Lower grad and FDU baseball standout named conference player of the year

Posted: January 1st 1970

By BRIAN CUNNIFF

CapeAtlanticLive.com

Hunter Ray has proven to be one of the most prodigious sluggers in Division I college baseball this spring.

Now he has some hardware to add to his resume as well.

Ray, a Lower Cape May Regional High School graduate and a sophomore on the Fairleigh Dickinson University baseball team, has been named the Northeast Conference Player of the Year for the 2026 season.

Ray led all Northeast Conference hitters in home runs with 28, RBI with 75 and slugging percentage at .759. His home run total, which ranks third nationally in Division I, is far and away an FDU record, shattering the previous mark of 16. The total also eclipsed the previous NEC regular-season record of 20.

HUNTER RAY

Ray also led the NEC in RBI and total bases with 128.

Ray batted .352 and added 11 doubles, a triple and a team-best 43 walks.

A three-time conference Player of the Week this season, Ray was the first Division I player in the country to reach the 20-20 mark this season. He finished the regular season with 24 stolen bases in 27 attempts.

Ray helped FDU to an unprecedented regular season. The Knights broke the single-season program record for wins after finishing at 32-18-1. The team placed second to Long Island University in the NEC standings. Second-seeded FDU is scheduled to play No. 3 Wagner in the NEC Tournament on Thursday at Skylands Stadium in North Jersey.

Ray was a four-year starter at Lower Cape May before graduating in 2024. For his high school career, he hit .357 with 28 doubles, eight triples, seven home runs, 79 RBI and 76 runs scored. He finished just three hits shy of 100 for his career.

As a high school senior, Ray batted .434 with 14 doubles, four home runs, 23 runs scored and 23 RBI.