Patriot League Baseball Major Awards and All-League Honors Announced (5.9.18)
CENTER VALLEY, Pa. – Patriot League baseball regular-season co-champions Army West Point and Navy claim two major awards apiece, while third-place Bucknell earned one when the League office announced postseason honors on Wednesday.
Black Knights senior catcher Jon Rosoff was named the Patriot League Player of the Year. The unanimous All-Patriot League First Team catcher and three-time all-League selection, finished third in the League in batting (.337) and on-base percentage (.438), second in RBIs (42) and ninth in total bases (76). He also helped the Black Knights’ pitching staff post the second-best earned run average in the League (4.00). Army West Point freshman third baseman
Anthony Giachin was voted Patriot League Rookie of the Year. A three-time Patriot League Rookie of the Week, Giachin earns top-rookie honors in addition to being named a first-team all-League honoree after batting .292, slugging .384, and reaching base at a .371 clip, overall. In 25 League games, Giachin finished among the Patriot League leaders with a .322 batting average and 17 RBIs.
Bucknell senior right-handed pitcher Connor Van Hoose captured Patriot League Pitcher of the Year. Van Hoose, a two-time unanimous First Team All-Patriot League selection went 7-3 with a 2.54 earned run average (ERA) in 11 total starts, spanning 67.1 innings. He held opposing hitters to a .193 batting average, while tossing five complete games and striking out 97 batters to finish among the NCAA DI leaders. The senior right-hander was dominant in seven League games, spanning 47.0 innings, going 6-1 with a League-best 0.57 ERA and .151 opposing batting average. Van Hoose tossed a no-hitter against Lehigh, the 15th in Patriot League history, on April 21.
Navy sophomore second baseman Zach Biggers earned the Patriot League Defensive Player of the Year. Biggers finished second in the League with 144 assists, while having a hand in 19 double plays for the League’s statistical defensive leader Mids. The first-team all-League second baseman also batted a League-best .351, with 94 total bases.
Navy head coach Paul Kostacopoulos picks up the Gene Depew Coach of the Year award after guiding the Mids to a share of its fourth-consecutive Patriot League regular-season title. Kostacopoulos wins the award for the fourth time, having last been named coach of the year in 2016.
Patriot League baseball major awards and all-League honors were voted on by League head coaches, who could not select their own student-athletes or themselves.
Navy finished with eight all-League selections, including five on the first-team. Junior first baseman Christian Hodge (.262 BA, 5 HR, 34 RBIs) and junior designated hitter Liam Lowery (.319 BA, 2 HR, 20 RBIs) were both unanimous first-team selections. Lowery slugged .493, the second-best mark in the League. Junior RHP Noah Song, a three-time all-League selection, earned first-team honors after going 6-3 with a 1.42 ERA, good for 10th in NCAA DI. He also finished eighth-in the nation with a League-best 106 strikeouts. Song had a streak of 22-consecutive scoreless innings against League opponents spanning four starts. Senior outfielder Logan Knowles earned a spot on the first-team for the second-straight season after batting .288, driving in 25 runs, scoring 49 and posting a League-leading seven triples, the third-best mark in NCAA DI. Senior outfielder Stephen Born was selected to the second-team for the second time in his career, while sophomore shortstop Michael Coritz and freshman RHP Jared Leins both make their first all-League appearances on the second-team.
Army West Point also had eight all-League selections with three on the first-team, including Rosoff and Giachin. Sophomore centerfielder Jacob Hurtubise batted .272 with a .413 on-base percentage, while leading NCAA Division I with 38 stolen bases. Three Black Knights’ pitchers including starters junior RHP Daniel Burggraaf and junior LHP Tyler Giovinco and reliever junior LHP Cam Opp were all selected to the second-team. They were joined by junior second baseman Josh White and sophomore outfielder Drake Titus.
Bucknell had four all-League selections, including Van Hoose on the first-team. Sophomore Evan Klugerman, senior outfielder Chuckie Scales and freshman designated hitter Dom Toso were second-team honorees.
Holy Cross had three first-team selections, including sophomore outfielder Austin Masel, the 2017 Patriot League Rookie of the Year. Masel finished fifth in the League in batting (.321), fourth in slugging percentage (.489) and 10th in on-base percentage (.406). Junior right-handed reliever Danny Barlok was a unanimous first-team selection after registering five wins with the second-best ERA (1.85) and opposing batting average (.170) in the Patriot League. He finished a League-high 15 games. Sophomore shortstop Chris Rinaldi rounds out the Crusaders all-League selections after batting .319 with a .435 slugging percentage.
Lafayette had a pair of first-team honorees, both on the first-team with senior outfielder Luke Robinson, who slugged a League-best .497, while tying for the League-lead with six home runs. Robinson also finished ninth in the League with a .408 on-base percentage. He’s joined on the first-team by sophomore third baseman John Marti, who was second in the Patriot League with a .348 batting average. Marti was also among the League leaders in slugging (.459) and on-base percentage (.417).
Lehigh had two student-athletes named to the second-team, including junior catcher Jeff Shanfeldt, who threw out 14 base stealers, while batting .280 with two home runs and 20 RBIs. Sophomore first baseman Tony Gallo batted .314 and drove in 19 runs to earn a spot on the second-team.
2018 Patriot League Baseball Major Awards
Player of the Year: Jon Rosoff, Army West Point, Sr., C
Pitcher of the Year: Connor Van Hoose, Bucknell, Sr., RHP
Rookie of the Year: Anthony Giachin, Army West Point, Fr., 3B
Defensive Player of the Year: Zach Biggers, Navy, So., 2B
Coach of the Year: Paul Kostacopoulos, Navy
First-Team All-Patriot League Team%
SP: Connor Van Hoose, Bucknell, Sr.*
SP: Noah Song, Navy, Jr.
RP: Danny Barlok, Holy Cross, Jr.*
C: Jon Rosoff, Army West Point, Sr.*
1B: Christian Hodge, Navy, Jr.*
2B: Zach Biggers, Navy, So.
SS: Chris Rinaldi, Holy Cross, So.
3B: Anthony Giachin, Army West Point, Fr.
3B: John Marti, Lafayette, So.
OF: Logan Knowles, Navy, Sr.
OF: Luke Robinson, Lafayette, Sr.
OF: Jacob Hurtubise, Army West Point, So.
OF: Austin Masel, Holy Cross, So.
DH: Liam Lowery, Navy, Jr.*
Second-Team All-Patriot League Team^
SP: Daniel Burggraaf, Army West Point, Jr.
SP: Tyler Giovinco, Army West Point, Jr.
RP: Cam Opp, Army West Point, Jr.
RP: Jared Leins, Navy, Fr.
C: Jeff Shanfeldt, Lehigh, Jr.
C: Evan Klugerman, Bucknell, So.
1B: Tony Gallo, Lehigh, So.
2B: Josh White, Army West Point, Jr.
SS: Michael Coritz, Navy, So.
OF: Stephen Born, Navy, Sr.
OF: Chuckie Scales, Bucknell, Sr.
OF: Drake Titus, Army West Point, So.
DH: Dom Toso, Bucknell, Fr.
* - Unanimous first-team selection
% - 14 players on the first-team due to ties in voting
& - 13 players on the second-team due to ties in voting
^ - No 3B on the second-team due to a tie in voting for the first-team