EAST STROUDSBURG – Graduate student right-handed pitcher Chase Nowak was named to the first team and redshirt sophomore right-handed pitcher Brent Francisco earned honorable mention to give the East Stroudsburg University baseball team a pair of selections on the NCBWA Division II All-Atlantic Region baseball team, released on Thursday.

Both Nowak and Francisco gained a spot on the All-Region team for the first time in their careers after previously being honored on the All-PSAC and D2CCA All-Atlantic Region first teams.

The duo became ESU's seventh and eighth pitchers named All-Region since 2009, joining Jeremy Gigliotti (2009, 2011), Christian Saveri (2010), Ryan Lubreski (2013), Brandon Holup (2014), Matt Festa (2016) and Tyler Eckman (2017).

Nowak is in the midst of a career season, compiling an 8-0 record with a 1.94 ERA in 14 starts. ESU is 10-4 in those starts and 6-2 in PSAC East games with four straight wins, which included pitching on three days rest in an elimination game last week against Slippery Rock during the conference tournament.

The Wilkes-Barre, Pa. native has struck out 83 batters and allowed just 17 earned runs in 79.0 innings pitched while holding opposing hitters to a .203 batting average.

Nowak's best outing of the season came on March 25 vs. Mansfield when he pitched his second career complete game shutout, firing 7.0 scoreless innings, allowing two hits while punching out six. Nowak had a pair of double-digit strikeout performances with a career-high 13 vs. Saint Anselm as well as 12 vs. Kutztown.

Nowak currently holds the PSAC second-best ERA (1.94) and surpassed the 200 strikeouts mark in his career, becoming just the sixth pitcher in program history to reach that mark, while also ranking fourth all-time with 212.

He becomes the first pitcher in school history since Matt Festa in 2016 to earn first team honors for the PSAC, D2CCA and NCWBA during a season.

For his ESU career, Nowak has an 18-6 record in 44 appearances, including 35 starts, with a 3.39 ERA in 177.2 innings.

Francisco is having a breakout redshirt sophomore campaign, producing a 6-2 record and 3.07 ERA in 15 appearance and 14 starts. The Warriors are 10-4 in those starts and 6-3 in PSAC East games, which included back-to-back complete game shutouts against Kutztown (April 23) and Lock Haven (April 30).

The Burlington Township, N.J. native has punched out a single-season program record 109 batters and counting, including a career-high 14 vs. Saint Rose in his second start of the year. In 82.0 innings pitched, Francisco has allowed 28 earned runs while limiting opposing batters to a .234 average.

Francisco currently leads the conference in strikeouts with 109 and ranks eighth all-time in program history with 178 in his career. He was named the PSAC East Pitcher of the Week back on May 2 for the first time in his ESU career.

In his three seasons with the Warriors, Francisco owns a 10-4 record and 3.38 ERA across 122.2 innings, making 26 appearances, including 22 starts.

ESU NCBWA All-Region 1st team (since 2005)

2011 - SP Jeremy Gigliotti

2014 - OF Chris Knott

2014 - DH Nico Delerme

2016 - SP Matt Festa

2016 - 2B Jay Young

2016 - OF Robert Bennie

2017 - UTIL Ian Allen

2022 - SP Chase Nowak

 

NCBWA Division II Atlantic Region

Player of the Year: Thomas Caufield, R-Jr., Millersville

Pitcher of the Year: Jared Marshman, R-Jr., Bloomsburg

Coach of the Year: Jeff Messer, Slippery Rock

 

First Team

SP: Jared Marshman, R-Jr., Bloomsburg

SP: Eric Sapp, Gr., Gannon

SP: Chase Nowak, Gr., East Stroudsburg

SP: Adam Riggleman, Sr., Glenville State

RP: Nash Bryan, Sr., Seton Hill

C: Connor Hamilton*, Sr., Slippery Rock

1B: Josh Surowiec, Gr., Mercyhurst

2B: Jimmy Losh, Sr., Millersville

3B: Zack Saryeldin*, So., Concord

SS: Thomas Caufield, R-Jr., Millersville

OF: Bren Taylor*, Jr., Millersville

OF: Alex Robenolt, R-Jr., Slippery Rock

OF: Danny Estrada, Fr., Frostburg State

DH: Ben Newbert, R.-Sr., Bloomsburg

UTIL: Luke Trainer*, R.-Sr., Millersville

Second Team

SP: Dylan Brosky, Sr., Cal U

SP: Devin Dunn, Jr., Slippery Rock

SP: Ben Wilchacky, Jr., Millersville

SP: Ethan Soderna, Gr., Charleston

RP: Kyle Lazer, Fr., West Chester

C: Tyler Dellerman, R-Jr., Charleston

1B: Bryce Jackson, Sr., Frostburg State

2B: Andrew Stone, Gr., West Virginia State

3B: Jack Oberdorf, Jr., Seton Hill

SS: Ben Ross*, R-So., Notre Dame (Ohio)

OF: Zach Musgrove, Sr., Fairmont State

OF: Kyle Keenan, R-Jr., Concord

OF: Zack Wright, Gr., West Chester

DH: Ethan Kiple, Jr., Frostburg State

UTIL: Jacob McCaskey, Sr., Cal U

Honorable Mention: C-Calen Kampes, So., Glenville State; 1B-Mike Ferrara, Sr., West Chester; 2BHarrison Pontoli, Jr., Indiana (Pa.); 3B-Louden Conte, Gr., Cal U; SS-Braxton Boddorf, R-Jr. Charleston; OF-Eric Chartier, R-So., Charleston, Dylan Broderick, R-Jr., Pitt-Johnstown, Luke Cantwell, So., West Chester, DH-J.R. Heavilin, So., Wheeling; UTIL-Assaf Lowengart, Sr., Mansfield; SP-Brent Francisco, R-So., East Stroudsburg; Nick Zegna, R-Jr., Shippensburg; Colt Webb, R-Sr., Charleston; RP-Anthony Stehlin, Gr., Concord

* Two-time All-Region Selection