Delaware's Yezzo, UNCW's Batts Headline 2013 All-CAA Baseball Team
HARRISONBURG, Va. (May 21, 2013) – Delaware junior first baseman Jimmy Yezzo (Cherry Hill, N.J.) was selected as the 2013 CAA baseball Player of the Year and UNCW junior left-hander Mat Batts (Winston-Salem, N.C.) was chosen as the 2013 CAA Pitcher of the Year as the conference announced its post-season award winners on Tuesday night.
Other top honors went to Towson senior catcher Andrew Parker (Sykesville, Md.) as the CAA Defensive Player of the Year and Georgia State freshman outfielder Josh Merrigan (Marietta, Ga.) as the CAA Rookie of the Year. William & Mary’s Jamie Pinzino and UNCW’s Mark Scalf were named the CAA Co-Coaches of the Year.
Yezzo turned in one of the top offensive seasons in the nation in 2013. The junior leads the CAA and ranks among the top 10 in Division I in batting (.406/6th), hits (91/2nd), doubles (27/1st), RBI’s (63/10th), total bases (161/2nd) and slugging percentage (.719/4th), and is second in the league with 13 home runs. Earlier this season he had a streak of 44 consecutive games reaching base, which was the longest in the country. Yezzo also excelled defensively, committing just one error in 499 chances at first base. One of 35 semifinalists for the Dick Howser Trophy as the nation’s top player, Yezzo is the first Delaware player to ever receive the Bill Brooks CAA Player of the Year award.
Batts posted a 9-3 record and ranked sixth in the CAA with a 2.59 ERA. He leads the CAA and is ninth in Division I with 106 strikeouts in 100.2 innings of work and has fanned seven or more batters in nine consecutive starts. The junior southpaw threw a league-best six complete games, which is the sixth-highest total in the nation. He issued just 20 walks on the season and opponents hit only .231. Batts is UNCW’s first CAA Pitcher of the Year.
Parker enhanced his reputation as an outstanding defensive catcher with an impressive senior season. He silenced opponents’ running games by throwing out 26 of 49 attempted base stealers. Parker had a stellar .994 fielding percentage with just two errors in 307 chances. He also contributed offensively with a .261 batting average, eight home runs and 30 RBI’s.
Merrigan led all CAA freshmen in batting (.353), hits (84), runs scored (52), RBI’s (36), total bases (121) and stolen bases (12) this season. Among all freshmen in the nation, the Panthers’ outfielder ranked second in hits and runs and was fourth in batting average. He was also solid defensively, committing only one error in 119 chances.
In his first season as head coach at William & Mary, Pinzino led the Tribe to one of the best years in school history. W&M recorded a best-ever second-place finish and its 17 CAA victories were a school record. The Tribe enters the CAA Tournament with a 35-20 overall mark and needs just two more wins to tie the school record for victories in a season. He is the first William & Mary coach to receive CAA Coach of the Year accolades since 1993.
Scalf received CAA Coach of the Year honors for the sixth time after guiding UNCW to its second straight regular-season conference title with an 18-8 mark. The Seahawks went 37-19 overall and were ranked as high as 21st in the nation this season. UNCW upset #1 North Carolina in Chapel Hill on April 23, which was the Tar Heels’ only non-conference loss of the year. Scalf’s six CAA Coach of the Year awards are tied for the most in league history.
UNCW placed a league-high four players on the All-CAA first team. Batts was joined by senior second baseman Michael Bass (.381, 57 runs), junior third baseman Ryan LaGrange (.374, 46 RBI) and junior relief pitcher Kelly Secrest (3-1, 7 saves). Delaware had two players on the first team with Yezzo and senior outfielder Nick Ferdinand (.353, league-high 14 homers).
Seven teams had one player selected to the first team. Making the squad were Hofstra junior catcher Matt Reistetter (.326, 34 RBI), Georgia State junior shortstop Chad Prain (.394, 48 RBI), James Madison sophomore outfielder Chad Carroll (.393, 54 RBI) and Old Dominion junior outfielder Ben Verlander (.367, 11 HR). Also earning a spot were George Mason junior DH/pitcher Anthony Montefusco (5-5, 4.14 ERA/.238), Towson designated hitter Kurt Wertz (.335, 57 RBI) and William & Mary senior pitcher John Farrell (10-2, 2.42 ERA).
The awards were presented on Tuesday evening in Harrisonburg, Va. on the eve of the 2013 CAA Baseball Championship, which gets underway Wednesday at Veterans Memorial Park.
2013 ALL-CAA BASEBALL TEAM
(selected by CAA Head Baseball Coaches)
FIRST TEAM
| Player, School |
Pos. |
Cl. |
Hometown/Previous School |
2013 Stats |
| Matt Reistetter, Hofstra# |
C |
Jr. |
Hauppauge, N.Y./Hauppauge |
.326, 2 HR, 34 RBI |
| Jimmy Yezzo, Delaware% |
1B |
Jr. |
Cherry Hill, N.J./Bishop Eustace |
.406, 13 HR, 63 RBI |
| Michael Bass, UNCW# |
2B |
Sr. |
Fairmont, N.C./Fairmont |
.381, 35 RBI, 57 R, 24 SB |
| Chad Prain, Georgia State |
SS |
Jr. |
Valdosta, Ga./Valdosta |
.394, 4 HR, 48 RBI |
| Ryan LaGrange, UNCW |
3B |
Jr. |
Wilmington, N.C./Laney |
.374, 5 HR, 46 RBI |
| Chad Carroll, James Madison |
OF |
So. |
Oakton, Va./Oakton |
.393, 3 HR, 54 RBI |
| Nick Ferdinand, Delaware |
OF |
Sr. |
Bensalem, Pa./Bloomsburg |
.353, 14 HR, 59 RBI |
| Ben Verlander, Old Dominion |
OF |
Jr. |
Maidens, Va./Goochland |
.367, 11 HR, 37 RBI |
| Anthony Montefusco, George Mason |
UT |
Jr. |
Medford, N.J./Shawnee |
5-5, 4.14 ERA/.238, 17 RBI |
| Kurt Wertz, Towson |
DH |
Jr. |
South Williamsport, Pa./S. Williamsport |
.335, 11 HR, 57 RBI |
| Mat Batts, UNCW% |
SP |
Jr. |
Winston-Salem, N.C./W. Carolina |
9-3, 2.59 ERA, 106 K’s |
| John Farrell, William & Mary |
SP |
Sr. |
Andover, Mass./Andover |
10-2, 2.42 ERA, 81 K’s |
| Kelly Secrest, UNCW |
RP |
Jr. |
Mt. Airy, N.C./North Davidson |
3-1, 7 svs., 3.40 ERA |
2013 CAA PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Jimmy Yezzo, 1B, Delaware
2013 CAA PITCHER OF THE YEAR: Mat Batts, LHP, UNCW
2013 CAA DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Andrew Parker, C, Towson
2013 CAA ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: Josh Merrigan, OF, Georgia State
2013 CAA CO-COACHES OF THE YEAR: Jamie Pinzino, William & Mary and Mark Scalf, UNCW
SECOND TEAM
| Player, School |
Pos. |
Cl. |
Hometown/Previous School |
2013 Stats |
| Andrew Parker, Towson |
C |
Sr. |
Sykesville, Md./Cardinal Gibbons |
.261, 8 HR, 30 RBI |
| Rob Fonseca, Northeastern |
1B |
So. |
Madison, N.J./Seton Hall Prep |
.313, 4 HR, 33 RBI |
| Ryan Lindemuth, William & Mary% |
2B |
Jr. |
Burke, Va./Lake Braddock |
.341, 35 RBI, 50 R |
| Brock Niggebrugge, Delaware |
SS |
So. |
Bear, Del./Caravel Academy |
.292, 2 HR, 21 RBI |
| Caden Bailey, Georgia State |
3B |
So. |
Suwanee, Ga./Lambert |
.353, 1 HR, 33 RBI |
| Zach Fisher, Towson |
3B |
Gr. |
Baltimore, Md./Perry Hall |
.305, 30 RBI, 41 R |
| Aaron Barbosa, Northeastern# |
OF |
Jr. |
Dracut, Mass./Dracut |
.321, 16 RBI, 41 R, 26 SB |
| Peter Bowles, Towson |
OF |
So. |
Gaithersburg, Md./Quince Orchard |
.352, 7 HR, 45 RBI |
| Josh Merrigan, Georgia State |
OF |
Fr. |
Marietta, Ga./Walton |
.353, 4 HR, 36 RBI |
| Brandon Gonnella, Towson |
UT |
Jr. |
Morristown, N.J./Morristown |
.268, 20 RBI/4-3, 4.98 ERA |
| Chase Raffield, Georgia State |
DH |
Jr. |
Cochran, Ga./Bleckley County |
.382, 10 HR, 51 RBI |
| Kevin Ferguson, Northeastern |
SP |
Sr. |
Suffern, N.Y./St. Joseph’s Regional |
7-4, 2.49 ERA, 89 K’s |
| Chad Kuhl, Delaware |
SP |
Jr. |
Bear, Del./Middletown |
10-2, 3.53 ERA, 76 K’s |
| Matt Wainman, William & Mary |
RP |
Sr. |
Woodbridge, Va./Osbourn Park |
3-3, 5 svs., 3.50 ERA |
THIRD TEAM
| Player, School |
Pos. |
Cl. |
Hometown/Previous School |
2013 Stats |
| John Puttress, Northeastern |
C |
Sr. |
New Providence, R.I./New Providence |
.266, 18 RBI’s |
| Corey Dick, UNCW |
1B |
So. |
Albemarle, N.C./Albemarle |
.267, 7 HR, 34 RBI |
| Michael Katz, William & Mary |
1B |
So. |
Falls Church, Va./Bishop O’Connell |
.367, 3 HR, 41 RBI |
| DJ Long, Delaware |
2B |
Sr. |
Millsboro, Del./Sussex Central |
.271, 8 HR, 34 RBI |
| Terence Connelly, UNCW |
SS |
Fr. |
Garden City, N.Y./Chaminade |
.287, 21 RBI, 35 R |
| Blaise Fernandez, George Mason |
3B |
Jr. |
Bernville, Pa./Tulpehocken Area |
.330, 2 HR, 26 RBI |
| Johnny Bladel, James Madison |
OF |
Sr. |
Ashburn, Va./Stone Bridge |
.311, 21 RBI, 56 R |
| Luke Dunlap, UNCW |
OF |
So. |
Walnut Cove, N.C./East Forsyth |
.347, 6 HR, 43 RBI |
| Dominic Fratantuono, Towson |
OF |
Jr. |
Linthicum, Md./Cardinal Gibbons |
.327, 6 HR, 44 RBI |
| Colby Roberts, James Madison |
UT |
Sr. |
Benton, Ark./Crowder College |
.395, 5 HR, 35 RBI |
| Conner Brown, James Madison% |
DH |
Jr. |
Richmond, Va./Mills Godwin |
.343, 9 HR, 44 RBI |
| Jason Inghram, William & Mary |
SP |
So. |
Chesapeake, Va./Grassfield |
8-5, 2.53 ERA. 94 K’s |
| Jordan Ramsey, UNCW |
SP |
So. |
Lexington, N.C./North Davidson |
6-6, 2.34 ERA, 75 K’s |
| Stephen Richter, Delaware |
RP |
Sr. |
Wayne, Pa./West Chester |
4-0, 3 svs., 1.66 ERA |
# - 2
nd team All-CAA in 2012 % - 3
rd team in 2012
CAA ALL-ROOKIE TEAM
| Player, School |
Pos. |
Cl. |
Hometown/High School |
2013 Stats |
| Tommy Alexander, Old Dominion |
P |
Fr. |
Forty Fort, Pa./Wyoming Valley West |
3-3, 4.98 ERA, 38 K’s |
| Terence Connelly, UNCW |
SS |
Fr. |
Garden City, N.Y./Chaminade |
.287, 21 RBI, 35 R |
| Michael Foster, Northeastern |
2B/P |
Fr. |
Pickering, Ontario/St. Mary CCS |
.277, 34 RBI/1-1, 2.84 ERA |
| PJ Higgins, Old Dominion |
2B |
Fr. |
Wallingford, Conn./The Gunnery |
.336, 14 RBI |
| Ryan Hissey, William & Mary |
C |
Fr. |
West Chester, Pa./Unionville |
.277, 29 RBI, 31 R |
| Josh Merrigan, Georgia State |
OF |
Fr. |
Marietta, Ga./Walton |
.353, 4 HR, 36 RBI |
| James Mulry, Northeastern |
P |
Fr. |
West Roxbury, Mass./Boston Latin |
2-3, 4.54 ERA, 39 K’s |
| Connor Myers, Old Dominion |
OF |
Fr. |
Middletown, Md./Middletown |
.300, 17 RBI, 33 R |
| Joey Roach, Georgia State |
C |
Fr. |
Holly Springs, N.C./Holly Springs |
.296, 4 HR, 24 RBI |
| Matt Rose, Georgia State |
IF/P |
Fr. |
Melbourne, Fla./Palm Bay |
.283, 32 RBI/3-2, 2.55 ERA |