Baseball Major Award, All-Landmark Honorees Announced
TOWSON, Md. – The seven Landmark baseball coaches voted and chose Elizabethtown's Derek Manning as the 2018 Baseball Player of the Year. Moravian's Rhett Jacoby earned Pitcher of the Year honors while Juniata's Isaac Maclay picked up Rookie of the Year honors. Catholic Head Coach Ross Natoli and his Staff received Coach of the Year accolades.
Manning is the second straight Blue Jay to earn Player of the Year honors, joining Kyle Fackler who earned the recognition last season. Manning led the conference, hitting .457 during the season to go along with 35 RBI, 22 doubles, three home runs, and nine stolen bases. He hit .469 in conference games and helped the Jays to its third straight Landmark championship appearance last weekend. Manning hit safely in 32 of 39 games played this season, having multiple hits in 25 of those games. In the postseason, Manning went 5-for-8 with two runs scored. He also set a new school single-season record with his 22nd double and registered his 100th career hit on Saturday against Catholic. At the conclusion of the conference championship, Manning ranks fourth in all of Division III in doubles, 10th in batting average, and 19th in hits.
Jacoby was the model of consistency for the Greyhounds this season as the hurler posted a league-best 2.48 earned run average. He finished the season with a 5-3 record, two saves and two complete games. In conference games, the junior went 3-1 with 30 strikeouts.
Maclay, a freshman designated hitter, hit .344 with 44 hits, seven doubles, eight homeruns, 27 RBI, 13 walks and 28 runs scored. In the field, Maclay had 23 put outs and turned three double plays. His eight homeruns were tied for second in the Landmark. His eight homers also tied for the sixth most in a single season in Juniata history.
Natoli and his staff earned their first Coaching Staff of the Year honor. The Cardinals made the Landmark playoffs for the 11th straight year and won their fifth Landmark title on Sunday.
Six of the 13 First Team selections are repeat honorees. Catholic's Jon Mierzwa returns as a First Team Starting Pitcher selection. Mierzwa pitched 54.2 innings and posted a 4-1 record. He boasts a 2.80 ERA and fanned 75 batters. He joins Jacoby and Elizabethtown's Anthony Lippy as the First Team selections.
Cotter earns his second nod to the First Team. The first baseman lead the league in RBI (64), homeruns (10), and hit .368 in 44 games. In the Landmark championship, he went 8-for-20 with 10 RBI and four doubles. Cotter was named the Most Valuable Player of the championships.
Drew's Zach Lipshitz was the Rangers leader as a middle infielder. The junior, who is making his second appearance as a First Team selection at Short Stop, hit .395 this season with 25 RBI and eight stolen bases. Joining his is Moravian's Evan Kulig at third. Kulig earns his second nod on the First Team after batting .383 with 39 RBI.
Scranton's Tommy Trotter is the only player to make the Landmark First Team all four years. The senior finished his senior campaign hitting .359, recording 28 RBI, swiping 20 stolen bases, and had 12 doubles, three triples, and three homeruns. The senior finished with a career batting average of .369, 47 stolen bases, 101 RBI, 44 doubles, nine triples, and 219 hits.
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| Player of the Year |
Pitcher of the Year |
Rookie of the Year |
Coach of the Year |
Derek Manning
Elizabethtown |
Rhett Jacoby
Moravian |
Isaac Maclay
Juniata |
Ross Natoli
Catholic |
The 2018 Landmark Baseball All-Conference Teams:
| First Team |
|
Second Team |
| SP |
Jon Mierzwa ^ |
Catholic |
Jr. |
Laurel, Md. |
|
SP |
Braden Stinar |
Elizabethtown |
Jr. |
Forest Hill, Md. |
| SP |
Anthony Lippy |
Elizabethtown |
Sr. |
Hanover, Pa. |
|
SP |
Pat Rohr |
Scranton |
Jr. |
Audubon, Pa. |
| SP |
Rhett Jacoby * |
Moravian |
Jr. |
Orefield, Pa. |
|
SP |
Bobby Grigas ^ |
Susquehanna |
So. |
Frackville, Pa. |
| RP |
Will Carey |
Susquehanna |
Fr. |
Wallingford, Pa. |
|
RP |
Jack Ropelewski |
Catholic |
So. |
Gaithersburg, Md. |
| C |
Anthony Knight |
Elizabethtown |
Jr. |
Lancaster, Pa. |
|
C |
Kevin Nolan |
Scranton |
Sr. |
Ossining, N.Y. |
| 1B |
Brennan Cotter ^ |
Catholic |
Sr. |
Oakland, N.J. |
|
1B |
Cole Luzins |
Susquehanna |
Sr. |
Phoenixville, Pa. |
| 2B |
Ian Csencsits |
Moravian |
So. |
Northampton, Pa. |
|
2B |
Ryan Tracy |
Catholic |
Jr. |
Rumford, R.I. |
| 3B |
Evan Kulig ^ |
Moravian |
Jr. |
Allentown, Pa. |
|
3B |
Patrick Mergel |
Scranton |
Sr. |
Bethlehem, Pa. |
| SS |
Zach Lipshitz ^ |
Drew |
Jr. |
Scotch Plains, N.J. |
|
SS |
Nick Lorenz |
Elizabethtown |
Sr. |
McAlisterville, Pa. |
| OF |
Derek Manning |
Elizabethtown |
So. |
East Petersburg, Pa. |
|
OF |
Bailey Lewis |
Catholic |
Jr. |
Matthews, N.C. |
| OF |
Austin Markowski |
Moravian |
Jr. |
Neshanic Station, N.J. |
|
OF |
Ryan Sabbag |
Drew |
Sr. |
Miami, Fla. |
| OF |
Tommy Trotter ^*$ |
Scranton |
Sr. |
Cranford, N.J. |
|
OF |
Chris Schreder |
Juniata |
Sr. |
Lititz, Pa. |
| DH |
Jake Crist |
Catholic |
Sr. |
Greencastle, Pa. |
|
OF |
Nick Berger |
Susquehanna |
Jr. |
Franklin Lakes, N.J. |
| |
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DH |
Isaac Maclay |
Juniata |
Fr. |
Belleville, Pa. |
^ 2017 First Team All-Landmark
* 2016 First Team All-Landmark
$ 2015 First Team All-Landmark