No. 3/4 Baseball Sweeps CNE Weekly Awards

CNE RELEASE

BEVERLY, Mass. — The No. 3/4 Endicott baseball team swept the Conference of New England's (CNE) weekly awards, the league office announced on Tuesday afternoon.

Senior outfielder Zach Stephenson (Mansfield, Mass.) was named Player of the Week, while senior right-handed pitcher Chris Jenkins (Mansfield, Mass.) earned Pitcher of the Week and sophomore infielder Cade Bernardo (Glenmont, N.Y.) donned Rookie of the Week honors.

ZACH STEPHENSON | PLAYER OF THE WEEK

In Endicott's 4-0 week (3-0 CNE), Stephenson was a key ignitor atop the prolific Gulls offense.

He slashed .600 AVG / .714 OBP / 1.067 SLG with a homer, a triple, two doubles, five singles, four stolen bases, eight runs scored, and one RBI in 15 at-bats. He also walked five times, displaying his innate ability to get on base from the leadoff spot, and led the squad with 16 total bases throughout the four game stretch. 

He registered a multi-hit outing in each of the four games.

Last Monday against Gordon, he logged a three-for-five performance with three singles, a stolen base, and a run in the Gulls' 11-1 CNE victory over the Fighting Scots.

Two days later at Southern Maine, Stephenson got on base six times (2-for-2 with a triple and single; four walks), scored twice, and also swiped three bags in Endicott's 21-7 road victory.

He then came up huge in a CNE home doubleheader against Hartford on Saturday. In game one, he went 2-for-4 with a double, a single, a walk, and another two runs scored, as the Gulls bested the Hawks by mercy-rule, 17-1.

In game two, he was pivotal to the Blue and Green's six-run comeback. Facing a 6-0 deficit in the third inning, Stephenson reached base via HBP before coming around to score the first Endicott run of the day. Then, in the fourth inning, he cranked an opposite field homer to left center field to make it a 6-5 game. Later, with the Gulls facing a one-run deficit in the eighth, he spanked a leadoff double into the left center field gap and then wound up scoring amidst the Gulls' six-run rally, guiding them to the wild 12-9 victory. He finished the successful day going 2-for-4 with three runs scored.

This is Stephenson's third career CNE Player of the Week award (4/9/24, 4/7/25).

CHRIS JENKINS | PITCHER OF THE WEEK

In Endicott's 4-0 week (3-0 CNE), Jenkins made three clutch appearances from out of the bullpen (7.1 IP).

On Monday against Gordon, he entered in the fourth with two men on and two men out in a 3-0 ball game. He ended the Fighting Scots' threat with a quick strikeout, and the Gulls went on to win that CNE contest by an 11-1 score.

He pitched again on Wednesday at Southern Maine and earned the win with another 2.1 IP of stellar relief. He retired all seven men he faced (three K's) in the Gulls' 21-7 win.

He came out of the bullpen for Coach Haley once more on Saturday in game two of Endicott's doubleheader against Hartford. He pitched 4.2 IP, and although he did not earn the win, at one point he set down 14 straight Hawks hitters, and wound up only allowing one hit and one walk in his relief appearance. His shutdown relief was crucial to the Gulls in their 12-9 victory over the Hawks (came back from six down; Jenkins entered in the second inning with the Gulls trailing 6-0).

This marks Jenkins' second career CNE Pitcher of the Week accolades (3/13/23, 5/08/23).

CADE BERNARDO | ROOKIE OF THE WEEK

In Endicott's 4-0 week (3-0 CNE), Bernardo went 5-for-12 with a double, four singles, six runs, four RBI's, and four runs scored.

His slashline stood at .417 AVG / .611 OBP / .500 SLG over the four game stretch.

Last Monday against Gordon, Bernardo went 1-for-2 with a double, two walks, two RBI's, and two runs in an 11-1 win for the Gulls.

At Southern Maine on Wednesday, he logged a 1-for-3 day with an RBI, two runs, a single, and a walk, as the Gulls knocked off the Huskies by a 21-7 score.

Then, in Saturday's CNE doubleheader against Hartford, he went 2-for-3 in game one (two singles, walk, two runs; 17-1 win) before going 1-for-4 (RBI single) in Endicott's crazy comeback win in game two.

This is the fifth career CNE Rookie of the Week for Bernardo (3/17/25, 3/24/25, 4/7/25, 4/14/25).

WHAT'S NEXT

No. 3/4 Endicott (26-3, 11-0 CNE) plays today at Suffolk in a 3:30 PM road contest. 

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(Photo Credit - Endicott Athletics)