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Bridgewater, NJ -- A regular season race that came down to the final day of conference play between the NEC’s top two teams carried over into the postseason awards, as those same programs stood above the rest, combining to sweep the league’s four major honors.

One of the top power hitters in the country, FDU sophomore Hunter Ray (Woodbine, NJ/Lower Cape May Regional) slugged his way to NEC Player of the Year honors after a record-breaking regular season campaign.

Building off the legacies of past LIU hurlers, redshirt junior Nicholas Finarelli (Hunlock Creek, PA/Lake-Lehman) became the second consecutive Shark to claim NEC Pitcher of the Year plaudits and the third in the past five seasons.

Ray was not the lone Knight to land on the awards podium as southpaw Chris Messina (East Northport, NY/Commack) was selected as the NEC Rookie of the Year.

Leading FDU to a program-best 32 regular season wins, fourth year skipper Manny Roman brought NEC Coach of the Year accolades back to Teaneck, NJ for the first time in 27 years.

Ray not only leads the NEC in multiple power-hitting categories, but also ranks among the nation’s elite. The second-year slugger ranks in the top-10 nationally in a host of categories, including second in home runs per game (0.55), third in both homers (28) and RBIs per game (1.47), sixth in RBIs (75) and ninth in slugging percentage (.759). Ray also tops the NEC in each of those five categories. Beyond the power numbers, Ray also sits in the NCAA top-20 in both runs per game (16th, 1.29) and total runs (20th, 66). Additionally, Ray’s monster season at the plate resulted in multiple record-breaking performances during his second year in the burgundy and blue. His 28 homers shattered both the FDU program record (16) and NEC single season mark (20), and he also established new program single season records in RBIs (62) and total bases (128). The three-time NEC Player of the Week was also the first DI player to reach 20 homers and 20 stolen bases this season. Ray finished the season as a nine-time Prime Performer, while putting together 23 multi-hit outings, including three multi-homer contests. He also swiped 24 bases in 27 attempts. The Woodbine, NJ native became the sixth Knight to be tabbed NEC Player of the Year and first since Ryan Kresky in 2012. He also landed on the All-NEC first team for the first time in his career.

Finarelli ran the table in NEC play, posting a perfect 8-0 record on the mound against conference opponents to help boost the Sharks to back-to-back regular season pennants and the top seed in the NEC Tournament. The redshirt junior punched out a league-high 89 batters, including a season-high 11 Ks against Le Moyne on April 2. Finarelli, who posted a 4.29 ERA against conference rivals, logged the second-most innings in the conference (77.1) and ranked second in the league with 28 strikeouts looking. The Hunlock Creek, PA native earned his second career NEC Pitcher of the Week award on April 14 after a complete game showing that saw him strike out nine players in a 2-1 win over New Haven. The righty junior notched nine or more strikeouts on four occasions and set dwon at least four batters in every appearance. In addition to NEC Pitcher of the Year laurels, Finarelli added first team all-star status to his resumé. Last spring, he was tabbed to the NEC All-Tournament Team after helping the Sharks reach the conference final. The right-handed hurler earned distinction as the fifth-ever LIU pitcher to win the NEC Pitcher of the Year award and second in a row, joining former teammate Garrett Yawn.

Messina impressed in his rookie season from the jump. As the Knights’ Opening Day starter he went 5.0 shutout innings at Gardner-Webb in a 6-0 victory. The freshman southpaw went on to go a perfect 5-0 on the mound this season with four of his victories coming in league play. Messina was one of three rookie pitchers to earn NEC Pitcher of the Week honors, which he did on February 24th after tossing five shutout innings in a combined 6-0 shutout of Gardner Webb. Making 13 appearances out of the bullpen, the East Northport, NY native struck out 47 batters through 48.1 innings, while limiting opponents to a .246 BA. Messina also notched a save in a 3.0 inning relief effort against CCSU on May 1. Now the fourth FDU player all-time to be named NEC Rookie of the Year and the first since Salvatore Monticciolo in 2019, he will experience his first taste of the postseason this week at Skylands Stadium.

In his fourth year at the helm for the Knights, Roman led FDU to a historic season for the program and made even more history by becoming the first Knights skipper to be named Coach of the Year since 1999. The Knights set single-season program records for overall (32) and conference wins (25), while finishing just one game out of first place in the NEC standings.FDU’s 32 wins were a league high for the season, and Roman also reached the 100-win mark in his career on May 1 against CCSU. FDU’s season was highlighted by its offensive firepower as the Knights led the conference in batting average (.315), runs scored (500), hits (565), doubles (110), homers (102) and RBIs (468). As a team, FDU has racked up the fifth-most runs in the country this season. Roman helped steer second-seeded FDU into the NEC Tournament for the 11th time in program history as the Knights look to win their first conference title.
 
AWARD WINNER HIGHLIGHTS

• FDU landed a league-leading seven All-NEC selections with six of them earning first team honors. 
• LIU and Wagner each saw four student-athletes tabbed all-stars to tie for the second-most in the conference.
• The lone three-time All-NEC selection among active players is Norfolk State outfielder Justin Journette (Richmond, VA/Hermitage), who earned second team All-Conference honors for the second time in his career after previously being named to the first team a year ago.
• Journette, who was named NEC Player of the Week on February 24, went yard 18 times this season, which ranks second in the conference. He also finished the regular season second on the circuit in both slugging percentage (.696) and OPS (1.135). 
• Wagner outfielder Lukas Torres (Barnegat, NJ/Barnegat) and first baseman Joseph Mennella (Staten Island, NY/St. Peter's Boys (Hofstra)) each upgraded their second team distinction in 2025 to first team recognition this spring. Mennella was also a two-time NEC Player of the Week on the year.
• Torres has logged the league's best on-base percentage (.544) heading into the postseason, while ranking second in BA (.419) and hits (80) for the third-seded Seahawks.
• After an explosive sophomore campaign, FDU shortstop Johnathan Gomez (Coral Springs, FL/Calvary Christian Academy) claimed a spot on the All-Conference first team a year after earning second team status. Gonzalez leads the nation in runs scored per game (1.53) and is tied for third nationally in total runs (75). He was tabbed NEC Player of the Week on March 17. 
• LIU veteran shortstop Ryan Rivera (San Diego, CA/San Marcos) landed on the All-NEC second squad, following a first team nod last year. The 6-1 senior was named the NEC Player of the Week on February 17. He tied for the league lead with 14 doubles in NEC play.
• Le Moyne junior outfielder Jack Cannon (Webster, NY/Webster Schroeder) will lead the Dolphins into their first NEC Tournament as the league’s leading hitter with a .437 average. The first team All-NEC selection also ranks first in the conference in hits (83), doubles (18) and stolen bases (51), with the latter total ranking second nationally.
• Due to a dead heat in the voting, UMES senior Jonathan Gonzalez Perez (Holguín, Cuba/Solvay (Onondaga CC)) and FDU redshirt sophomore Nick Quagliato (Neptune, NJ/Neptune) shared All-NEC first team honors at catcher.

About The NEC
Now in its 45th season, the NEC is an NCAA Division I collegiate athletic association consisting of ten institutions of higher learning located throughout six states. Media coverage of the NEC extends to a number of the largest markets in the United States including New York (#1), Chicago (#3), Boston (#9). Hartford/New Haven (#32) and Syracuse (#88). Founded in 1981 as the basketball-only ECAC Metro Conference, the NEC has grown to sponsor 25 championship sports for men and women and now enjoys automatic access to 16 different NCAA Championships. NEC full member institutions include Central Connecticut, Chicago State, FDU, Le Moyne, LIU, Mercyhurst, New Haven, Saint Francis U, Stonehill and Wagner. For more information on the NEC, visit the league’s official website (www.necsports.com) and digital network (www.necfrontrow.com), or follow the league on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and TikTok, all @NECsports.

   

2026 NEC Baseball Award Winners

Player of the Year
Hunter Ray                     FDU            So.    L/R    6-0    205   Woodbine, NJ/Lower Cape May Regional

Pitcher of the Year
Nicholas Finarelli             LIU            R-Jr.  R/R    6-3    205   Hunlock Creek, PA/Lake-Lehman 

Rookie of the Year
Chris Messina                  FDU            Fr.    L/L    5-8    185   East Northport, NY/Commack 

Coach of the Year
Manny Roman                    FDU            4th season       

2026 Northeast Conference Baseball First Team All-Conference
 
Pos   Name                     School          Yr     B/T    Ht     Wt    Hometown/High School
1B    Jeremy Cheeseman         FDU             Sr.    L/R    6-3    195   Marlton, NJ/Cherokee
2B    Dylan Immel              Wagner          Jr.    L/R    6-1    200   El Segundo, CA/El Segundo (Cerritos College)
3B    Michael Rickert          Stonehill       Sr.    L/R    6-0    185   Moosic, PA/Riverside (Lackawanna College)
SS    Johnathan Gonzalez       FDU             So.    R/R    6-0    210   Coral Springs, FL/Calvary Christian Academy)
OF    Jack Cannon              Le Moyne        Jr.    R/L    6-3    215   Webster, NY/Webster Schroeder
OF    Hunter Ray               FDU             Sr.    L/R    6-0    205   Woodbine, NJ/Lower Cape May Regional
OF    Lukas Torres             Wagner          6th    L/L    5-9    184   Barnegat, NJ/Barnegat
C     Jonathan Gonzalez Perez  UMES            Sr.    R/R    6-3    240   Holguín, Cuba/Solvay (Onondaga CC)
C     Nick Quagliato           FDU             R-So.  R/R    5-10   215   Neptune, NJ/Neptune
DH    Jeremy Delamota          FDU             Gr.    R/R    6-1    225   Queens, NY/Berkshire (Wagner)
SP    Nicholas Finarelli       LIU             R-Jr.  R/R    6-3    205   Hunlock, PA/Lake-Lehman
SP    Jimmy Gilleran           Stonehill       Sr.    R/R    6-3    225   Mansfield, MA/Mansfield (Framingham State)
SP    Kyle Salvati             CCSU            Sr.    R/R    6-6    230   Mount Sinai, NY/Mount Sinai (Franklin Pierce)
RP    Nick Noble               FDU             Sr.    R/R    5-11   195   Jackson, TN/Edmond Sant Fe (Pratt County)  
   
2026 Northeast Conference Baseball Second Team All-Conference
 
Pos   Name                     School          Yr     B/T    Ht     Wt    Hometown/High School
1B    Joseph Mennella          Wagner          Jr.    R/R    6-0    220   Staten Island, NY/St. Peter's Boys (Hofstra)
2B    Elijah Fairchild         LIU             Jr.    L/R    5-10   180   Berkeley, CA/Berkeley (Skylin College/CSUN)
3B    Louis Jordan             CCSU            Sr.    R/R    6-3    200   New York, NY/Chesrie Academy
SS    Ryan Rivera              LIU             Sr.    R/R    6-1    190   San Diego, CA/San Marcos
OF    Paulie Goodness          Le Moyne        Sr.    R/R    5-10   175   Palmyra, NY/Palmyra-Macedon (Finger Lakes CC)
OF    Justin Journette         Norfolk State   Sr.    R/R    6-2    235   Richmond, VA/Hermitage
OF    Jimmy Mantuano           FDU             Jr.    L/L    5-10   190   Marlton, NJ/Saint Joseph Academy
DH    Nick Fox                 CCSU            Fr.    L/L    6-0    170   Killingworth, CT/Xavier
SP    Ethan Blakeney           Norfolk State   Jr.    R/R    6-1    180   Virginia Beach, VA/Bayside
SP    Michael Lane             Delaware State  Jr.    R/R    6-1    201   Bear, DE/William Penn
SP    Colin Trizuto            Wagner          Sr.    R/R    6-3    190   San Mateo, CA/Aragon (West Valley College)
RP    Alex Jankowski           LIU             R-Sr.  R/R    5-11   190   Marlboro, NJ/Marlboro (Stony Brook)