Former Blue Devil, Torniero, Named Empire League Defensive Player of the Year
Former Central Connecticut baseball standout Michael Torniero was named the Defensive Player of the Year for the Empire Leage it was announceed. Torniero, who played at Central from 2019-24, plays for the Tupper Lake Riverpigs.
Torniero has patrolled the outufield in 31 games and has a 1.000 fielding percentage. He has also compiled 54 putouts and six outfield assists, while not being charged an error. The league's announcement described his play this season as such, "Torniero was a human highlight reel — tracking down deep drives, cutting off extra-base hits, and gunning down runners with precision. His instincts, range, and arm strength anchored the Riverpigs' defense all season long."
Offensively, Torniero hit .322 with a .381 slugging percentage and a .433 on base percentage to go with 33 runs scored, while driving in 10 more. He clubbed three extra-base hits and stole 16 bags. He led the squad to third place in the regular season standings, while helping drive them into the championship series against the Malone Border Hounds, which begins on Saturday.
The Empire Professional Baseball League (EPBL) is an independent baseball league that began play in 2016. The Empire League plays a 40-game regular season followed by a five-game post season. The five-team league consists exclusively of teams based in Upstate New York. The league is a developmental league and partner of MLB partnered leagues.
