MANCHESTER, N.H. ? The National College Baseball Writers Association Northeast Region Committee has announced the 2006 All-Northeast Region First and Second Teams, as voted by the regional committee. In addition to the All-Region teams, three individuals were honored with the annual awards for Player of the Year, Pitcher of the Year and Coach of the Year for the Northeast Region. Franklin Pierce junior shortstop Garrett Olson (Norway, Maine) took home regional Player of the Year honors for the Northeast Regional champion Ravens. Saint Anselm junior righty Ryan Williams (Lynnfield, Mass.), the Northeast-10 Pitcher of the Year, was honored as the regional Pitcher of the Year. New Haven head coach Frank Vieira and Saint Rose head coach Bob Bellizzi share Coach of the Year honors for the region.

Olson, the ABCA/Rawlings Northeast Region Player of the Year and the Northeast-10 Player of the Year, helped lead the Ravens to the Northeast-10 Conference Regular-Season title and to the top seed in the NCAA Northeast Regional. Olson is batting .369 for the Ravens, has 10 home runs on the season and is ranked among the top-10 in the Northeast-10 in 15 different offensive statistical categories.

Williams, a Northeast-10 First Team All-Conference selection and the ABCA/Rawlings Northeast Region Pitcher of the Year as well, ranked third in the nation with a 1.03 earned run average and led the Northeast-10 Conference in ERA, strikeouts (95) and innings pitched (105.0). He set single-seasons school records for complete games (8) and strikeouts and holds the Hawks' career record for complete games now with 20 for his career.

Bellizzi, the 2003 Northeast-10 Conference Co-Coach of the Year, passed away on May 7, 2006 after a long battle with cancer. The Northeast-10 coaches unanimously decided to honor their fallen peer by renaming the league's coach of the year award as the Bob Bellizzi Coach of the Year Award. Bellizzi shared the NE-10 Coach of the Year honors this year with Stonehill's Pat Boen.

Vieira, the only head coach in the history of the University of New Haven program, caps off his magical 44-year career with a trip to the NCAA Regional and finishes with over 1,100 career victories. Vieira is the NCAA Division II all-time leader in winning percentage and ranks second in all-time victories. Under Vieira, 61 players have signed major league contracts, including his entire 1985 starting lineup.

The NCBWA's Northeast Regional committee for 2006 is Doug Monson, Sports Information Director at Franklin Pierce (coordinator), Ken Johnson, Jr, SID at Saint Anselm, Chuck Sadowski, SID at New Haven, Jennifer Mischke, SID at Molloy, Tony Berich, Assistant AD/SID at Philadelphia and Bob Heller, Assistant AD/SID at University of Sciences in Philadelphia.

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