SPRINGFIELD, Mass. - Western New England College fell just short in its bid to capture the NCAA Division III New England Regional Baseball Championship last week.
However, former Golden Bears' pitching ace
Jason Connelly is a coach of the UMass Boston team that did win the title. He is now headed to the College World Series in Appleton, Wisconsin.
Connelly, a 2006 Western New England College graduate, serves as the pitching coach for the Beacons who captured the regional crown after being seeded seventh in the eight-team double elimination tournament.
UMB posted a 4-0 record in the event, including a 6-4 decision over the Golden Bears in a winner's bracket game.
UMass Boston, the Little East Conference champion, will play Linfield College (Ore.) Friday (May 28) at 2:15 p.m. in the first round of the NCAA Division III College World Series at Time Warner Cable Field at Fox Cities Stadium in Appleton.
Connelly enjoyed a tremendous career at Western New England College from 2003-06 compiling a 30-10 pitching record, which is the school record for wins. He ranks fourth on the school's list with a 2.50 ERA in 295.2 innings.
Connelly was the Western New England College Male Athlete-of-the-Year as a senior and an American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) Division III All-America First Team selection. He was the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Pitcher-of-the-Year three times and twice an NEIBA Division III All-Star.
When not pitching, Connelly played second base finishing with a .298 batting average in 156 games (138 starts).
Connelly, who earned his bachelor's degree in Psychology, is in his second season on the Beacon's coaching staff. He is a native of Scituate, Massachusetts.