Eastbayri.com

PROVIDENCE — Once a Ram, always a Ram.

Bristol resident and LaSalle Academy Rams’ senior standout Jesse Lee became the latest East Bay-area athlete to pen a Division I college National Letter of Intent when he opted to accept a scholarship offer from the University of Rhode Island Rams’ baseball team.

“I think it’s a good fit for him,” LaSalle baseball coach Geoff Marcone said of Lee’s decision to attend URI. “I think it’s a place that if he continues to work hard he’ll get a chance to compete for a job. Hopefully in a year or two he’ll compete for a starting position. URI is a good program. Jesse’s a student of game. (The coaches) down there appreciate that. I think it’s a good fit for him.”

Rhody, about to embark on 54-game 2012 regular season schedule, went 31-22 in 2011 under the direction of Warwick native Jim Foster. The Rams, now solidly one of the better teams in the conference, saw their season end with a loss to top-seeded and nationally-ranked Charlotte in the semifinals of the Atlantic 10 Championship Tournament.

“Jesse is someone who has a very strong desire to get better and continuously develop,” Foster was quoting as saying in the press release announcing URI’s class of 10 recruits entering the school in the fall. “He brings toughness, is very athletic and can run well. He also has a tremendous work ethic. He can swing the bat very well from the left side and can go get the ball in the outfield. He fits into our style of play which is to be very aggressive, pitch and play great defense.”

Lee, the son of town resident and former Mount St. Charles hockey great Ed Lee, is truly a “student-athlete.” He has a near straight-A grade point average at LaSalle and plans to enter the esteemed Engineering program at URI. Marcone said his acumen in the classroom translates to the baseball diamond.

“I see Jesse as an athlete playing baseball. He covers a lot of ground in the outfield. He can hit for power and he also can get on base,” said Marcone, who doubles as LaSalle’s head football coach and who urged Lee to play that sport as well though to no avail.

Lee, a 6-foot, 190-pound outfielder, emerged as one of LaSalle’s best players and a top-level college prospect over the last year-plus. He became the high school Rams’ starting centerfielder during his sophomore year. As a junior last season, he batted .403 with 22 runs scored, 10 stolen bases and a .479 on-base percentage.

Speed is one of Lee’s better attributes. He runs a 6.67 in the 60-yard dash, which is considered quite fast for baseball players both defensively and on the base paths. This spring Lee, a right-handed thrower and left-handed batter, likely starts out from the lead-off spot in the LaSalle order, but may also be put in the three hole.

“He brings a toughness to our team,” Marcone added. “Jesse’s not much of a talker. He’s a quiet kid. He’s a leader by example. He works so hard to improve, which is one of the reasons why he’s had success so far and will have more in the future. He wants to get better.”

Hutchings inks Albany offer

Former Barrington High School football standout Sam Hutchings has accepted a scholarship offer to continue his playing career at the NCAA Division I/Football Championship Sub-Division State University of New York at Albany.

Hutchings is currently prepping at Worcester Academy and was one of six football players from the school to pen offers to attend either FCS (formerly Division I-AA) or Football Bowl Sub-Division (formerly D-I) programs on National Signing Day Wednesday, Feb. 1.

The student-athletes will receive full athletic grant-in-aid scholarships from their respective colleges and universities. Grant-in-Aid scholarships are given in recognition of athletic ability and performance. In this case, the students have all been recognized in football.

Sam Hutchings, a 6-foot-2 offensive guard, becomes the first Albany recruit from Rhode Island. At Barrington as a senior, he was named the 2011 Offensive Lineman of the Year, was an All-Stater and played in the annual Rhode Island/Connecticut All-Star Game.

Hutchings joins an Albany program that is one of the best in the Northeast Conference, earning a share of its fifth league title last fall. The Great Danes are coming off their first-ever appearance in the FCS playoffs where they lost to NEC rival Stony Brook, 31-28, in the first round. Albany was ranked 21st and 23rd in two final national polls.