Complete Release
SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. – Senior infielder Matt DiSanti and sophomore pitcher
Kaden Varela-Payne of the Concord University baseball team have been named to the National Collegiate Baseball Writers' Association (NCBWA) All-Atlantic Region Second Team, the organization announced Friday afternoon.
DiSanti, a native of Wilmington, North Carolina, hit .344 in 46 starts at second base during the spring. He had nine extra-base hits (seven doubles, one triple, one home run) and 33 RBI. DiSanti's 33 RBI were a career high. He also sports a .440 on-base percentage after drawing 18 walks. Some of DiSanti's best games of the year came early on as he had three three-hit games in the first eight contest of the year, including a 4-for-5 day against Bluefield State (Feb. 18). He had six multi-hit games over the last 10 games of the season that included a 3-for-3 day with three RBI as Concord completed a four-game sweep of West Virginia Wesleyan (April 12). Despite missing the final seven games of the year, DiSanti led CU in multi-hit game (17) and was second in total hits (53).
A record-setting pitcher for the Mountain Lions, Varela-Payne finished his first season in the Maroon and Gray with an 8-4 record, a 4.11 ERA and 106 strikeouts in 87.2 innings. The Raleigh, North Carolina led the Atlantic Region in strikeouts with 106 as he became the first Concord pitcher to cross over the century mark for strikeouts in a single season—he was also just the third Mountain East Conference pitcher to tally 100 or more strikeouts in a season as well. Sixteen of Varela-Payne's strikeouts came in the MEC Tournament when he set both a Concord record and an MEC single-game record with 16 strikeouts versus Wheeling (May 7). He wrapped up the regular season by limiting Glenville State to one earned run while striking out 10 (May 1). He had had two more games of nine strikeouts: against Kutztown (Feb. 28) and West Virginia Wesleyan (April 11). Over his last six starts of the regular season, Varela-Payne did not allow more than three runs in any of those starts.
Seton Hill's Brady McGuire was the NCBWA Atlantic Regional Player of the Year. West Chester ace Julian Costa was named the NCBWA Atlantic Regional Pitcher of the Year. Marc Marizzaldi of Seton Hill was the NCBWA Atlantic Regional Coach of the Year.
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