Buzzards Bay, Mass. --  After pitching the 25^th perfect game in the history of NCAA Division III baseball, Massachusetts Maritime sophomore Kevin Kwedor isn’t just another face in the crowd of collegiate baseball.

Kwedor is one of seven individuals who are featured in the May 19^th edition of Sports Illustrated’s “Faces In The Crowd” column, as he becomes the third Buccaneer student-athlete to appear in the prestigious national publication in five years.  Former Massachusetts Maritime running back Nathan Sherr appeared in the October 5, 2009 edition of the magazine after breaking the school single-game rushing mark with 325 yards in a 49-27 victory over MIT less than a month earlier, and Buccaneer defensive standout Walter Butler was featured in the November 7, 2011 edition of the renowned publication following his performance in a 34-6 Admiral’s Cup victory over rival Maine Maritime on October 22^nd of that season that included a pair of forced fumbles and a return for a touchdown.

A native of Marshfield, Mass. and a graduate of Marshfield High School, Kwedor tossed his gem in a 4-0 victory over the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts in the opening game of a Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference doubleheader at Commodore Hendy Field on April 21^st.  The lefthander threw 60 of his 89 pitches in the contest for strikes, fanning six along the way while inducing seven ground ball outs and eight fly ball outs.  He went to his only 3-0 count in the fourth inning before collecting a strikeout, and he went 3-2 on two other Trailblazer hitters on the day before retiring both batters.  Kwedor’s effort was the first perfect game in the 42-year history of Massachusetts Maritime baseball and the sixth no-hitter for the program.

Kwedor received numerous regional and national accolades following his performance, as he was tabbed as the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Division III National Pitcher of the Week on May 1^st after earning the nod as both the MASCAC and ECAC New England Pitcher of the Week.  Kevin was also the lone New England representative of the D3baseball.com National Team of the Week on April 29^th.  He finished the season with a 2-2 record and a 2.73 earned run average, as his Patriots Day perfect game came in just his fourth collegiate start.

Kwedor’s efforts helped Head Coach Bob Corradi guide his Buccaneers to their highest single-season win total in six years this spring, as Massachusetts Maritime notched 15 triumphs, including six in MASCAC play.  The only mentor the program has ever known, Corradi will enter his 43^rd campaign in Buzzards Bay with 562 career victories next spring.

The May 19^th edition of Sports Illustrated, with Oklahoma City Thunder star and reigning NBA MVP Kevin Durant on the cover, hit newsstands over the weekend, and Kwedor’s profile can be accessed on-line later this week by logging-on to www.si.com/faces.