MEDFORD, Mass. -- Eastern Connecticut State University senior utility player Shawn Gilblair (Windham, Conn.) and University of Southern Maine Head Coach Ed Flaherty were named the player and coach of the year, respectively, after the 2009 New England Intercollegiate Baseball Association (NEIBA) major awards winners and all-region teams were announced this afternoon. A total of 19 student-athletes from the Little East Conference were honored on the top-three teams.

Gilblair has been selected the top player in the region for the second time in the past three seasons, and is making his fourth straight appearance on the All-New England teams. The Windham, Conn. product is just the second student-athlete in Warriors' history to earn all-region honors in each of his four years on the diamond, joining Joe Funaro'95. Gilblair was named first-team utility for the second time. As a junior last year, he was a third-team DH and as a freshman in 2006 named as a pitcher.  

He started all 47 games this year and batted over .400 (.402) for the second straight season this year. Gilblair totaled career-highs in hits (70), doubles (21/one shy of the season record), total bases (118), RBI (68), and runs (51) and also hit nine home runs. As a left-handed pitcher, he was 8-1 with a 2.71 ERA which topped all starting pitchers. Gilblair fanned 99 batters in 63.0 innings and walked only 12, opponents hitting .212 against him.

After being named most outstanding player of the Little East Conference tournament for the third time in his career, Gilblair was named to the NCAA Division III New England Regional All-tournament team this past weekend. In regional tournament, he was nine-for-24 (.375) with three doubles, a home run, and a team-leading seven RBI, while pitching a complete-game five-hitter against conference rival University of Southern Maine in the second round.

Gilblair leaves the program as the only player ever with as many as 20 pitching wins, 20 home runs, and 200 hits and is among the all-time offensive and pitching leaders in numerous categories. In his career, he collected 236 hits and 29 home runs and is second all-time (one behind the leader) with 194 RBI. His 28 pitching wins in 35 decisions rank him in a tie for fifth all-time, and he also ranks fourth in strikeouts (281) and seventh in ERA (2.31).

Flaherty led the Huskies to an overall record of 36-9, including a 12-2 mark in the conference circuit. Southern Maine was ranked atop the final editions of the D3Baseball.com Top 25 poll and the American Baseball Coaches' Association (ABCA) Division III Top-30 survey. He guided the Huskies to the top seed and right to host the Little East Baseball Championship. Under his guidance, Southern Maine boasted a pair of winning streaks over 10 games, including a season-high 17-game run between April 2 and 24. Flaherty and his squad accepted the program's 18th invitation to the NCAA Division III Tournament field, receiving one of just 13 at-large bids.