PITMAN, NJ…Sophomore catcher/designated player/relief pitcher
ALEX MENA (North Bergen, NJ/Hudson Catholic) and senior centerfielder
ROB SUMNER (Union, NJ/Union) were each selected to the 2008 All-New Jersey Athletic Conference team in voting by the league’s 10 head coaches announced on Thursday.
Mena was named First-Team All-NJAC as a utility player, while
Sumner earned Honorable Mention All-NJAC status as an outfielder.
Mena is the first NJCU player named First-Team All-NJAC since Sumner was selected in 2006—the only other season he was named All-NJAC.
**********************ALEX MENA**********************
Overall, Mena started 26 of the 31 games he played in—15 times as designated hitter and 11 behind the plate. For the year he batted .287 (27-94) with 20 RBIs, 11 runs, five doubles and four triples. With five walks and two hit by pitches, he had a .327 on-base and .426 slugging percentage. He collected 40 total bases and had three steals in four attempts. Defensively, he posted a .976 fielding percentage, with only two errors in 84 chances. Among all NJCU players, he tied for the club lead in triples—as a catcher—and was tied for second in RBIs, fifth in doubles and was sixth in hits. He also served as the team’s closer, providing one save with three strikeouts n 2.2 innings.
In the NJAC statistical rankings through May 1, he is tied for fourth in the conference in triples. In the final NJAC-only statistics, he listed tied for first in triples (4, 0.27 per game), 11th in batting average against lefties (.417), 12th in slugging (.512), 13th in average with runners on base (.417), and tied for 13th in average with RBI opportunities (.429).
He was even better offensively in NJCU’s 18 NJAC games, batting .328 (19-58) in 15 games (all starts). He chipped in 15 RBIs, nine runs, four triples and three doubles, with a .980 fielding percentage (one error in 51 chances), a .517 slugging and .365 on-base percentage. He was second among NJCU players in NJAC RBIs.
Mena helped solidify his All-NJAC selection with three outstanding games against conference opponents. On March 29 in an 11-7 win over Richard Stockton College, he was 4-for-5. In a loss to Montclair State University on April 17, he had at the time a career-high five RBIs and two runs in a 3-for-6 performance. But in his final game of the NJAC slate, he posted a career-best and team season-high seven RBIs, going 4-for-5 with two runs, two triples and a double in a 15-2 win over Rutgers University-Camden.
In two years over 51 games (43 starts), Mena had a .297 average with 46 hits (46-155), 32 RBIs, 19 runs, 10 doubles, six triples and one homer. He was a 2007 New Jersey Collegiate Baseball Association (NJCBA) Division II/III All-State Rookie Team selection.
**********************ROB SUMNER**********************
![<dfn><a href=]()
ROB SUMNER" src="/images/baseball/2008/5/1/03-30-07%20Rob%20Sumner%209.JPG" width=150 align=left border=0>For
Sumner, the award comes at the end of a record-breaking career during which he established himself as perhaps the greatest all-around offensive presence in program history. He is NJCU’s all-time leader in seven categories—hits (195), runs (169), total bases (290), steals (96), steal attempts (114), games (136) and starts (134). Additionally, he is second all-time in homeruns (15), RBIs (104), at-bats (508, one shy of all-time mark), fourth in on-base percentage (.475) and walks (86), tied for fourth in triples (14), fifth in batting average (.384) and sixth in slugging (.571).
Overall this season in 28 games (26 starts), Sumner hit .367 (40-109) with 33 runs, 15 RBIs, five homeruns, three doubles and three triples while compiling 64 total bases and 13 walks, with 18 steals in 21 attempts. He owned a .587 slugging and .440 on-base percentage and had a .957 fielding rate. As a leadoff hitter he led the club in homers. The NJCU leader in steals, he was also tied for the team lead in runs, ranked fourth in hits and tied for second in triples.
Overall in the NJAC regular season statistical leaders, Sumner ranks tied for fourth in steals, fifth in steal attempts, 10th in average against righties (.415), tied for 11th in triples, 12th in slugging, tied for 12th in homers, 17th in average, 18th in percentage reaching as a leadoff hitter (.531), and tied for 21st in on-base percentage.
But where Sumner’s brilliance really was on display was during the 14 NJAC games he suited up for. In NJAC-only games, he tied for the conference leading in batting average at .429 (24-56)—20 points higher than anyone else on his team. He provided 16 runs, nine RBIs, three doubles, three triples and two homers with 39 total bases. He was 7-for-7 in steals, and chalked up a .696 slugging and .492 on-base rate.
In NJAC games he listed second in slugging, third in average against righties (.488), tied for third in triples and hits per game (1.71), fifth in on-base percentage, eighth in total bases, tied for eighth in steals, tied for ninth in homers, tied for 12th in steal attempts, 14th in percentage advancing runners (.625), 15th in leadoff percentage (.560), 16th in bases empty average (.457), tied for 19th in hits, and tied for 20th with runners on (.381). Sumner hit safely in 12 of 14 NJAC games and had eight multiple-hit and six multi-run outings.
In his career, Sumner is a two-time selection to the NCAA Mid-Atlantic All-Region Second Team in 2006 and 2007 and a 2006 NJCBA Division II/III All-State First Team choice. He was a third-team All-State pick in 2007 and a member of the 2005 NJCBA All-Rookie Team. In 2006, he was named First-Team All-ECAC Metro and First-Team All-NJAC. On March 22, 2007 he was the second player in school history named the Division III National Hitter of the Week by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers’ Association. In 2005, he was the CUNYAC Rookie of the Year and a First-Team All-CUNY selection in NJCU’s only year in that conference.
—www.njcugothicknights.com—
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NEW JERSEY ATHLETIC CONFERENCE
ALL-CONFERENCE BASEBALL TEAM
SPRING 2008 |
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PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Derek Gianakas, Kean |
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PITCHER OF THE YEAR: Ryan Kulik, Rowan |
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FIREMAN OF THE YEAR: Brandon Aich, Kean |
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ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: Matt Connors, Rutgers-Newark |
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COACH OF THE YEAR: Neil Ioviero, Kean |
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FIRST TEAM |
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Name |
Year |
Pos. |
School |
Hometown//High School |
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Joe Bartlinski |
SO |
P |
Kean |
South Amboy, NJ/South Amboy |
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Ryan Kulik# |
SR |
P |
Rowan |
Marlton, NJ/Cherokee |
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Jeff Miller^ |
SR |
C |
Montclair State |
Wyckoff, NJ/Ramapo |
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Lou Politan^ |
SR |
1B |
Montclair State |
Livingston, NJ/Livingston |
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Joe Franceschini |
SR |
2B |
Rowan |
Toms River, NJ/Toms River East |
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Stephen Piscitello |
JR |
3B |
Montclair State |
Hauppauge, NY/Hauppauge |
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Jeff Toth^ |
JR |
SS |
TCNJ |
Parlin, NJ/Sayreville War Memorial |
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Chris Discher^ |
JR |
OF |
Richard Stockton |
Cherry Hill, NJ/Cherry Hill West |
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Derek Gianakas* |
SR |
OF |
Kean |
Edison, NJ/Edison |
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Mike Guadango* |
SO |
OF |
William Paterson |
Upper Saddle River, NJ/Northern Highlands |
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Rob Bowness*# |
GR |
DH |
Montclair State |
Sparta, NJ/Seton Hall Prep |
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ALEX MENA |
SO |
Utility |
NJCU |
North Bergen, NJ/Hudson Catholic |
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SECOND TEAM |
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Name |
Year |
Pos. |
School |
Hometown/High School |
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Joe Cichy |
SR |
P |
Rowan |
Vineland, NJ/St. Augustine Prep |
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Thomas Paglione |
SR |
P |
Kean |
Hamilton, NJ/Hamilton West |
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Robert Fox^ |
SR |
C |
Rowan |
Ocean Township, NJ/Ocean Township |
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Tom Ready* |
JR |
1B |
Rowan |
Blenheim, NJ/Triton Regional |
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Adam Tussey |
JR |
2B |
TCNJ |
Brooklawn, NJ/Gloucester |
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Paul Urbanovich |
SR |
3B |
Rowan |
Rutherford, NJ/St. Peter's Prep |
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Maikel De La Rosa^+ |
SR |
SS |
Kean |
Newark, NJ/Barringer |
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Eric Ammirata |
SR |
OF |
Kean |
Hamilton, NJ/Hamilton West |
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John McMullin |
JR |
OF |
Rowan |
Woodbury, NJ/Gloucester Catholic |
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Michael Nunes |
SR |
OF |
Montclair State |
Hazlet, NJ/Raritan |
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Tom Reindel |
JR |
DH |
Rowan |
Flemington, NJ/Hunterdon Central |
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HONORABLE MENTION
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Name |
Year |
Pos. |
School |
Hometown/High School |
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Bob Buskett~% |
SR |
P |
TCNJ |
Trenton, NJ/Notre Dame |
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Mike Oliver* |
SR |
P |
TCNJ |
Hamilton, NJ/Hamilton West |
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Kevin O'Neill |
SR |
C |
Kean |
Union, NJ/Union |
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Bill Kropp |
SR |
1B |
TCNJ |
Pottstown, PA/Owen J. Roberts |
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Mike Moceri |
SO |
2B |
Kean |
Yardville, NJ/Hamilton East |
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Vince Mazzaccaro |
JR |
3B |
TCNJ |
Gloucester, NJ/Gloucester Catholic |
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Pat Goodwin& |
SR |
SS |
Richard Stockton |
Mays Landing, NJ/Holy Spirit |
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Ed Kloepping |
JR |
OF |
Montclair State |
Pennsville, NJ/Pennsville |
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Garrett Mull |
JR |
OF |
Rowan |
Chatsworth, NJ/Lenape |
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ROB SUMNER# |
SR |
OF |
NJCU |
Union, NJ/Union |
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Ryan Paxton |
SR |
DH |
Ramapo |
Long Valley, NJ/West Morris Central |
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Key:
* First Team All-Conference 2007
^ Second Team All-Conference 2007
~ Honorable Mention 2007
# First Team All-Conference 2006
+ Second Team All-Conference 2006
% Honorable Mention 2006
& Second Team All-Conference 2005
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