BEVERY, Mass. (5/13/2026) – The Nichols College baseball program featured seven student-athletes in the conference postseason awards today, as announced by the Conference of New England (CNE) at 12 PM on Wednesday. Sophomore outfielder
Ryan Keating and sophomore utility player
Andrew Rocca are highlighted in the CNE All-Conference First Team, while
Anthony Hackert,
Tyler Ladouceur, and
Mitch Brown see their names on the second team, and
Collin Harty and
Clark Churchill make up the third team.
Keating's and Rocca's CNE First Team honors make them the 31st and 32nd Bison baseball players to receive first team honors, with
Ben Jerome being the last student-athlete to be honored in the 2025 season as a utility player. The Bison have now received 15 first team honors under head coach
Tim Mayo in his eight seasons.
This is Hackert and Churchill's second time being selected to the All-CNE teams, while Keating, Rocca, Ladouceur, Brown, and Harty are first-time recipients of postseason honors from the conference. With a total of seven, the Bison matches last year's total of CNE All-Conference honors.
Ryan Keating earned CNE First Team All-Conference as an outfielder after putting together a breakout 2026 campaign for the Nichols College baseball team, emerging as one of the Bison's most dynamic offensive threats. In 42 games, the Wilbraham, Massachusetts native hit .343, totaling 58 hits, 20 doubles to break the program's single-season record, six home runs, 37 RBIs, and 38 runs scored while also swiping 28 bases. He led the team in doubles, stolen bases, slugging percentage (.580), and OPS (.997), while ranking in the top ten among the conference leaders in nine offensive categories. Keating finished first in the CNE in stolen bases, finishing seven above second place. Keating was especially dominant in conference play, batting .372 (.667 slugging) with eight doubles, five home runs, 23 RBIs, and 17 runs in 19 conference games, and he capped off the season by playing strong defense with a .978 fielding percentage.
Outfielder and left-hand pitcher
Andrew Rocca contributed all over the diamond to earn CNE First Team All-Conference Utility. Rocca appeared in 39 games with 29 starts, batting .302 while totaling 32 hits, eight doubles, two triples, 16 RBIs, and 26 runs scored. He also added 16 stolen bases, including some pitch-running opportunities. Rocca elevated his play in conference action, hitting .354 across the conference games while posting a .500 slugging percentage and a perfect seven for seven on stolen base attempts. On the mound, Rocca appeared in 16 games with five starts, posting a 4.19 ERA across 38.2 innings while striking out 42 batters, the fourth-highest total on the team. He also recorded two saves, providing both as a starter and late-inning reliever throughout the season.
Second baseman
Anthony Hackert was honored with his second CNE Second Team All-Conference honor after putting together one of the most consistent campaigns on the team. The junior started all 40 games he appeared in and hit .309 with 50 hits, eight doubles, 24 RBIs, and 38 runs scored while adding 20 stolen bases. Hackert ranked in the top three team leaders in hits, runs, and stolen bases, while also playing stellar defense in the infield with a .971 fielding percentage with 88 putouts, 110 assists, and 33 double plays turned.
Second team designated hitter honoree
Tyler Ladouceur provided a major spark for the Bison, hitting .324 (fourth best on the team) with a .490 on-base percentage across 29 appearances and 22 starts. The sophomore totaled 23 hits, four home runs, 19 RBIs, and 19 runs scored. Ladouceur showed a strong combination of power and plate discipline, drawing 20 walks against just 13 strikeouts, placing him third in the CNE for on-base percentage. In conference play, he improved to a .346 with a 1.091 OPS and two home runs in 11 games played.
Mitch Brown anchored the Nichols College pitching staff throughout the 2026 campaign, emerging as one of the Bison's top relief pitchers in the bullpen. The junior right-hander posted a 4-2 record, with all four wins coming in a relief role. The Windsor, Nova Scotia native posted the team's best 3.15 ERA across 40 innings pitched while striking out 51 batters, the most on the team. His ERA was sixth best and his two saves tied him for first in the CNE. He was especially effective in conference play, where he went 3-1 with a 2.35 ERA and 31 strikeouts over 23 innings pitched. For his efforts during the final week of the regular season, Brown earned CNE Pitcher of the Week on May 4th before being nationally honored on D3Baseball.com Team of the Week in the relief pitcher position on May 6th.
Collin Harty emerged as one of Nichols College's top power bats during his sophomore season. The CNE All-Conference Third Team first baseman appeared in 39 games and hit .271, totaling 36 hits, a team-high eight home runs, 30 RBIs, and 31 runs scored while posting a .402 on-base percentage and .474 slugging percentage. Harty ranked among the team leaders in home runs, walks, and RBIs, highlighted by a standout stretch that earned him Conference of New England Player of the Week honors on March 30th. He also provided steady defense at first base throughout the season, recording 299 putouts for a .982 fielding percentage. In the Conference of New England statistical standings, Harty finished third in home runs and fifth in walks.
Graduate student
Clark Churchill capped off his Nichols College career with another strong season, seeing his name back on the All-Conference list after missing 2025 due to injury. Churchill was named Third Team All-Conference Starting Pitcher after appearing in 15 games with ten starts, posting a 5-6 record and a 4.80 ERA across 75 innings while striking out 48 batters and throwing five complete games (most in the CNE), including a shutout. He finished among the team leaders in innings pitched, strikeouts, and complete games. The CNE Pitcher of the Week on March 23rd, Churchill was effective against conference opponents, recording a 3.70 ERA over 41.1 conference innings with three complete games, one shutout, and 29 strikeouts.
Freshman
Carter Taillefer is the Bison's CNE community service representative. The left-handed relief pitcher appeared in ten games this season, recording 12 strikeouts in the 14 innings pitched. Off the field, the native of Grafton, Massachusetts volunteers heavily with the Dudley Little League and the Special Olympics.
