May 27, 2010

Sophomore third baseman Cam Kneeland (Rowley, Mass.) has signed a temporary contract with the Orleans Firebirds of the Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL) this summer. He will join River Hawk teammate Jack Leathersich (Beverly, Mass.) on the Firebirds for the 2010 season.

Previous to the duo, only five other players in the history of UMass Lowell baseball have competed in the CCBL, including 12-year MLB veteran Mike LaValliere. A famed amateur summer league, the CCBL produced 234 selections in the 2009 MLB Draft and countless major league stars such as the reigning two-time National League Cy Young Award winner Tim Lincecum and World Series Champion Mark Teixeira.

The signing marks yet another recognition of Kneeland's breakout sophomore campaign. Since the end of the 2010 season, he has been named to the American Baseball Coaches Association All-East Region First Team, Northeast-10 All-Conference First Team, National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association All-East Region First Team and Daktronics All-East Region Second Team.

The hard-swinging third baseman submitted team-highs in batting average (.313), runs batted in (43), doubles (16) and slugging percentage (.508). The powerful sophomore was the first River Hawk batter to tally 40 or more RBI in a season since Jerod Edmondson in 2007.

In addition, he was among the leaders in the NE-10 in doubles (tied for forth), RBI (fifth), slugging percentage (seventh) and home runs (tied for ninth).

The River Hawks finished the 2010 campaign with a 27-19 overall record and 14-12 mark in conference play. Tied for sixth place with Merrimack College, UMass Lowell missed the NE-10 playoffs due to a tiebreaker.