Baseball Major Award, All-Landmark Honorees Announced
TOWSON, Md. — Three different schools took home hardware as the Landmark announced its four major baseball awards. Susquehanna walked away with two while Elizabethtown and Moravian were the other two winners.
The eight conference coaches chose Susquehanna's Justin Cassinelli as the Player of the Year, while SU head coach Denny Bowers and his staff were named Coaching Staff of the Year. Elizabethtown's Kevin Elwell was named Pitcher of the Year, and Moravian's Mike Mittl was picked as the Rookie of the Year.
Cassinelli was an offensive threat all season, hitting a league-leading .497 with 43 RBI and topped the conference in homeruns with 11. He registered a hit in 34 of his 39 games, 22 of which were multi-hit games. The senior also had 13 stolen bases and a slugging percentage of .849, which led the conference.
Elwell topped the conference in wins (10) and was third in earned run average (3.18). Five of his 11 starts were complete games. Over 70.2 innings pitched, he held opponents to just a .231 batting average.
Mittl had a great rookie season, hitting .323 with 24 RBI, seven doubles, and five homeruns, and his 13 stolen bases were third-best in the conference.
Bowers earned his second career Landmark Conference Coach of the Year honor, with his previous recognition coming in 2014. This season, Bowers and assistant coaches Sadler Rogers and Rob Shrawder have guided SU to 26 victories heading into the Landmark Conference Championship series.
Eleven other players joined Elwell and Cassinelli as First Team All-Landmark performers, while an additional 14 earned Second Team recognition.
Susquehanna catcher Zach Leone was the fourth player to hit over .400, as he managed a .449 clip to go along with 18 doubles and 46 RBI. He .746 slugging percentage was second in the league. Liam Conboy joins Leone as a First Team selection. Conboy led the league in saves with eight.
Moravian continued its streak of reaching the playoffs every year as a member of the Landmark, and the Greyhounds were rewarded with four selections on the first team.
Starting pitchers Ryan Kahn and Rhett Jacoby each earned a First Team nod. Kahn led the conference with a 1.42 ERA. Jacoby was second in the conference with 58 strikeouts and an ERA of 4.05.
Alex Bull is the final player to hit over .400, finishing the season with a .402 average. He also had 33 RBI and three homeruns. Teammate Charles Savite hit .342 and was fifth in homeruns (5) and sixth in RBI (37).
Two more Blue Jays were included on the First Team with Elwell. Kyle Fackler, a 2015 First Team selection, and outfielder Aaron Rahn made the list. Fackler hit .377 with 26 RBI and six stolen bases while Rahn hit .369 with 38 RBI, 21 walks, and 16 doubles.
Scranton's Brad Schneider earned the league's top shortstop honor. The sophomore hit .367 with 23 RBI, five stolen bases, and a slugging percentage of .475. Tommy Trotter, who was also a Fist Team selection in 2015, had 26 RBI for the Royals and hit .370.
|
|
|
|
| Player of the Year |
Pitcher of the Year |
Rookie of the Year |
Coach of the Year |
Justin Cassinelli,
Susquehanna
|
Kevin Elwell,
Elizabethtown
|
Mike Mittl,
Moravian
|
Denny Bowers,
Susquehanna |
The 2016 Landmark Baseball All-Conference Teams:
| First Team |
|
Second Team |
| SP |
Kevin Elwell
|
Elizabethtown |
Jr.
|
Clarks Summit, Pa. |
|
SP |
Jon Mierzwa |
Catholic |
Fr.
|
Laurel, Md. |
| SP |
Ryan Kahn |
Moravian |
So.
|
Bayonne, N.J. |
|
SP |
Anthony Lippy |
Elizabethtown |
So.
|
Hanover, Pa. |
| SP |
Rhett Jacoby |
Moravian |
Fr.
|
Orefield, Pa. |
|
SP |
John Cooley |
Susquehanna |
Jr.
|
South Salem, N.Y. |
| RP |
Liam Conboy |
Susquehanna |
Jr.
|
Old Tappan, N.J. |
|
SP |
Andrew Spinnenweber |
USMMA |
Fr.
|
Pasadena, Md. |
| C |
Zach Leone ^
|
Susquehanna |
So.
|
Pelham, N.Y. |
|
RP |
Joseph Salzano ^ |
Catholic |
Jr.
|
South Riding, Va. |
| 1B |
Charles Savite *
|
Moravian |
Sr.
|
Hackettstown, N.J. |
|
C |
Danny O'Hagan |
Catholic |
So.
|
Laurel, Md. |
| 2B |
Kyle Fackler ^ |
Elizabethtown |
Jr.
|
Harrisburg, Pa. |
|
1B |
Zach Dignam |
Scranton |
Sr.
|
Bridgewater, N.J. |
| 3B |
Alex Bull |
Moravian |
Sr.
|
Fair Haven, N.J. |
|
2B |
Anthony Feltre |
Drew |
Sr.
|
Raritan, N.J. |
| SS |
Brad Schneider |
Scranton |
So.
|
Ambler, Pa. |
|
3B |
Bryan Palsi |
Susquehanna
|
Sr.
|
Brielle, N.J. |
| OF |
Aaron Rahn |
Elizabethtown |
Sr.
|
Ickesburg, Pa. |
|
SS |
Nick Lorenz |
Elizabethtown |
So.
|
McAlisterville, Pa. |
| OF |
Tommy Trotter ^ |
Scranton |
So.
|
Cranford, N.J. |
|
OF |
Anthony Gaetaniello |
Moravian |
Jr.
|
Nazareth, Pa. |
| OF |
Justin Cassinelli |
Susquehanna |
Sr.
|
Valhalla, N.Y. |
|
OF |
Mike Mittl |
Moravian |
Fr.
|
Bethlehem, Pa. |
DH
|
Matt Cassinelli |
Susquehanna |
Sr.
|
Valhalla, N.Y. |
|
OF |
Taylor Luckenbill |
Susquehanna |
Jr.
|
Pottsville, Pa. |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
DH |
Tommy Broyles |
Drew |
Jr.
|
Eatontown, N.J. |
^ 2015 First Team All-Landmark
* 2014 First Team All-Landmark