June 13, 2007
KU
ATHLETES, TEAM WIN NCAA STATISTICS TITLES
KUTZTOWN, PA – Two Kutztown University athletes and a team were named
NCAA Division II statistics champions for the 2006-07 season.
Sean McKeon (jr. Phoenixville/Phoenixville HS), of the men’s
basketball team, and Steph Denlinger (so.
Harleysville/Souderton), of the softball team, led Division
II in statistical categories. The baseball team also led
Division II in winning percentage.
McKeon led all NCAA Division II players in blocks per game,
averaging 4.2 rejections per contest. He totaled 117 blocks in
28 games. Averaging 14.8 points and 8.6 rebounds per game,
McKeon was named to the PSAC First-Team.
Denlinger led Division II in a pair of categories, home runs per
game (0.44) and slugging percentage (1.111). She totaled 24
homers in 54 games, and had 160 total bases in 144 at bats.
Denlinger was named the PSAC East Player of the Year and earned
a spot on both the PSAC East and All-Mid-Atlantic Region first
teams. Daktronics and the Louisville Slugger/National Fastpitch
Coaches Association named her first team All-America.
The
baseball team had the top winning percentage in Division II at
.875 finishing the season with a 49-7 record. The Golden Bears
were the PSAC Eastern Division regular season champions, going
19-1 in division play. They hosted and won the North Atlantic
Regional Tournament, earning a spot in the NCAA Division II
National Championships where they finished eighth.
Each of the players/team will receive a trophy honoring the
achievements. The trophies will be displayed in Keystone Hall
on campus.
June 11, 2007
KUTZTOWN’S JEFF CRAIG NAMED TO PSAC SPRING TOP TEN
KUTZTOWN, PA –
Kutztown University’s Jeff Craig (sr. Wilkes-Barre/Bishop
Hoban), of the baseball team, has been named to the
Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Spring Top Ten in
voting conducted by the league’s sports information directors.
Craig |
The Top Ten awards recognize
student-athletes who distinguish themselves in the classroom as
well as in the arena of competition. To be a candidate, a
student-athlete must have achieved a minimum of a 3.25
cumulative grade point average (GPA) and must be a starter or
key reserve in their respective sport. The conference designates
Top Ten awards after each of the sports seasons: fall, winter
and spring.
Craig holds a 3.60 GPA in speech/language pathology.
He started 53
games as Kutztown set a new PSAC records with 49 wins against
just seven losses this season. He hit .360 with 38 runs, 16
doubles, six home runs and 55 RBI for a Golden Bear squad that
won the NCAA regional and advanced to the NCAA College World
Series. He finished his career as a two-time All-PSAC East
performer and ranks among school leaders in at-bats (575, 5th),
hits (211, 3rd), RBI (136, 4th), doubles (48, 2nd), home runs
(17, 4th), total bases (318, 3rd) and batting average (.367,
5th) despite playing just three seasons at the school.
Craig was joined on the Top Ten by Lisa Baumgartner (Clarion,
Tennis), Dan Gal (Bloomsburg, Tennis), Amber Hackenberg
(Bloomsburg, Track & Field), Jennifer Hansen (Slippery Rock,
Track & Field), Chris Robson (Lock Haven, Track & Field), Jeff
Weiss (Slippery Rock, Track & Field), Ryan Wyland (Mansfield,
Baseball), Mallory Zelawski (Indiana {PA}, Lacrosse).
At
the end of the academic year, the league announces the
Scholar-Athlete Awards, which recognize student-athletes on all
PSAC squads with 3.25 cumulative GPAs or better. Additionally,
the PSAC names the top Male and Female Scholar-Athlete of Year,
which will be re-named this year as the Pete Nevins Male and
Female Scholar-Athletes of the Year.
June 8, 2007
MINNESOTA
TWINS SELECT KU’S McCARDELL IN 6th ROUND
KUTZTOWN, PA –
Mike McCardell (sr. West Chester/Henderson) of the
Kutztown University baseball team, was selected by the Minnesota
Twins in the sixth round of the Major League Baseball (MLB)
First-Year Player Draft. He was the 212th overall
pick.
McCardell |
McCardell, a right-handed pitcher, was 7-3 with five saves and a
2.00 earned-run average in 21 appearances this season. He
struck out 86 and walked just 11 in 67.1 innings.
For
his career, he finished with a 2.82 ERA, second lowest in school
history. He holds the school record for saves (21), third in
strikeouts (278), fourth in innings pitched (236.1) and fifth
in wins (20).
“I’m overjoyed for Mike,” KU head coach Chris Blum said.
“He’s surrounded by a great family, and I can’t thank Mike and
his family enough. They took a chance on Kutztown coming out of
high school. I had the pleasure of watching him over four
years, to mature and become a truly outstanding player. I
can’t be happier for Mike and the entire McCardell family.”
McCardell is
expected to report to the Twins’ training facility in the coming
days. He is the third pitcher from this year’s Golden Bear
squad to move on to the professional ranks, joining Matt Keller
(independent Slippery Rock Sliders) and Jason Mills (Baltimore
Orioles organization), who signed pro contracts last week.
“It’s really
exciting, because I’ve worked for this day for a long time,”
McCardell said. “I was told I may be selected anywhere from the
10th to the 15th round, so to be taken in
the sixth round is just unbelievable. I want to thank my
parents for always being there for me and coming to all my
games. I also want to thank Kutztown University, Coach Blum and
the rest of the baseball team for everything they’ve done for
me.”
McCardell is
the third-highest draft choice in KU history. Only Ryan Vogelsong, who was taken in the fifth round in 1998,
and Andy Bausher, who was the 182nd overall choice in the sixth
round in 1997, were
higher choices.
He is the ninth
Golden Bear since 1997 to be selected in the MLB first-year
player draft. McCardell joins nine other Golden Bears currently
playing professional baseball, including four who play for MLB
affiliated clubs - Ron Chiavacci (Tigers), Matt Maradeo (Cubs),
Mills and Kyle Sadlowski (Cardinals). Vogelsong, who joined the
Hanshin Tigers of the Japanese League this season, played for
two Major League teams, the Pirates and Giants, from 2001-06.
Kutztown set a school and PSAC record with 49 wins this
season. KU finished 49-7 overall, 19-1 in the PSAC East. The
Golden Bears won the PSAC East regular-season title and took the
North Atlantic Regional crown, finishing eighth in the nation at
the Division II College World Series.
June 5, 2007
TWO
FORMER GOLDEN BEARS SIGN TO PLAY PROFESSIONAL BASEBALL
KUTZTOWN, PA – Two members of Kutztown University’s record-breaking 2007 baseball
team have signed to play professionally.
Mills |
Keller |
Pitcher Jason Mills (sr. Hatfield/North Penn HS) signed
with the Baltimore Orioles organization, which had drafted him
in the 48th round of last year’s Major League Baseball
First-Year Player Draft. Pitcher Matt Keller (sr.
Fleetwood/Fleetwood HS) signed with the Slippery Rock
Sliders of the independent Frontier League.
Mills was 7-0 with a 1.62 earned-run average this
season. He appeared in nine games, with four complete games, 46
strikeouts and 20 walks in 61.0 innings. This season, Mills was
named second-team Division II All-America by Daktronics, as well
as the Daktronics North Atlantic Region Pitcher of the Year and
first-team all-region. A first-team All-Pennsylvania State
Athletic Conference (PSAC) East selection, he was also named to
two all-region second teams, by the American Baseball Coaches
Association (ABCA) and the National Collegiate Baseball Writers
Association (NCBWA).
Mills
transferred to Kutztown prior to the 2007 season after playing
at George Mason University.
The Orioles
retained his rights through this spring, and Mills elected to
sign with Baltimore after KU’s season ended.
“I’ve been waiting for this day, to sign with a pro baseball
team, since I was a little kid,” Mills said. “Transferring to
Kutztown was one of the best decisions I’ve made. We had a lot
of fun this year and had a great season. Looking back, I
couldn’t have asked for more. Now I am ready for this next
step. I’ll be working hard so I can get a shot at the ultimate
dream.”
Mills will report to the Orioles training facility in Sarasota,
FL, on Sunday. From there, Mills will be assigned to one the
Orioles Rookie league teams or the short-season Aberdeen Iron
Birds.
“I can't thank Jason Mills enough for what he did for Kutztown
baseball in 2007,” KU head coach Chris Blum said. “He has
command of three plus pitches and has the tools to keep getting
better. I can't wait to go watch him play for the Orioles
organization.”
Keller was 6-2 with a save and a 3.62 ERA in 12 games
this year. He struck out 61 and walked 19 in 58.2 innings. A
2005 ABCA third-team All-America pick, Keller returned this
spring from an elbow injury that sidelined him for the 2006
season. He completed his career as KU’s career record holder in
pitching appearances (75), third in wins (26) and second in
saves (16). In 2005, Keller was named the ABCA North Atlantic
Region Pitcher of the Year, first-team ABCA and All-Region, and
All-PSAC East second team.
“To continue on to the professional ranks, you have to be good,
tough, and lucky,” Blum said. “Keller is all three - he is
very good and threw his best game at Slippery Rock when the
Sliders were watching. I would not be surprised if a major
league organization grabs him soon.”
Keller made his professional debut on Saturday, June 2. He
started and pitched three scoreless innings against the
Washington (PA) Wild Things, before the game was suspended due
to rain. The Sliders play their home games at Jack Critchfield
Park, which doubles as the home field for the Slippery Rock
University baseball team. Keller has experience at there,
having come one out short of a no-hitter against Shippensburg in
the PSAC tournament in May.
“I’m really excited to have the opportunity to play pro
baseball,” Keller said. “Playing at Critchfield Park is nice,
since I have some experience and have had success there. I’m
looking forward to having a solid summer and continuing my
baseball career.”
Kutztown set a school and PSAC record with 49 wins this season.
KU finished 49-7 overall, 19-1 in the PSAC East. The Golden
Bears won the PSAC East regular-season title and took the North
Atlantic Regional crown, finishing eighth in the nation at the
Division II College World Series.
June 4, 2007
KU’s
LAURA BELFATTI NAMED ACADEMIC ALL-DISTRICT
KUTZTOWN, PA – Kutztown University’s Laura Belfatti (sr.
Hatfield/Lansdale Catholic), of the field hockey team, has
been named to the 2006-07 ESPN the Magazine Academic
All-District II college division women’s at-large second team.
Belfatti |
Belfatti, who graduated in May with a degree in elementary
education, had a grade-point average of 3.93. Last fall,
Belfatti was named first-team Division II All-America by the
National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) and first-team
All-Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC). A
midfielder, Belfatti scored six goals and had three assists for
KU during the fall 2006 season.
For
her career, she scored 13 goals and had 30 points. She was a
four-time NFHCA All-Academic Squad and PSAC Scholar-Athlete
selection, and was named All-PSAC first team twice.
The District II College Division consists of all NCAA
Division II, NCAA Division III, and NAIA colleges and
universities in Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland,
New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. To be eligible, a
student-athlete must be at least a sophomore with a 3.2
cumulative grade-point average and a starter or significant
reserve on her team.
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