BRIDGEWATER, Mass. -- Bridgewater State University freshman righthander Matthew Almeida has been selected as the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) Baseball Pitcher and Rookie of the Week.

Almeida tossed three scoreless innings of relief to pick up his first collegiate victory in the Bears’ improbable 12-11 MASCAC Tournament championship game win over Worcester State University. The Fall River, Massachusetts product gave up just a hit and a walk with one strikeout as the Bears overcame an 11-5 deficit with a seven-run bottom of the ninth to win in walk-off fashion.

In five appearances (two starts) on the mound for the Bears this season, Almeida is 1-0 with seven strikeouts and a 4.11 earned run average over 15 1/3 innings of work.

The MASCAC Pitcher and Rookie of the Week accolades mark the first of Almeida's career. He is the Bears' fourth rookie of the week selection this season joining classmates Nick Berube (Swampscott, Mass.), Logan Cormier (Athol, Mass.) and Ethan Palmer (Attleboro, Mass.).

The BSU baseball team is currently 30-8 on the season as the Bears reached the 30-win mark for the fourth time in the last five years and eighth time in program history. By virtue of the MASCAC Tournement title, the Bears advanced to the NCAA Division III Tournament for the fifth straight year and 19th time in program history.