LOCK HAVEN, Pa. –
Ben Rawding has been named the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Western Division Freshman of the Year, highlighting a quintet of Mercyhurst College baseball players tabbed all-conference selections.
In voting conducted by league coaches, third baseman
Ethan Santora, utility player
Adam Gray and starting pitcher
Jordan Backes each earned All-PSAC West First Team honors while Rawding and outfielder
Trey Bennett landed a spot on the Second Team.
A 6-foot-4 southpaw from Beaver Falls, Pa., Rawding posted a 5-4 record in his rookie season. He tied for the team lead with 11 starts, throwing 58 2/3 innings en route to a 3.22 ERA while striking out 51 batters and walking 18.
A workhorse for the Lakers, Rawding tossed four complete games, including a team-best three shutouts against eventual conference champion California (Pa.), regular-season West champion Indiana (Pa.) and Slippery Rock. His shutout totals move him into a tie for fifth-place all-time.
He was named the PSAC West Pitcher of the week on two occasions, including his two-hit shutout against Slippery Rock where he took a no-hitter into the seventh inning.
A sophomore infielder from Gates Mills, Ohio, Santora repeats as an All-PSAC First Team member, having also been named PSAC Freshman of the year in 2009. He led the team with a .390 batting average, slugging seven home runs, 14 doubles and two triples.
Santora shifted to shortstop following an injury to the starter late in the season. He batted .433 in divisional competition, and was second in the PSAC with 30 walks. He had separate eight-game run-scoring and RBI streaks during the season and also posted a 10-game hitting streak.
Santora moved into second-place all-time in Laker history with his 23rd career home run, hit April 13. He ranks eighth all-time with a .366 average.
Gray, a South Euclid, Ohio product, earned his second straight All-PSAC mention, having been named All-PSAC West Second Team at second base in 2009. He showcased his versatility by starting 27 games at first base, 12 at second, six at designated hitter in addition to seven starts on the mound. Gray batted a career-best .348, leading the team with 38 RBI while hitting five home runs and nine doubles.
Gray went 3-3 as a pitcher, appearing in nine games on the hill with seven starts. His signature performance came in a two-hit shutout of Lock Haven, earning PSAC West Pitcher of the Week honors for his efforts.
Gray homered in each of the first two games of the PSAC Tournament, ending his career on a four-game hitting streak.
Backes, a Mount Zion, Ill. native, became the Lakers’ most dependable starter during his senior season after transferring from Quincy. He led the team with a 6-3 record, 2.67 ERA and 69 strikeouts in 63 2/3 innings pitched. He ranked highly among PSAC starting pitchers, ranking second in ERA and third in strikeouts.
Backes threw a masterful, two-hit complete-game shutout against eventual PSAC champion Cal March 19, earning PSAC West Pitcher of the Week in the process. He went 4-1 with a 2.37 ERA in PSAC West competition.
His 69 strikeouts are tied for the ninth-best single-season total in program history. He struck out seven or more batters in seven out of his 11 starts, including back-to-back eight-strikeout contests to close the regular season.
Bennett, a Hudson, Ohio product, finished a successful career with his first All-PSAC West honor. He finished third on the team in hitting with a .350 average, collecting 48 hits in 137 trips to the plate. His 13 doubles were one off the team lead and his 32 RBI ranked third. A threat on the base paths, Bennett was a perfect 10-for-10 in steal attempts. Solid defensively, he committed just two errors in 42 chances.
He put together 14 multiple-hit games and nine multiple-RBI performances. His signature effort came in a 17-3 win against Clarion on April 23 when he went 3-for-4, including a three-run homer, to finish six RBI and four runs scored.
2010 All-PSAC West Baseball Team
First Team
1B Kyle Stryker IUP
2B Billy Messer Slippery Rock
SS Paul Bingham IUP
3B Ethan Santora Mercyhurst
OF Sam DiMatteo California
OF Troy Handza California
OF Matt Howard Slippery Rock
C T.J. Nichols IUP
DH Jacob Oswalt Slippery Rock
UTL Adam Gray Mercyhurst
SP Jordan Backes Mercyhurst
SP Steve Mondschein IUP
SP Randy Sturgill California
RP Stephen Cooke IUP
Second Team
1B Adam Links California
2B Jamie Smith IUP
SS Adam Jury Slippery Rock
3B Vern Powell IUP
OF Trey Bennett Mercyhurst
OF Ryan Griffin Lock Haven
OF Kofi Osei-Aning IUP
C Brandon Crum Gannon
DH Ken Morgan Clarion
UTL Matt McCamley Lock Haven
SP Corey Betz IUP
SP George Hebert Slippery Rock
SP Ben Rawding Mercyhurst
RP Kyle Petty California
PSAC West Player of the Year
Paul Bingham IUP
PSAC West Pitcher of the Year
Randy Sturgill California
PSAC West Freshman of the Year
Ben Rawding Mercyhurst
PSAC West Coach of the Year
Mike Conte California
2010 All-PSAC East Baseball Team
First Team
1B Jared Frey Kutztown
2B Joe Wendle West Chester
SS Nick Spisak West Chester
3B James Quigley Kutztown
OF Michael Dugan Kutztown
OF Kevin McGrath West Chester
OF Kevin Miller Mansfield
C Bob Stumpo West Chester
DH Brandon Wolfe West Chester
UTL Shayne Houck Kutztown
SP Fred Breidenbach West Chester
SP Nathan Reed Kutztown
SP Christian Saveri East Stroudsburg
RP Bernard Johnson Mansfield
Second Team
1B Kyle Orensky West Chester
2B Joey Ianiero Bloomsburg
SS Mike Kacelowicz Kutztown
3B Mike Hartz Mansfield
OF Matt Baer West Chester
OF Charlie Kelly West Chester
OF Cody Kulp Shippensburg
C Miles Gallagher Millersville
DH Jimmy Miller Shippensburg
UTL Brian Ernst East Stroudsburg
SP Jordan Lehman West Chester
SP Forrest Mengle Millersville
SP Ryan Stauffer Millersville
RP Carmen Daddario West Chester
PSAC East Player of the Year
Shayne Houck Kutztown
PSAC East Pitcher of the Year
Christian Saveri East Stroudsburg
PSAC East Freshman of the Year
Fred Breidenbach West Chester
PSAC East Coach of the Year
John Kochmansky East Stroudsburg