ESU Postseason Awards History (PDF)

EAST STROUDSBURG - Four East Stroudsburg University athletes - redshirt senior pitcher Matt Festa, redshirt junior second baseman Jay Young, redshirt senior third baseman Drew Hercik and redshirt junior outfielder Robert Bennie - represent the Warriors on the 2016 D2CCA All-Atlantic Region baseball first team, released Thursday.

ESU opens the NCAA Division II Atlantic Regional on Thursday at 7 p.m. vs. Mercyhurst.

The Warriors previously had five players selected to the NCBWA All-Region team released Wednesday - Festa, Young and Bennie on the first team and redshirt junior SS Conner Crookham and junior OF/LHP Ian Allen on the second team. Bennie was named the region's Co-Player of the Year on the NCBWA squad.

The D2CCA team is nominated and selected by the sports information directors in the Atlantic Region.

ESU's four first-team selections are the most on an All-Region first team in program history.

Hercik's selection on the D2CCA team gives ESU a total of six All-Region players this spring.

The Warriors had eight All-PSAC East players with seven on the first team. Sophomore DH Christian Rishel is ESU's only first team all-conference selection who hasn't been named to an All-Region team this year. Sophomore catcher Steven Zimmerman, Jr. was named to the All-PSAC East second team.

Notes on ESU's four D2CCA All-Region first team selections are below.

R-Sr. RHP Matt Festa - PSAC East Co-Pitcher of the Year … NCBWA All-Region 1st team … national semifinalist for Brett Tomko Award ... school records for wins in season (11) and career (23) … has career record of 23-6 in three seasons at ESU, making 32 starts (37 appearances overall) … 204.0 innings (7th at ESU) … 205 strikeouts (3rd) … .793 winning percentage (23-6 - 2nd at ESU) … 3.49 ERA (5th at ESU since 1985) … 9.0 strikeouts per 9 innings (5th) … 3.9 strikeout-to-walk ratio (1st) … .250 batting average against (4th since 1991).

Festa in 2016: 11-1 in 12 starts (8 complete games, 2 shutouts) … 2.14 ERA, 95 strikeouts, 21 walks, 60 hits in 80.0 innings … started 10-0 (first PSAC pitcher to go 10-0 in first 10 starts in at least a decade) … ranks 4th in PSAC (22nd in DII) in ERA, 2nd in PSAC (28th in DII) in strikeouts, 4th in PSAC (34th in DII) in strikeouts per 9 innings, 3rd in PSAC (28th in DII) in hits allowed per 9 innings, 1st in PSAC (4th in DII) in complete games … holds ESU single-season record for wins (11) … 2nd in winning percentage (.917) … 2nd in strikeouts (95) … 3rd in innings (80.0) … 3rd in strikeouts per 9 innings (10.7) … 6th in strikeout-to-walk ratio (4.5) … t-1st in games started (12) … t-1st in complete games (8) … t-4th in shutouts (2) … 4th in batting average against (.203) … 7th in hits per 9 innings (6.7).

R-Jr. 2B Jay Young - PSAC East 1st team … NCBWA All-Region 1st team … hitting .403/.455/.448 with 62 hits, 7 doubles, 41 RBI, 37 runs, 13 walks, 6 HBP, 8-for-8 stolen bases … has played in 50 games (46 starts) … career .377 batting average (143-for-379) … hit .396/.453/.491 in 45 games (43 starts) in 2015 … ranks 20th at ESU in career hits (143) in three seasons … 2015 Academic All-America 2nd team.

R-Sr. 3B Drew Hercik - PSAC East 1st team … hitting .377/.520/.623 with 63 hits, 18 doubles, 1 triple, 7 HR, 45 RBI, 57 runs, 47 walks, 6 HBP, 10-for-12 stolen bases … has started all 52 games … ranks 3rd in PSAC in on-base percentage (.520) … ranks in ESU's career top 10 in 9 categories … holds school record for games played (all 199 in career) … 1st in walks (101) … t-1st in runs (159) … 2nd in RBI (127) … 2nd in total bases (300) … t-4th in HR (16) … 5th in hits (202) … 5th in extra-base hits (62) … t-5th in doubles (42) … school record for single-season walks (47) … t-7th in extra-base hits (26) … 10th in total bases (104) … t-4th in runs (57).

R-Jr. OF Robert Bennie - PSAC East Athlete of the Year in first season at ESU (transferred from DI Virginia) … NCBWA Atlantic Region Co-Player of the Year … national semifinalist for Tino Martinez Award ... hitting .413/.477/.670 with 85 hits, 19 doubles, 2 triples, 10 HR, 53 RBI, 63 runs, 21 walks, 6 HBP, 19-for-22 stolen bases … has started all 52 games … ESU single-season records for hits (85), total bases (138) and runs (63) … 6th in RBI (53) … 4th in extra-base hits (31), t-4th in doubles (19), t-3rd in HR (10) … currently 8th in batting (.413) and slugging (.670) … ranks 10th in PSAC in batting and on-base percentage and 8th in slugging percentage … t-8th in HR … 1st in hits and runs … 7th in RBI … 9th in stolen bases.



D2CCA All-Atlantic Region Team

Player of the Year – Tre Porter, Shepherd
Pitcher of the Year – Brandon Miller, Millersville

1st team
SP – Sam Crater, Shepherd
SP – Matt Festa, East Stroudsburg
SP – Colin McKee, Mercyhurst
SP – Brandon Miller, Millersville
RP – Curtis Johnson, WV State

C – Mitch Stoltzfus, Millersville
1B – Dan Stoltzfus, Millersville
2B – Jay Young, East Stroudsburg
3B –  Drew Hercik, East Stroudsburg
SS – Tre Porter, Shepherd
OF – Robert Bennie, East Stroudsburg
OF – Chas McCormick, Millersville
OF – J.J. Sarty, Shepherd
DH – Chris Miller, Seton Hill
UTIL (P) – Steve Klaiber, UVa.-Wise
UTIL  (non-P) – Jared Wiesen, Gannon
 
 
2nd team
SP – Perry DellaValle, Seton Hill
SP – Dustin Kincaid, WV State
SP – Cam Knott, Mercyhurst
SP – Jim McDade, Millersville
RP – Chris Metrick, WV Wesleyan

C – Anthony Fanelli, Seton Hill
1B – Zac Heide, Seton Hill
2B – Brendan Cox, Mercyhurst
3B – Austin Alonge, Mercyhurst
SS – Tyler Orris, Millersville
OF – Austin Edgette, Bloomsburg
OF – Mick Fennell, California
OF – Jeremy Musser, Millersville
DH – Tyler Walters, Slippery Rock
UTIL (P) – Dan Sepic, IUP
UTIL  (non-P) – Zach Cooper, Chowan