MAAC Announces 2012 All-MAAC Baseball Awards
MAAC Sports
Troy,
N.Y. - Iona College third baseman Chris Burke has
been named the 2012 MAAC Baseball Player of the Year and headlines the 2012
All-MAAC Teams, as voted on by the league's head coaches.
Burke, a 6-1 senior from Islip, N.Y., was a
Triple Crown threat throughout the MAAC season. He led the league with a .409
batting average, over .30 points better than the next hitter, and was second in
both home runs (5) and RBI (26). Overall, Burke hit .351 in 53 games with 11
home runs, 50 RBI, 20 doubles, 44 runs scored, and 23 steals. He had 127 total
bases and a .422 on-base percentage. He is the first Gael to win the award
since 2000.
Rider University's Mike Murphy, a 6-2 sophomore
from Hamilton, N.J., was named the 2012 MAAC Pitcher of the Year. Murphy, who
red-shirted in 2011 due to injury, rebounded to post a 2.86 ERA in 13 starts.
He surrendered less than a hit per inning and struck out 55 batters. The
right-hander went 5-1 in MAAC games, the best win percentage in the conference,
and held all opponents to a .255 average against. Murphy becomes Rider's second
Pitcher of the Year in three seasons.
Canisius College's Jon Fitzsimmons was voted
as the 2012 MAAC Relief Pitcher of the Year. Fitzsimmons, a 6-2 sophomore
right-hander from London, Ontario, led the league with 11 saves during the
regular season, tied for the fourth most all-time in MAAC history. Five of
those saves came in conference games, tied for the most in the league. In eight
and two-thirds innings against league opponents, Fitzsimmons did not allow a
run and struck out 13. Overall, he posted a 0.82 ERA with only two runs allowed
in 22 innings and 29 strikeouts. He is Canisius' first recipient of the Relief
Pitcher of the Year award, which was first handed out in 2004.
Canisius' Devon Stewart was chosen as the 2011
MAAC Rookie of the Year after going 5-4 with a 3.95 ERA. Stewart, a
right-hander from Maple Ridge, British Columbia, had three complete games and
one shutout in 14 starts during his freshman campaign. He struck out 53 batters
in 86.2 innings and allowed just two home runs. Stewart is the Griffs' third
Rookie winner after having back-to-back honorees in 2007-08.
Fairfield University head coach Bill Currier
was selected as the Anaconda Sports Coach of the Year. In his first year in
charge of the Stags, Currier led Fairfield to a program record 27 wins and the
team's first MAAC Championship appearance since 2000. He served as Fairfield's
Associate Head Coach in 2011 after 22 seasons as the head coach at the
University of Vermont. Currier is the fourth Stags' coach to receive the honor,
but the first since the conference eliminated the divisional format in 2000.
The All-MAAC First Team has Manhattan
College's Ramon Ortega at catcher, Niagara University's Ryan McCauley at first
base, and Iona's Burke at the other corner. Manhattan's double-play combination
of Nick Camastro and Yoandry Galan take the spots at second base and shortstop,
respectively. The outfield features Manhattan's Anthony Vega, Niagara's Wynton
Bernard, and Rider's Brandon Cotten. Rider's Ian Lindsay is the designated
hitter and Niagara's Eric Hink fills the utility slot. Rider's Murphy and
Manhattan's John Soldinger are the pitchers.
The All-MAAC Second Team includes
Iona's James Beck behind the plate, Marist College's Mike Orefice at first,
Iona's Eric Capowski at second, and Canisius' Drew Petit at third base. The
shortstop position is shared by Fairfield's Larry Cornelia and Saint Peter's
College's Justyn Carter. Fairfield's Ryan Plourde, Marist's Jake Berry, and Siena
College's John Rooney make up the outfield. Niagara's Joel Klock is the
designated hitter and Saint Peter's Matt Speckmann is the utility player.
Canisius' Garrett Cortright and Marist's Chad Gallagher form the pitching duo.
2012 ALL-MAAC BASEBALL FIRST TEAM
|
Name
|
School
|
Pos.
|
|
Ramon
Ortega
|
Manhattan
|
C
|
|
Ryan
McCauley
|
Niagara
|
1B
|
|
Nick
Camastro
|
Manhattan
|
2B
|
|
Chris
Burke
|
Iona
|
3B
|
|
Yoandry
Galan
|
Manhattan
|
SS
|
|
Anthony
Vega
|
Manhattan
|
OF
|
|
Wynton
Bernard
|
Niagara
|
OF
|
|
Brandon
Cotten
|
Rider
|
OF
|
|
Ian
Lindsay
|
Rider
|
DH
|
|
Eric
Hink
|
Niagara
|
UT
|
|
John
Soldinger
|
Manhattan
|
P
|
|
Mike
Murphy
|
Rider
|
P
|
2012 ALL-MAAC
BASEBALL SECOND TEAM
|
Name
|
School
|
Pos.
|
|
James
Beck
|
Iona
|
C
|
|
Mike
Orefice
|
Marist
|
1B
|
|
Eric
Capowski
|
Iona
|
2B
|
|
Drew
Petit
|
Canisius
|
3B
|
|
Larry
Cornelia
|
Fairfield
|
SS
|
|
Justyn
Carter
|
Saint
Peter's
|
SS
|
|
Ryan
Plourde
|
Fairfield
|
OF
|
|
Jake
Berry
|
Marist
|
OF
|
|
John
Rooney
|
Siena
|
OF
|
|
Joel
Klock
|
Niagara
|
DH
|
|
Matt
Speckmann
|
Saint
Peter's
|
UT
|
|
Garrett
Cortright
|
Canisius
|
P
|
|
Chad
Gallagher
|
Marist
|
P
|
MAAC
Player of the Year
Chris Burke, Iona
College
MAAC Pitcher
of the Year
Mike Murphy, Rider
University
MAAC
Relief Pitcher of the Year
Jon Fitzsimmons,
Canisius College
MAAC
Rookie of the Year
Devon Stewart,
Canisius College
Anaconda
Sports MAAC Coach of the Year
Bill Currier,
Fairfield University