DANBURY, Conn. – The Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) has announced its 2016 Division III Metro/Upstate Baseball All-ECAC Selections and major award winners.
Eric Hamilton of SUNY Oswego was named the ECAC DIII Metro/Upstate Baseball Player of the Year, with SUNY Cortland's Seth Lamando taking home the award for pitcher of the year. Nick Attardi from Farmingdale State College garnered the rookie of the year award, while St. John Fisher College's Brandon Potter collected the coach of the year accolade to round out the major awards.
Player of the Year
Eric Hamilton – SUNY Oswego, Jr., Third Base
Hamilton led the State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) in almost every offensive category. The junior ended the regular season with a .420 batting average, with 58 hits, 48 RBI and 42 runs scored. The infielder collected 25 extra-base hits, including 12 home runs, helping the Lakers earn the two-seed in the conference tournament. Hamilton was recently named an American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) Third Team All-American.
Pitcher of the Year
Seth Lamando – SUNY Cortland, Sr.
Lamando played a vital role for the Red Dragons in one of their best seasons in program history. The SUNYAC Pitcher of the Year ended the regular season with a perfect 8-0 record and a miniscule 0.890 ERA in 60.2 innings pitched. The senior piled up 62 strikeouts while walking only three, and allowed just 43 hits, helping Cortland keep a strong hold on the nation's No. 1 ranking for much of the season. Lamando recently earned national recognition for his efforts as well, as he received a nod to the ABCA All-American First Team.
Rookie of the Year
Nick Attardi – Farmingdale State College, Fr., Outfield
Attardi enjoyed a strong rookie season for Farmingdale State, batting .406 in the regular season with 12 RBI to his credit. The outfielder notched 41 hits in 101 at-bats in 2016, while also walking 21 times compared to just six strikeouts; he also swiped 13 bags on 20 attempts. In addition to his ECAC honors, the freshman was recently named to the ABCA All-New York Region Third Team as a result of his efforts.
Coach of the Year
Brandon Potter – St. John Fisher College
Potter guided the Cardinals to a 31-9 regular-season record and a 16-2 mark in the Empire 8, good for a first-place finish in conference. In his sixth season at the helm, Potter would go on to lead his squad to the NCAA DIII College World Series.
All-ECAC First Team
C: Nolan Schultz – University of Rochester, Sr.
1B: Seth Douglas – SUNY Canton, Jr.
2B: Joe Venturino – Ramapo College, Sr.
3B: Eric Hamilton – SUNY Oswego, Jr.
SS: K.C. Abel – William Paterson University, Gr.
DH: Sal Taormina – Kean University, Sr.
OF: Mike Abate – William Paterson University, Jr.
OF: Fabio Ricci – SUNY Cortland, Sr.
OF: Chris Miller – Clarkson University, Sr.
UTIL: Jayson Yano – Stevens Institute of Technology
P: Seth Lamando – SUNY Cortland, Sr.
P: Jim Dawson – St. John Fisher College, Fr.
P: Jake Fishman – Union College, Jr.
All-ECAC Second Team
C: Paul Ludden – The College at Brockport, Jr.
1B: Chris Davis – The College at Brockport, Sr.
2B: Wilson Matos – SUNY Canton, So.
3B: Robbie Lynch – Manhattanville University, Jr.
SS: Jordanis Nunez – Manhattanville University, Jr.
DH: Wesley Burghardt – The College at Brockport, Sr.
OF: Joe Brooks – Rutgers University – Camden, Jr.
OF: Adrian Spitz – New York University, Sr.
OF: Will Gorman – Rochester Institute of Technology, Jr.
UTIL: Conor Bawiec – Elmira College, So.
P: Sam McCumiskey – The College at Brockport, Jr.
P: Stephen Lewis – St. John Fisher College, Sr.
P: Turner Parry – Cortland State University, Sr.
ABOUT THE ECAC
In the 76 years since its inception, the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) has emerged as the nation's largest Conference. The ECAC has grown considerably from its charter membership of 58, boasting over 300 member schools in Divisions I, II and III, ranging in location from Maine to Georgia, and westerly to Missouri. In the 2015-16 academic year, the ECAC will host nearly 100 championships in 32 men's and women's sports as the sponsors of over 5,800 varsity teams and 111,000 male and female Players. For more information, visit www.ecacsports.com.
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