Bridgeport, Conn. – St. Thomas Aquinas
senior catcher, Mike Russo, has been named the National Collegiate
Baseball Writers Association East Region Player of the Year, while
eight other ECC standouts have earned All-Region honors.
Russo, the ECC Player of the Year, takes home the top honor from
the NCBWA as well after producing a standout season with the bat
for the ECC Champion, Spartans. Russo is currently hitting .349
with an East Region high 11 homeruns and 62 runs batted in on the
season. He has also compiled 17 doubles, four triples, 119 total
bases, 47 runs, and 61 hits on the season to rank in the top four
in the ECC in each category. Russo’s .427 on-base percentage
and .680 slugging percentage are also among the tops in the
ECC.
St. Thomas Aquinas' Head Coach, Scott Muscat was also named the East Region Coach of the Year. Also the ECC Coach of the Year, Muscat led the Spartans to a program record 39 wins, their first ever ECC title, and the first trip to the NCAA Tournament in school history.
Joining Russo on the NCBWA All-East Region First Team are senior
second baseman Effrain Bautista and sophomore outfielder Rich
Baerga of St. Thomas Aquinas, and junior starting pitcher Tyler
Badamo of Dowling College. Bautista and Baerga were both ECC First
Teamers, while Badamo was the ECC Pitcher of the Year after leading
the conference with seven wins and 95 strikeouts.
Second Team selections from the ECC include Stanley Susana (So.,
3B, St. Thomas Aquinas), John Ascenzia (Jr., SS, Bridgeport),
Carlos Guzman (Jr., OF, Molloy), Robert Frank (Jr., SP, St. Thomas
Aquinas), and C.J. Ferrigi (Jr., RP, St. Thomas Aquinas).
2013 NCBWA
All-East Region Team
First Team
C: Mike Russo, St. Thomas Aquinas, Senior, Boca Raton, Fla.
1B: Luis Gonzalez, Concordia (N.Y.). Senior, Carmel. N.Y.
2B: Efrain Bautista St. Thomas Aquinas, Senior, Bani, D.R.
3B: Josh Hampton, Wilmington (Del.), Junior, West Grove Penn.
SS: Dan Kemp, Franklin Pierce, Senior, Sturbridge. Mass.
OF: Rich Baerga, St. Thomas Aquinas, Sophomore, Pomona, N.Y.
OF: Casey Cotter, Merrimack, Senior, North Hampton, N.H.
OF: Andrew Pezzuto, Southern New Hampshire, Grad. Student,
Hastings-on-Hudson, N.Y.
DH: James Pjura, Pace, Junior, Shelton, Conn.
UTL: Robert Kelly, St. Anselm, Senior, Rancho Margarita, Calif.
SP: Tyler Badamo, Dowling, Junior, Mt. Sinai, N.Y.
SP: Trevor Graham, Franklin Pierce, Junior, Sebastian, Fla.
SP: Dave Hatt, Wilmington (Del.), Senior, Toronto, Ontario,
Canada
SP: Junior Mendez, Southern New Hampshire, Junior, Patchogue,
N.Y.
RP: Dillon McNamara, Adelphi, Senior, Staten Island, N.Y.
Second Team
C: Matt Lopes, Wilmington (Del.), Sophomore, Deerfield Beach,
Fla.
1B: Zach Mathieu, Franklin Pierce, Junior, Derry, N.H.
2B: Vincent Sharkey, Adelphi, Sophomore, Lynbrook, N.Y.
3B: Stanley Susana, St. Thomas Aquinas, Sophomore, Puerto Plata,
DR
SS: John Ascenzia, Bridgeport, Junior, West Haven, Conn.
OF: Geoff DeGroot, UMass Lowell, Sophomore, Wesley Chapel, Fla.
OF: Carlos Guzman, Molloy, Junior, Bloomingburg, N.Y.
OF: Pat Wiese, LeMoyne, Junior, Fayetteville, N.Y.
DH: Christian Florito, Concordia (N.Y.), Sophomore, Yonkers,
N.Y.
UTL: Frank Samluck, Wilmington (Del.), Sophomore, Middletown,
Del.
SP: Shane Beauchemin, UMass Lowell, Sophomore, Manchester, N.H.
SP: Robert Frank, St. Thomas Aquinas, Junior, Closter, N.J.
SP: Ray Gambone, Wilmington (Del.), Sophomore, King of Prussia,
P.A.
SP: Pat Simone, New Haven, Junior, Branford, Conn.
RP: C.J. Ferrigi, St. Thomas Aquinas, Junior, Bellmore, N.Y.
Player of the Year: Mike Russo, Catcher, St.
Thomas Aquinas, Senior, Boca Raton, Fla.
Pitcher of the Year: Dave Hatt, Wilmington (Del.),
Senior, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Coach of the Year: Scott Muscat, St. Thomas
Aquinas College
