MAAC Announces 2018 Baseball All-MAAC Teams & Major Award Winners
STATEN ISLAND, NY – The Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) announced the 2018 Baseball All-MAAC Teams and major award winners. Award recipients were honored this evening at the leagues’ annual awards show, which was held at Richmond County Bank Ballpark in Staten Island, NY.
Junior shortstop Greg Cullen is the fourth student-athlete from Niagara University to claim the Player of the Year honor and the first since Josh McCurdy in 2003. Cullen finished the regular season as the nation’s leading hitter, posting a .457 batting average. He also ranks second in the NCAA in on-base percentage (.549) and sixth in hits per game (1.68). Cullen leads the MAAC in batting average, on-base percentage, runs scored (50), and hits (79). The junior was recently named a semifinalist for the Dick Howser Award.
Canisius College senior pitcher J.P. Stevenson becomes the third Griff to earn the Pitcher of the Year honor and the first since Rohn Pierce claimed the award in 2014. Stevenson led the MAAC in wins (9) and ERA (2.46). The senior ranks second in the conference in opposing batting average (.182), second in innings pitched (87.2), and second in strikeouts (85). He currently ranks tied for 16th in the nation in wins. Stevenson was named MAAC Pitcher of the Week on two occasions this season.
Canisius senior pitcher Tyler Smith takes home the Relief Pitcher of the Year honor. Smith posted a 0.91 ERA and notched nine saves in 22 appearances during his senior campaign. The Trafford, PA native ranks second in the MAAC in saves and was recently named to the NCBWA Stopper of the Year Watch List. Smith has surrendered only one earned run since March 25, which spans 15 appearances and 22.1 innings. For the season he has recorded 34 strikeouts and opposing hitters are hitting just .181 against him.
Dan Klepchick is the first student-athlete from Monmouth University to earn the Rookie of the Year award. The freshman finished the regular season 5-1 with a 3.42 ERA. He struck out 71 batters in 79.0 innings pitched. Klepchick tossed three complete games, including one shutout this season. His three complete games are the seventh-most in the league. He ranks fifth in the MAAC in ERA and eighth in strikeouts. He was named Rookie of the Week a league-high six times this season and Pitcher of the Week once.
The 2018 BSN Sports MAAC Coach of the Year is John Delaney from Quinnipiac University. Delaney is the first coach from Quinnipiac to be named MAAC Baseball Coach of the Year. The fourth-year head coach guided the Bobcats to 16-8 mark in MAAC play and the No. 2 seed in the championship. The 16 wins are the most that Quinnipiac has posted in conference play since joining the MAAC in 2014. The Bobcats lead the MAAC in home runs (56), hits (493), slugging percentage (.421), total bases (754), and stolen bases (66).
It is the first time in MAAC history that the Baseball Championship will be played at Richmond County Bank Ballpark. Fairfield University, Iona College, and Siena College serve as co-hosts for the event. The winner of the championship earns the MAAC’s automatic bid to the 2018 NCAA Baseball Championship.
All games will air on ESPN+, which marks the first time in conference history that every game of the MAAC Baseball Championship will be broadcasted on an ESPN platform.
The Championship game will be played on Saturday, May 26, at noon on
ESPN+. If necessary, Game 11 will immediately follow Game 10 on Saturday.
For all information on the 2018 MAAC Baseball Championship, visit
maacsports.com/baseball. Be sure to join the conversation on all social media platforms using #MAACBaseball.
Championship tickets can be purchased at
ticketreturn.com, and will also be sold on-site during the event.
Player of the Year: Greg Cullen, Niagara
Pitcher of the Year: J.P. Stevenson, Canisius
Relief Pitcher of the Year: Tyler Smith, Canisius
Rookie of the Year: Dan Klepchick, Monmouth
BSN Sports MAAC Coach of the Year: John Delaney, Quinnipiac
| All-MAAC First Team |
| Name |
Position |
Institution |
| Phil Madonna |
Catcher |
Siena |
| Liam Wilson |
First Base |
Canisius |
| Ben Gibson |
First Base |
Quinnipiac |
| Anthony Lazar |
Second Base |
Marist |
| Shaine Hughes |
Third Base |
Monmouth |
| Greg Cullen |
Shortstop |
Niagara |
| Drew Arciuolo |
Outfield |
Fairfield |
| Joe Simone |
Outfield |
Rider |
| Liam Scafariello |
Outfield |
Quinnipiac |
| Tyler Kapuscinski |
Designated Hitter |
Marist |
| Ryan Stekl |
Utility |
Canisius |
| Mitch Williams |
Utility |
Fairfield |
| J.P. Stevenson |
Pitcher |
Canisius |
| John Signore |
Pitcher |
Fairfield |
| Taylor Luciani |
Pitcher |
Quinnipiac |
| Tommy Miller |
Pitcher |
Siena |
| All-MAAC Second Team |
| Name |
Position |
Institution |
| Sam Punzi |
Catcher |
Iona |
| Fabian Pena |
Catcher |
Manhattan |
| Joe Drpich |
First Base |
Siena |
| Sean Breen |
Second Base |
Iona |
| Owen Dziados |
Third Base |
Niagara |
| Marcos Campos |
Shortstop |
Siena |
| Kyle Norman |
Outfield |
Monmouth |
| Trevor McCauley |
Outfield |
Niagara |
| Brian Moskey |
Outfield |
Quinnipiac |
| Gage Lanning |
Designated Hitter |
Canisius |
| Richie Barrella |
Utility |
Manhattan |
| T.J. Stuart |
Pitcher |
Manhattan |
| Charlie Jerla |
Pitcher |
Marist |
| Dan Klepchick |
Pitcher |
Monmouth |
| Willie Krajnik |
Pitcher |
Saint Peter’s |
About the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference:
With 11 institutions strongly bound by the sound principles of quality and integrity in academics and excellence in athletics, the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) is in its 37
th year of competition during the 2017-18 academic year. Current Conference members include: Canisius College, Fairfield University, Iona College, Manhattan College, Marist College, Monmouth University, Niagara University, Quinnipiac University, Rider University, Saint Peter’s University, and Siena College.