Daktronics All-Region release  l  NCAA Atlantic Regional game 1 recap

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - Junior outfielder Chris Knott, junior starting pitcher Ryan Lubreski and senior pitcher/first baseman Brian Ernst were named to the NCBWA (National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association) Atlantic Region team on Friday, their second All-Region recognition in as many days.

Knott (first team), Lubreski and Ernst (second team) were also recognized on the Daktronics All-Region team released Thursday, which is selected by the region's sports information directors.

ESU also had two Honorable Mention selections on the NCBWA team in senior 2B Joe Bennie and junior DH Mike Tenaglia.

The Warriors (34-16), the PSAC champions, face Seton Hill in the winners bracket of the NCAA Division II Atlantic Regional on Friday at 6 p.m. at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, N.C. They opened with an 8-6 (10 inn.) win over Winston-Salem State on Thursday afternoon.

Knott (Egg Harbor Township, N.J./Egg Harbor Township) was 4-for-4 with three RBI and two runs in the win over Winston-Salem, raising his average to .371 with a .458 on-base percentage and .635 slugging percentage. He leads ESU with 45 RBI, ranks third with 34 runs and 17 stolen bases, and has 25 extra-base hits on 14 doubles, five triples and six home runs.

Lubreski (North Plainfield, N.J./Blair Academy), a transfer from UMass, is 8-0 with a 1.67 ERA, five complete games and one shutout in 11 starts entering Friday's action at the regional, where he is expected to be the Warriors' starter. He has 48 strikeouts, 20 walks and a .230 opponents batting average in 70.0 innings.

Ernst (Allentown/Salisbury) was selected to the second team at the utility (pitcher) position. On the mound, he is 5-2 with a 2.70 ERA, 88 strikeouts and 31 walks and a .202 opponents batting average in 66.2 innings over 12 starts. Offensively, he is hitting .309 with a .404 on-base percentage, 10 RBI and 28 runs scored in 42 games.

Ernst went 6.1 innings, allowing two earned runs on five hits and striking out six, in the Warriors' win over Winston-Salem in the regional opener. He was also named a semifinalist for the Josh Willingham Award, Division II baseball's Most Valuable Player award, on Thursday.

He was previously named to the ABCA Atlantic Region second team as an infielder in 2012. He is a three-time All-PSAC East selection, earning a spot on the first team as a junior and second team as a senior.

Bennie (Stroudsburg/Stroudsburg), a three-year starter at Division I La Salle before finishing his career at ESU, is hitting .352 with a .397 on-base percentage, .520 slugging percentage and a team-high 42 runs as the Warriors' leadoff hitter for most of the season. He also has 28 RBI, nine doubles, three triples, five home runs, 20 stolen bases and a .994 fielding percentage

Tenaglia (Allentown/Parkland), a two-time NJCAA All-American at Northampton CC prior to this season, is hitting .340 with a .440 on-base percentage, .527 slugging percentage, 19 doubles and three home runs. He is second on the Warriors with 34 RBI as the cleanup hitter and has scored 29 runs.

Knott, Lubreski and Bennie were named to the All-PSAC East first team, with Ernst, Tenaglia and senior OF Eric Boyer on the second team.


NCBWA Atlantic Region 1st team
SP - Shayne Herold, Gannon
SP - Tim Mayza, Millersville
SP - Chris Murphy, Millersville
RP - Tanner Delahoy, Mercyhurst
C - Kyle Petty, California
1B - Zach Stone, Millersville
2B - Jake Warner, Pitt-Johnstown
3B - Nick Sell, Seton Hill
SS - Will Kengor, Slippery Rock
OF - Chris Knott, ESU
OF - Ryan Messina, Shepherd
OF - Travis Moore, Winston-Salem
UTIL - Pat Kregeloh, Shippensburg
DH - Tyler Hickernell, Winston-Salem

Player of the Year - Nick Sell, Seton Hill
Pitcher of the Year - Chris Murphy, Millersville
Coach of the Year - Jon Shehan, Millersville

2nd team
SP - Stephen Cooke, IUP
SP - Alex Haines, Seton Hill
SP - Ryan Lubreski, ESU
RP - John Kovalik, Slippery Rock
C - Mike Cima, Seton Hill
1B - Joey Miller, Concord
2B - Pat McCarthy, Seton Hill
3B - Ryan Johnston, Concord
SS - Brendan Constantino, Seton Hill
OF - Bret Blevins, Concord
OF - Michael Douglas, Shippensburg
OF - Michael Lott, Shepherd
UTIL - Brian Ernst, ESU
DH - Jack Hudson, WV State

Honorable Mention
SP - Aaron Cox (Gannon), Joe Gunkel (West Chester), Paul Hvozdovic (Shepherd), Ben Rawding (Mercyhurst), Tyler Thompson (WV State), Lou Trivino (Slippery Rock)
RP - Chris Baker (Concord), Ryan Pansch (Shepherd), Marcus Shippey (Shippensburg), Kyle Weary (West Chester)
C - Kyle Morrow (Pitt-Johnstown), Clarence Peace (St. Augustine's)
1B - Treavor Dubiel (Davis & Elkins)
2B - Joe Bennie (ESU), Evan King (Millersville), Robbie Zinmeister (IUP)
3B - Levi Grassley (Winston-Salem)
SS - Zak Blair (Mercyhurst), Mike Marcinko (Shippensburg), Ariel Polanco (St. Augustine's), Dylan Tice (IUP)
OF - Brandon Harrison (Winston-Salem), Jay Hartman (Lock Haven), Brandon Martinez (Kutztown), Andrew Seigel (Concord), Devin Smith (Concord), Zach Vignero (Pitt-Johnstown)
UTIL - Nick Christopher (Virginia State), Brett Quiggle (IUP)
DH - Mike Tenaglia (ESU)