District Notebook: Preseason recognition
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There is snow on the ground and a little more of the white stuff is expected tomorrow. What better time for some baseball news.
Six players from Western Pennsylvania colleges have been named to the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Division II Preseason All-America teams.
California University of Pennsylvania outfielder Sam DiMatteo, a Center High School graduate, and IUP catcher T.J. Nichols are on the first team. Seton Hill catcher Pat Trettel, a North Allegheny High product, and Slippery Rock starting pitcher Vince Lloyd from Beaver Falls are on the second team. Second baseman Billy Messer and outfielder Jacob Oswalt, both of Slippery Rock, are on the third team.
DiMatteo, a third-team choice last season as a junior, hit .405 last season with 40 stolen bases, 12 doubles, 12 homers, 50 RBIs and 57 runs. Nichols hit .467 last season while splitting time between catcher, the outfield and as IUP's designated hitter.
A senior, Trettel is the first Seton Hill baseball player to earn Preseason All-America honors and the only player from a West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference to be named to one of the teams.
"He's well deserving of this and it's not surprising after the season he had," Seton Hill coach Marc Marizzaldi said. "He had to sit out his third season here after arm surgery and he used that time to lose about 30 pounds and really get himself into shape. He benefited from that."
Last season Trettel set Seton Hills' home run record with 15. He hit .343 with 7 doubles, 47 RBIs and 33 runs scored.
"He has professional power and he's now known for that, but he's also an outstanding defensive catcher with a strong arm," Marizzaldi said. "He's the total package. Someone [professional team] would be crazy not to take him [in the draft]. He has all the tools."
A right-hander, Lloyd led the Rock pitching staff with an 8-1 record and a 3.19 ERA last season. He struck out 58 and walked just 24 in 532/3 innings.
Messer hit .344 with 14 doubles, 4 homers and 37 RBIs last year, while Oswalt batted .379 with 16 doubles, 5 home runs and 43 RBIs.
Three California University football players -- wide receivers Dominique Curry and A.J. Jackson and cornerback Terrence Johnson -- have been selected to play in the Cactus Bowl, an All-Star game for NCAA Division II seniors, Jan. 8 at Texas A&M-Kingsville's Javelina Stadium. Johnson, a Woodland Hills High School graduate, had 56 tackles this season with 9 pass breakups, 4 tackles for losses and 2 forced fumbles. Johnson finished his career with 178 tackles, 16 interceptions and 35 pass breakups.
Jackson finished the season with 101 receptions for 1,424 yards and 18 touchdowns. Curry was the Vulcans' special teams whiz and had 13 tackles (nine solo stops) and blocked two kicks. This is the fourth time in five years California has had players selected for the Catus Bowl.
Washington & Jefferson wide receiver Craig Besong, an Ambridge High School graduate, has been named to the D3football.com Division III All-America team. Besong, who finished the season with 90 receptions for 1,064 yards and nine touchdowns, was named to the third-team offense. He ranked 12th in the nation in receptions per game with 8.2.
Besong, who is6 feet 3, 220 pounds, was named to the second-team All-South Region squad by D3football.com earlier this month.
IUP, which is 8-0 and No. 4 in the National Association of Basketball Coaches' Division II poll, isn't the only Western Pennsylvania PSAC men's team receiving national recognition. Slippery Rock, also off to an 8-0 start, is one of 10 teams in the "others receiving votes" category in the national poll released Tuesday. The Rock and IUP do not meet until the Crimson Hawks visit Slippery Rock Jan. 30.
Geneva College senior Renee Rawding scored her 1,000th career point earlier this month in an 88-49 victory against Penn State Greater Allegheny. She became the 12th female player at the school in Beaver Falls to reach 1,000 points. The women's teams' all-time leading scorer is Rawding's older sister, Jen, with 1,830. Both are Blackhawk High School graduates.
First Published December 25, 2009 12:00 am
