May 25, 2011
WILMINGTON, N.C. (May 25, 2011) - ODU's senior lefthander Kyle Hald (Springfield, VA. )was named CAA Co-Pitcher Of the Year and head coach Nate Goulet the CAA Coach of the Year in voting by the league's head coaches. James Madison junior catcher Jake Lowery (Midlothian, Va.) was selected as the 2011 CAA baseball Player of the Year, while William & Mary senior Logan Billbrough (Miami, Fla.) shared pitching honors with Hald.
The 2011 CAA Baseball Championship Banquet is now available on YouTube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xfUEX6-9A6s.
Reliever Adam Wisniewski (Norfolk, VA.), shorstop Josh Wright (Bridgewater, VA.)joined Hald on first team All-CAA, while freshman designated hitter Joey Burney (Gloucester, VA.) and Dean Ali (Chesapeake, VA.) were named to the All-Rookie team.
Other top honors went to Towson senior shortstop Nick Natoli (Ellicott City, Md.) as the CAA Defensive Player of the Year and Northeastern freshman outfielder Aaron Barbosa (Dracut, Mass.) as the CAA Rookie of the Year.
Hald compiled an 8-2 record with a 3.51 ERA for the Monarchs this season. The senior left-hander led the conference with 10.24 strikeouts per game, fanning 102 batters in 89.2 innings. He went at least six innings in 12 of his 13 starts and struck out seven or more batters 10 times. Hald walked just 42 batters and limited opponents to a .229 batting average. Hald is currently sixth all-time at ODU in career strikeouts with 250 in 252 innings of work.
In his first season as head coach of the Monarchs, Goulet guided the Monarchs to a 28-24 overall record and a second-place finish in the conference with a 19-11 mark. His squad won eight consecutive CAA series from mid-March until mid-May and posted their most league victories since 2006. THe Monarchs were also 12-9
on the road, second only to JMU who was 16-9. THe Monarchs also won four CAA road games for 10 of those 12 victories. ODU was picked to finish seventh in the CAA's pre-season coaches poll.
Josh Wright took over at shortstop this year and ranked among the CAA's top hitters in average (3rd) ata .376, homers (6th) with 12, total bases (4th) with 129, on base percentage (4th) at .467, and second in slugging percentage at .713. In CAA games, Wright hit .440 with eight homers, 30 RBI and a .798 slugging percentage. His 30 career home runs rank him seventh all-time at ODU.
Senior reliever Adam Wisniewski led the CAA with 14 saves this year which is a new ODU single season record. Wisniewski had a 3.12 ERA with 33 strikeouts in 26 innings of work. He saved nine games in CAA play with a 1.76 ERA. He is currently third all-time at ODU in career saves.
Two Monarch newcomers Joey Burney were selected to the All-Rookie team. Ali the set-up man for closer Adam Wisniewski compiled a 2.73 ERA with 42 strikeouts in 52.2 innings of work. Burney was the Monarchs designated hitter most of the season. He hit .272 with seven homers and 33 RBI, but in CAA games Burney hit .286 with seven homers and 28 RBI and a slugging percentage of .531.
Lowery posted one of the best offensive seasons in CAA history in 2011. The Dukes' catcher batted .348 and led the conference in runs (72), home runs (22), triples (8), RBI's (81), total bases (178) and slugging percentage (.805). He currently ranks among the top five in the nation in runs (2nd), triples (4th), homers (2nd), RBI's (1st), total bases (1st) and slugging percentage (3rd). Lowery is one of 36 semifinalists for the Dick Howser Trophy, which is awarded to the nation's top player, and is one of 13 semifinalists for the Johnny Bench Award, which is presented to the nation's top collegiate catcher.
Billbrough went 7-2 for the Tribe this season and led the CAA with a 2.58 ERA. The senior right-hander topped the conference with 97.2 innings pitched and recorded a league-high 105 strikeouts while walking only 32. He threw a complete-game, 1-hit shutout in W&M's victory at Delaware on March 26 and struck out a school-record 16 batters in a complete-game shutout of Northeastern on April 30. The effort against Northeastern earned him National Player of the Week accolades from Collegiate Baseball. Opponents batted just .225 against Billbrough this season.
Natoli had an excellent year defensively for Towson, committing only 13 errors in 283 chances at shortstop for an impressive .954 fielding percentage. He played a vital role in a Tigers' defense that led the CAA with a .969 fielding percentage and turned 59 double plays. Natoli also had a solid season offensively batting .314 with 32 RBI and 19 stolen bases.
Barbosa batted .335 with eight doubles and a team-high 31 runs scored for Northeastern. The freshman outfielder was 29-for-34 in stolen bases, which led the conference and broke the Huskies' season thefts record.
Georgia State and Old Dominion placed a league-high three players on the All-CAA first team. The Panthers were represented by senior second baseman Rob Lind (.333, 37 RBI), junior third baseman Brandon Williams (.350, 36 RBI) and senior outfielder Mark Micowski (.362, 48 RBI). Making the squad from the Monarchs were Hald, junior shortstop Josh Wright (.376, 44 RBI) and senior relief pitcher Adam Wisniewski (14 saves).
Delaware had a pair of repeat selections on the All-CAA first team with senior first baseman Steve Ulaky (.339, 54 RBI) and senior outfielder Pat Dameron (.363, 45 RBI). Five other schools had one player make the first team. Joining JMU's Lowery and W&M's Billbrough were Hofstra junior outfielder Danny Poma (.382, 28 RBI), VCU junior utility player Taylor Perkins (.320, 38 RBI) and UNC Wilmington junior designated hitter Thomas Pope (league-best .411, 44 RBI).
The awards were presented on Wednesday evening in Wilmington, N.C. on the eve of the 2011 CAA Baseball Championship, which gets underway Thursday afternoon at Brooks Field. Georgia State will play James Madison at 3:00, followed by ODU and UNC Wilmington at 7 p.m. Follow all the action on line on www.CAAsports.com.
2011 ALL-CAA BASEBALL TEAMFirst TeamC - Jake Lowery, James Madison1B - Steve Ulaky, Delaware2B - Rob Lind, Georgia StateSS - Josh Wright, Old Dominion3B - Brandon Williams, Georgia StateOF - Pat Dameron, DelawareOF - Mark Micowski, Georgia StateOF - Danny Poma, HofstraUT - Taylor Perkins, VCUDH - Thomas Pope, UNC WilmingtonSP - Logan Billbrough, William & MarySP - Kyle Hald, Old DominionRP - Adam Wisniewski, Old Dominion
Player of the Year: Jake Lowery, James MadisonCo-Pitchers of the Year: Logan Billbrough, William & Mary and Kyle Hald, Old DominionDefensive Player of the Year: Nick Natoli, TowsonRookie of the Year: Aaron Barbosa, NortheasternCoach of the Year: Nate Goulet, Old Dominion
Second TeamC - Andrew Parker, Towson1B - Hunter Ridge, UNC Wilmington2B - Chris Cook, George MasonSS - David Herbek, James Madison3B - Matt Campbell, UNC WilmingtonOF- Johnny Bladel, James MadisonOF - Andrew Cain, UNC WilmingtonOF - Bill Cullen, VCUUT - Brig Tison, George MasonDH - Drew Shields, Georgia StateSP - Will Campbell, Georgia StateSP - Charlie Cononie, TowsonRP - Brett Koehler, William & Mary
Third TeamC - Matt Reistetter, Hofstra1B - Austin Harclerode, Towson2B - Jonathan Slattery, William & MarySS - Nick Natoli, Towson3B - Chris Wychock, TowsonOF - Aaron Barbosa, NortheasternOF - Alex Foltz, James MadisonOF - John Lenherr, VCUUT - Ty McFarland, James MadisonDH - Dylan Nasiatka, HofstraSP - Sean Tierney, James MadisonSP - Les Williams, NortheasternRP - Jake Dyer, Georgia State
All-Rookie TeamDean Ali, Old DominionAaron Barbosa, NortheasternJoey Burney, Old DominionJoey Cujas, VCUBill Cullen, VCUBlaise Fernandez, George MasonKenny Jackson, HofstraConnor Lyons, NortheasternTy McFarland, James MadisonE.J. Stoltzfus, Delaware