Albany’s Tom Hill (Emerson, N.J./Emerson) has been named America East Player of the Week for the second time this season, while Binghamton’s Jarrod Rampey (Rochester, N.Y./Pittsford Sutherland/Wofford College) and Vermont's Joe Serafin (Tariffville, Conn./Simsbury) share Pitcher of the Week honors. Maine’s Danny Menendez (Miami, Fla./Christopher Columbus) earns Rookie of the Week honors. The awards were handed out on Monday (April 24).
Hill batted .500 (10-for-20) with a pair of home runs, seven RBIs and eight runs scored in five games last week. In UAlbany’s two victories over America East-rival UMBC, the junior catcher recorded five hits, including two doubles, drove in three and scored three times. Hill leads the conference in several offensive categories including homers (9), on-base percentage (.485) and slugging percentage (.716). He also ranks in the top five in batting average (.385), RBIs (33) and walks (20).
In two appearances, Rampey didn’t allow a run. He fired a two-hit shutout to beat Vermont and earlier in the week, worked three perfect innings of relief in a non-conference win over Canisius. Rampey had a perfect game into the fifth inning at Vermont and allowed just two singles through seven frames. In his last three starts, Rampey has not allowed a run in 16 innings of work.
Serafin hurled seven and two-thirds scoreless innings striking out a season-high 11 in a shutout of Binghamton, the second best hitting team in the conference. Serafin allowed only five hits and walked just three. He has not allowed a run in two conference starts with 20 Ks in 14.2 innings.
Menendez hit .429 on the week for the Black Bears. He was 2-for-5 with a run scored and two RBI in Maine’s 16-2 win over NYIT anad later went 2-for-5 in Maine’s loss to NYIT. Menendez finished the weekend 2-for-4 with three runs scored and an RBI in the series finale, a 13-12 win over NYIT and had a big RBI triple in the game that pulled Maine to within one run and scored to tie the game later in the inning.