North Reading Natives Earn National NJCAA Awards

A pair of North Reading natives on the Northern Essex Community College Knights baseball team have recently been named recipients of national awards.

Short stop Ryley Warnock was named the National Junior College Athletic Association’s (NJCAA) Division III Defensive Player of the Year, which is given to the top defensive player in Division III, according to NECC.

Additionally, Warnock was the recipient of the NJCAA Division III Rawlings Gold Glove Award for his position. Warnock finished the season with a .961 fielding percentage, committing only six errors in 152 total chances, the college said. He had 19 assists, helped turn 20 double plays and registered 54 putouts on the season.

Warnock will be attending and continuing to play baseball at Ave Maria University in Florida in the fall, NECC said.

Additionally, Ryan McAuliffe, also of North Reading, earned NJCAA All-American First Team honors, the college said.

According to a report from the Eagle Tribune, McAuliffe will be attending St. John’s University in the fall.