and First Team All-GNAC honors as a utility player after hitting .294 (20-68) with 15 runs, five doubles, two home runs and 14 RBI while posting a 1.47 ERA with a 3-0 record and 19 strikeouts – against just six walks – in 18.1 innings on the mound.

Stephens earned four GNAC Rookie of the Week honors during the season and is just the third St. Joe’s player to be selected as the top GNAC first-year player. Ian Lee ’11 claimed the honor in 2008 and Nic Lops ’16 was chosen as the 2012 GNAC Rookie of the Year.

Gravel collects First Team All-GNAC accolades after hitting .365 (35-96) with 13 runs, seven doubles, two triples, two home runs, 19 RBI and five stolen bases in 27 games. The graduate outfielder led the team in batting average, OBP (.441), hits, doubles and RBI during the 2021 campaign.

In exactly 100 career games, Gravel sports a .319 (96-301) batting average with 50 runs, 19 doubles, three triples, five home runs, 60 RBI and 10 stolen bases.

Healey earns All-Conference honors for the second time after hitting .256 (21-82) with 13 runs, five doubles, 12 RBI, and five stolen bases in 26 contests. The graduate first baseman paced the Royal Blue in walks (18) and stolen bases (7) this spring.

In 103 career contests, Healey owns a .313 (82-262) with 51 runs, 17 doubles, three home runs, 46 RBI, and nine stolen bases.

Fournier claims the first All-GNAC honor of his collegiate career after hitting .327 (18-55) with 11 runs, two doubles, a triple, and nine RBI in 20 games during his senior season. In 69 career games, Fournier hit .295 (46-156) with 25 runs, eight doubles, 23 RBI and three stolen bases.

Marchia also picks up his first All-Conference accolade after recording a 2.41 ERA with a 2-2 record and four saves across 14 appearances this spring. The senior closer struck out 22 batters and allowed 17 hits as opponents hit .243 (17-70) against him in 18.2 innings.

Marchia capped his career with a 2.92 ERA, a 10-4 record, and 13 saves over four seasons. He fanned 93 batters and held opponents to a .220 (63-326) batting average over 77 career innings. He leaves the program ranked third all-time in appearances (56) and is currently tied for fourth in saves.

Stanton enjoyed a breakout season en route to collecting his first All-Conference nod, as the sophomore catcher hit .302 (13-43) with nine runs, a double, two home runs and nine RBI in 17 games this season.

Richardson takes home Third Team All-Conference and All-Defensive Team accolades after enjoying another fine season on the diamond. The third-year starting center fielder hit .333 (26-78) with 18 runs, five doubles, two home runs, 13 RBI, and five stolen bases this spring and also contributed on the mound with a 1.35 ERA, a save, and four strikeouts in 6.2 frames across six appearances as a senior.

A terrific athlete, Richardson played nearly every position during his college career and, with plenty of range and a strong arm, excelled in center field for the Monks. He closed out his career hitting .291 (86-296) with 76 runs, 15 doubles, six triples, six home runs, 50 RBI and 30 stolen bases in 111 games over four years. Richardson leaves the program with the 11th highest stolen base total in team history.

Johnson is rightfully recognized for his stellar infield play after committing just one error in 75 chances with 31 putouts and 43 assists for a .987 fielding percentage during the 2021 campaign. The senior second baseman did not make an error until his 22nd game – when he was handcuffed by a bad hop on a ground ball – as the miscue snapped a 26-game errorless streak for the second sacker.

Juliano was selected as the preeminent defensive shortstop in the GNAC after posting a .951 fielding percentage with three errors in 61 chances this season. The senior infielder won the starting shortstop position midway through the season and never relinquished the role as his consistency in the field and with the bat helped the Monks win 10 of their last 12 games.

Under the watch of 29th-year Head Coach Will Sanborn ’86, Saint Joseph’s posted a 16-11 overall record with a 6-2 mark in conference play. The Monks were in position to earn the #1 seed in the GNAC Tournament before the season was cut short in late April.