Canisius Claims Third MAAC Baseball Championship
No. 3 Canisius College – 11 | No. 1 Monmouth University – 0
2018 Baseball Championship | Game 10
Richmond County Bank Ballpark | Staten Island, NY
No. 3 Canisius College (35-20) defeated No. 1 Monmouth University (30-25), 11-0, to earn its third MAAC Baseball Championship in program history and first since 2015. The win was the first-ever shutout in a MAAC Baseball Championship finale.
Canisius is now tied with Iona College, Manhattan College, and former member Fordham University for the fifth-most MAAC Baseball Championships. Since 2009, the Griffs have competed in seven championship games which are the most in the conference over the 10-season span.
The Griffs earn the MAAC’s automatic bid to the 2018 NCAA Baseball Championship. They will find out their regional opponent during the 2018 NCAA Selection Show, on Monday, May 28, at noon. The Selection Show will air on ESPNU.
Canisius Notes:
- John Conti, Mark McKenna, Tyler Smith, Ryan Stekl, and J.P. Stevenson were named to the 2018 MAAC Baseball All-Championship Team. Stevenson was tabbed the Championship Most Valuable Player.
- Ryan Stekl went 3-5 with four RBI and scored a run. Stekl opened up the scoring for Canisius with a bases clearing double in the top of the first inning to put the Griffs out in front, 3-0. Over the course of the championship (four games), Stekl hit .418 (7-18) with two doubles and five RBI.
- Mark McKenna finished the championship by going 2-4 with two RBI, a run scored, and a stolen base. Over the four-game stretch he hit .647 (11-17) with seven RBI.
- Charlie Sobieraski earned the win, his fourth of the season. He tossed 6.0 innings of three-hit ball and struck out four.
- Stevenson came on to finish the game in the ninth inning. He retired the side in order and notched a strikeout.
- Today’s win was Canisius’ eighth in a row, which marks the team’s longest winning streak since 2016.
- Canisius has scored at least 11 runs in all three of their MAAC Baseball Championship title game victories. Two of their three MAAC Championships have come as the No. 3 seed.
Monmouth Notes:
- Monmouth finished the season (30-25), it marked their 11th 30-win season under Coach Ehehalt.
- Shaine Hughes, Dan Klepchick, and Ryan Lillie were named to the All-Championship Team.
- The Hawks went 2-2 in the championship. They picked up wins over Siena and Quinnipiac.
- Tyler Ksiazek took the loss for Monmouth. He went 2.2 innings, allowed four runs, earned, on four hits. He struck out one and walked four.
- Monmouth recorded four hits, all singles.
| All-Championship Team |
| Name |
Institution |
| Joe Drpich |
Siena |
| Tom Sutera |
Siena |
| Mike Davis |
Quinnipiac |
| Ben Gibson |
Quinnipiac |
| Shaine Hughes |
Monmouth |
| Dan Klepchick |
Monmouth |
| Ryan Lillie |
Monmouth |
| John Conti |
Canisius |
| Mark McKenna |
Canisius |
| Tyler Smith |
Canisius |
| Ryan Stekl |
Canisius |
| MVP |
| J.P. Stevenson |
Canisius |
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.
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.