LOWELL, Mass. — After finishing their best season in program history since joining the America East Conference, the UMBC Retrievers highlighted the 2015 America East Baseball Regular-Season Awards by taking home three of the four major honors at the annual awards banquet held on Wednesday night at LeLacheur Park in Lowell, Mass. The award winners were determined by the league’s seven head coaches who were not permitted to vote for their own players.
By winning three honors, UMBC tripled its major awards total as a program in just one night. Junior Conrad Wozniak was named Pitcher of the Year, freshman Matt Chanin earned Rookie of the Year accolades and Bob Mumma was named Coach of the Year. Stony Brook outfielder Jack Parenty was voted the Len Harlow Player of the Year after helping the Seawolves capture their fourth regular-season title in five years.
Parenty is the fourth Seawolf to be named Player Year with all of the honors coming in the last five seasons. The junior led the league in batting average (.370), RBI (45), hits (68), triples (7) and total bases (101). He also added 15 stolen bases, a .549 slugging percentage and a .434 on-base percentage. In the field, he made just one error on the year with 68 putouts and three assists. He helped Stony Brook to the No. 1 seed in the tournament and 31 wins, including a 29-7-1 mark since March 1.
Wozniak is the first Pitcher of the Year in UMBC program history, leading the league with a 1.50 ERA, which currently ranks 12th in the nation. He started 11 games, going 3-1 while registering 58 strikeouts in 66.0 innings. The junior held opponents to a .232 batting average, good for third in the conference, and issued only 18 walks on the year. Wozniak was just as good during conference play, notching all three of his wins and posting a 1.69 ERA.
Chanin was outstanding during his freshman campaign on his way to being the first Retriever named Rookie of the Year. He lead the America East during league play with a 1.60 ERA and was second only to teammate and Pitcher of the Year, Wozniak, with a 1.85 ERA in all games played. He finished with a 5-2 record, notching 38 strikeouts in 58.1 innings while holding opponents to a .249 batting average.
Mumma earned his first America East Coach of the Year honor of his career, leading UMBC to No. 2 seed in the tournament, its highest regular-season finish since joining the America East. He has guided the Retrievers to their first America East Championship appearance since 2008 and just their second all-time. Mumma also has helped UMBC eclipse the 30-win plateau for the first time since 2002.
Parenty and Wozniak were two of six unanimous All-Conference First Team selections. Other unanimous picks included Stony Brook junior starting pitcher Tyler Honahan, senior catcher Cole Peragine, Maine senior utility player Scott Heath and Binghamton senior outfielder Jake Thomas. This marks the first year the utility position is being recognized on the all-conference team, and Heath embodies that, notching six wins on the hill as a starting pitcher while also ranking second in the conference in total bases at the plate. Rounding out the starting pitching staff was Stony Brook sophomore Daniel Zamora, who led the league in strikeouts, as he joined Honahan, Wozniak and Chanin. UMBC’s Denis Mikush was the first team pick as a reliever, leading the conference with six saves. Stony Brook’s Robert Chavarria was the selection at second base and teammate Toby Handley earned the final outfield spot to round out six Seawolves on the first team. UMass Lowell senior Danny Mendick took the shortstop spot and Maine’s Luke Morrill snagged the third base selection. In the outfield, Parenty was joined by teammate Toby Handley along with Binghamton senior Jake Thomas who was a unanimous selection. UMBC freshman Jamie Switalksi was the choice at designated hitter as one of two freshmen selected to the All-Conference First Team.
The All-Conference Second Team featured just two seniors in UMBC second baseman Vince Corbi and UMass Lowell third baseman Matt Sanchez. Corbi was one of five Retrievers to earn spots on the second team that also included catcher Hunter Dolshun, shorstop Kevin LaChance and outfielders Nick Naumann and Andrew Casali. A pair of freshmen landed on the starting pitching staff including Maine’s Justin Courtney and UMass Lowell’s Andrew Ryan. Albany sophomore Stephen Woods, who led the conference in opponent batting average against at .203, and Hartford junior Kyle Gauthier, who led the league in innings pitched, rounded out the starting pitchers. A total of six sophomores made the second team, including UMass Lowell sophomore outfielder Ian Strom, Hartford third baseman David MacKinnon and Stony Brook utility player Casey Baker who joined Casali, Dolshun and Woods. Maine’s Logan Fullmer earned the second team selection as a reliever, and Binghamton freshman Jason Agresti was named the designated hitter.
Five players were unanimously selected to the All-Rookie team, led by Rookie of the Year selection Chanin. He was joined by teammate Switalski, Albany’s Shawn Blake, Maine’s Courtney and Stony Brook’s Gazzola as unanimous picks. Five of the All-Rookie selections were also All-Conference selections that included Chanin, Switalski, Courtney, UMass Lowell’s Ryan and Binghamton’s Agresti. Binghamton placed two on the All-Rookie team along with CJ Krowiak, joining Hartford infielder Ben Bengston. UMBC had three selections, with infielder Mitch Carroll joining Chanin and Switalski. Stony Brook also had three picks as designated hitter Bobby Honeyman and pitcher Teddy Rodliff finished off the 12-man team.
Six of the 10 All-Academic Team selections also were All-Conference honorees including Binghamton’s Thomas, Hartford’s MacKinnon and Gauthier, Maine’s Fullmer, Stony Brook’s Peragine and UMBC’s Casali. The all-academic team also features Binghamton junior David Schanz and senior Zach Blanden, Hartford junior Sam McKay, UMas sLowell junior Matt Mottola and Stony Brook junior Johnny Caputo.
The 2015 America East Baseball Championship gets underway on Thursday, May 21 at 1 p.m. at LeLacheur Park in Lowell, Mass. The tournament champion will receive an automatic berth to the NCAA Championship.
| 2015 America East Baseball All-Conference Teams |
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| First Team |
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| Player |
Pos. |
Cl. |
School |
Hometown/Previous School |
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| Matt Chanin |
SP |
Fr. |
UMBC |
Olney, Md./Sherwood |
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| Conrad Wozniak* |
SP |
Jr. |
UMBC |
Cypress, Texas/Franklin Phillip College |
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| Tyler Honahan* |
SP |
Jr. |
Stony Brook |
Parker, Colo./Legend |
|
| Daniel Zamora |
SP |
So. |
Stony Brook |
La Puente, Calif./Bishop Amat |
|
| Denis Mikush |
RP |
Jr. |
UMBC |
Burke, Va./Robinson |
|
| Cole Peragine* |
C |
Sr. |
Stony Brook |
Belle Ewart, Ontario/Nantyr Shores School |
|
| Anthony Gatto |
1B |
Jr. |
UMBC |
Hauppauge, N.Y./Smithtown West |
|
| Robert Chavarria |
2B |
Sr. |
Stony Brook |
Garden Grove, Calif./Cypress College |
|
| Danny Mendick |
SS |
Sr. |
UMass Lowell |
Rochester, N.Y./Pittsford-Mendon |
|
| Luke Morrill |
3B |
Sr. |
Maine |
South Thomaston, Maine/Rockland |
|
| Jake Thomas* |
OF |
Sr. |
Binghamton |
Merrick, N.Y./Calhoun |
|
| Toby Handley |
OF |
So. |
Stony Brook |
Whitby, Ontario/Sinclair Secondary School |
|
| Jack Parenty* |
OF |
Jr. |
Stony Brook |
Wantagh, N.Y./Holy Trinity |
|
| Jamie Switalski |
DH |
Fr. |
UMBC |
Gibsonia, Pa./Pine-Richland |
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| Scott Heath* |
UTIL |
Sr. |
Maine |
Westbrook, Maine/Westbrook |
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| Second Team |
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| Player |
Pos. |
Cl. |
School |
Hometown/Previous School |
|
| Stephen Woods |
SP |
So. |
Albany |
Dix Hills, N.Y./Half Hallows East |
|
| Kyle Gauthier |
SP |
Jr. |
Hartford |
Lynn, Mass./Lynn Classical |
|
| Justin Courtney |
SP |
Fr. |
Maine |
Bangor, Maine/Bangor |
|
| Andrew Ryan |
SP |
Fr. |
UMass Lowell |
Rochester, Mass./Old Rochester Regional |
|
| Logan Fullmer |
RP |
Jr. |
Maine |
Lebanon, Pa./Cedar Crest |
|
| Hunter Dolshun |
C |
So. |
UMBC |
Warwick, N.Y./Warwick Valley |
|
| David MacKinnon |
1B |
So. |
Hartford |
Easton, Mass./Oliver Ames |
|
| Vince Corbi |
2B |
Sr. |
UMBC |
Medford, N.Y./Shawnee |
|
| Kevin LaChance |
SS |
Jr. |
UMBC |
Clifton, Va./Centreville |
|
| Matt Sanchez |
3B |
Sr. |
UMass Lowell |
Sunrise, Fla./Nova |
|
| Andrew Casali |
OF |
So. |
UMBC |
New Canaan, Conn./New Canaan |
|
| Nick Naumann |
OF |
Jr. |
UMBC |
Essex, Md./Chestnut Hill College |
|
| Ian Strom |
OF |
So. |
UMass Lowell |
Hopedale, Mass./Hopedale |
|
| Jason Agresti |
DH |
Fr. |
Binghamton |
Yorktown Heights, N.Y./Kennedy Catholic |
|
| Casey Baker |
UTIL |
So. |
Stony Brook |
Ronkonkoma, N.Y./Connetquot |
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| All-Rookie (12 due to tie in voting) |
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| Player |
Pos. |
|
School |
Hometown/Previous School |
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| Shawn Blake* |
INF |
|
Albany |
Statford, Conn./Fairfield Prep |
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| CJ Krowiak |
INF |
|
Binghamton |
Endicott, N.Y./Union-Endicott |
|
| Jason Agresti |
INF |
|
Binghamton |
Yorktown Heights, N.Y./Kennedy Catholic |
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| Ben Bengston |
INF |
|
Hartford |
Conord, N.H./Concord |
|
| Justin Courtney* |
P |
|
Maine |
Bangor, Maine/Bangor |
|
| Mitch Carroll |
INF |
|
UMBC |
Oakton, Va./Oakton |
|
| Matt Chanin* |
P |
|
UMBC |
Olney, Md./Sherwood |
|
| Jamie Switalski* |
INF |
|
UMBC |
Gibsonia, Pa./Pine-Richland |
|
| Andrew Ryan |
P |
|
UMass Lowell |
Rochester, Mass./Old Rochester Regional |
|
| Andruw Gazzola* |
OF |
|
Stony Brook |
Coram, N.Y./Longwood |
|
| Bobby Honeyman |
INF |
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Stony Brook |
Massapequa, N.Y./Massapequa |
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| Teddy Rodliff |
P |
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Stony Brook |
Quincy, Mass./Newton North |
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| 2015 America East Baseball All-Academic Team |
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| Name |
Cl. |
School |
Hometown |
GPA |
Major |
| Zach Blanden |
Sr. |
Binghamton |
Homer, N.Y. |
3.34 |
Industrial & Systems Engineering |
| David Schanz* |
Jr. |
Binghamton |
Edison, N.J. |
3.71 |
Accounting |
| Jake Thomas* |
Sr. |
Binghamton |
Merrick, N.Y. |
3.55 |
Finance |
| Kyle Gauthier |
Jr. |
Hartford |
Lynn, Mass. |
3.69 |
Insurance/Finance |
| David MacKinnon* |
So. |
Hartford |
Easton, Mass. |
3.95 |
Business |
| Sam McKay |
Jr. |
Hartford |
Weymouth, Mass. |
3.95 |
Business |
| Logan Fullmer* |
Jr. |
Maine |
Lebanon, Pa. |
3.74 |
Food Science & Human Nutrition |
| Andrew Casali |
So. |
UMBC |
New Canaan, Conn. |
3.33 |
Economics |
| Matt Mottola |
Jr. |
UMass Lowell |
Newburyport, Mass. |
3.63 |
Business |
| Johnny Caputo |
Jr. |
Stony Brook |
Toronto, Ontario |
3.66 |
Business |
| Cole Peragine |
Sr. |
Stony Brook |
Belle Ewart, Ontario |
3.34 |
Health Science |
| -10 due to tie in voting |
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| Rookie of the Year |
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| Matt Chanin, UMBC |
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| Pitcher of the Year |
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| Conrad Wozniak, UMBC |
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| Player of the Year |
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| Jack Parenty, Stony Brook |
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| Coach of the Year |
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| Bob Mumma, UMBC* |
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| * Denotes unanimous selection |
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