Steve Luse
Cumberland Times-News
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CUMBERLAND — Coach Steve Bazarnic has announced the award winners on the Allegany College of Maryland baseball team that finished with a 41-12 record as the Region XX Division II runner-up.
Outfielders Jon Kemmer and Ethan Newton shared the Most Valuable Player honors and Curtis Harpster was named the Most Valuable Pitcher.
Kemmer was also first-team All-Region XX along with the Trojans first baseman John Shaffer and second baseman Cory Dorman, while outfielder A.J. Robinson was a second-team selection. Shaffer and Dorman were first-team All-Maryland JUCO Conference picks and Kemmer and Robinson received second-team honors.
Kemmer was the Trojans’ second leading hitter with a .445 average and shared the team lead in runs batted in with Shaffer with 75 apiece that ranked them 14th in the nation in the Division II ranks. The 6-foot-2, 225-pound freshman leftfielder from Point Mills, Pa., hit a team-high 25 doubles and had seven home runs, five triples and 73 runs scored.
Newton hit .419 with a team-leading 93 hits that included 17 doubles, six home runs and three triples. The sophomore centerfielder from Norfolk, Va., also had a team-high 75 runs and drove in 48 runs. The Trojans’ leadoff hitter also led the team with 36 steals in 39 attempts and over his two-year career he stole 77 bases.
Shaffer tied Robinson for the team lead in home runs with 13 and hit .398. The 6-3, 210-pound freshman slugger from Tyrone, Pa., also had 17 doubles, five triples, and 65 runs.
Dorman was third on the team in hitting with a .442 average with 17 doubles, two triples, two home runs, 58 RBIs and 51 runs. The sophomore infielder from Mifflinsburg, Pa., will be continuing his career at Bloomsburg (Pa.) University.
Robinson hit .410 with 13 doubles and four triples to go with his 13 home runs. The freshman rightfielder from Howard, Pa., was third on the team in RBIs with 60 and also scored 57 runs.
Kasey Clinton nosed out Kemmer for top hitter honors with a .446 average on 70 hits in 157 at bats. The freshman designated hitter from Dubois, Pa., also had 12 doubles, three triples, eight home runs, 43 RBIs and 55 runs.
The Allegany team was ranked third in the nation in hitting with a .388 batting average.
Sophomore shortstop Matt Curtis from Philipsburg, Pa., received the Trojans’ Best Defensive Player Award. He will be continuing his career at Slippery Rock (Pa.) University.
Harpster posted an 8-3 record with a 5.05 earned run average. The crafty little 5-8, 149-pound righthander from Mill Hall, Pa., had a team-high 73 strikeouts and only 38 walks in 87.33 innings.
Andy Lytle had an 8-2 record with a 5.09 ERA and is being recruited by a number of college. The 6-4 sophomore righthander had 62 strikeouts and 44 walks in 69 innings.
Freshman lefthander Sean Dixon shared the team lead in wins with an 8-3 record and had the best ERA of 3.13.
Sophomore righthander Tristan Beyer received the Best Relief Pitcher Area after posting a 5-1 record with two saves. The former Allegany High School player will be continuing his career at Shepherd (W.Va.) University.
Sophomore Jacob Foreman of Little Orleans will be continuing his career at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore. The righthanded pitcher had a 5-1 record with a 3.74 ERA in nine games
“We had a great season and came just a couple of steps short of walking the Chisholm Trail in Oklahoma for the Division II World Series,” said Bazarnic, who is a member of the NJCAA Hall of Fame. “When you have a 41-12 record that’s pretty good and our sophomores were part of 87 wins and only 27 losses in two years.
“This was a great group of student-athletes and they work hard and had fun,” added the veteran coach. “We lose some very talented players, but fortunately we have a great group coming back.”
