WINTER PARK, Fla. – Coming off standout seasons to close their accomplished collegiate careers, seniors
Joey Cuda and
Alex Del Monte landed All-Sunshine State Conference Second-Team honors as announced by the league on Wednesday.
A total of 33 student-athletes were selected to the All-SSC Team. Voting was comprised of a combination by the SSC head coaches and each institution's sports information personnel.
“I'm proud of both of these guys and the roles they carried as part of our senior class this year,” EC Head Coach
Bill Mathews said.
Del Monte was a mere four votes away from earning first-team all-conference accolades at the shortstop position, collecting 116 votes that put him only behind K.C. Clabough of Florida Tech.
The two-year transfer from Pasco-Hernando C.C. was the ringleader of the Tritons' offense this spring, leading the club in batting average (.352), runs (40), hits (62), walks (32) and on-base percentage (.455).
Del Monte recorded at least one hit in 39 of the 47 games started and also blasted four home runs to complement his 32 RBI. He was charged with just 11 errors in the field while dazzling with the glove and had a fielding percentage of .948 off of a team-high 128 assists.
“I thought he (Alex) was an important part on both sides, offensively and defensively, making the offense go and keeping the defense together,” Mathews lauded. “He put the ball in play for us and moved over runners. He also showed off his arm strength this season.”
Cuda, the defending conference Pitcher of the Year and First-Team All-SSC pick, passed the torch onto the University of Tampa's Sean Bierman.
He was still one of four pitchers to comprise the second team and after earning SSC/NCBWA South Region Pitcher of the Week honors three times this season, Cuda was clearly in the running on the ballot for the top pitching award.
“To expect him to repeat on the heels of the season he had last year, it's still a very a remarkable season,” Mathews said. “He sets the bar high. Between the strikeout-to-walk ratio he put together and being a Friday night-starter every week against the teams we face, it's a tall order. He's one of the top three pitchers that I've had in my time here as head coach.”
Cuda compiled a 6-4 record on the mound to go with 114 strikeouts (the school's second-best single season total) and a 2.92 ERA. He also recorded a pair of saves and went the distance put together three shutouts all while allowing just 14 walks in over 86 innings pitched.
Cuda fanned a career-high 14 hitters in stellar starts against the University of Tampa and Rollins College. He is also a handful of regional semifinalists in the running for the Tino Martinez Div. II Player of the Year Award.
Tampa's Joe Urso and Lynn University's Rudy Garbalosa were crowned with co-Coach of the Year honors, Saint Leo's Brendan Collins was tabbed Freshman of the Year and Nova Southeastern's Carlos Asuaje and Lynn's Anthony Boza split Player of the Year mention.
2012 ALL-SUNSHINE STATE CONFERENCE BASEBALL TEAM
FIRST TEAM
1B - Ryan McChesney (Florida Tech, Sr)
2B - Carlos Asuaje (Nova Southeastern, So)
3B - Mike Snyder (Florida Southern, Sr)
SS - K.C. Clabough (Florida Tech, Sr)
C - Austin Chubb (Florida Southern, Sr)
OF - Zach Gawrych (Tampa, So)
OF - Andrew Jones (Tampa, Sr)
OF - Areo Regoli (Nova Southeastern, Sr)
OF - Austin Smith (Lynn, Sr)
DH - Anthony Boza (Lynn, Sr)
UT - Cory Jensen (Florida Southern, Sr)
SP - Sean Bierman (Tampa, Sr)
SP - Shawn Kale (Lynn, Sr)
SP - Ben O'Shea (Tampa, Jr)
SP - Zach Westcott (Nova Southeastern, So)
RP - James Mannara (Florida Tech, Jr)
Player of the Year - Carlos Asuaje, Nova Southeastern
Player of the Year - Anthony Boza, Lynn
Pitcher of the Year - Sean Bierman, Tampa
Freshman of the Year - Brendan Collins, Saint Leo
Coach of the Year - Rudy Garbalosa, Lynn
Coach of the Year - Joe Urso, Tampa
SECOND TEAM
1B - Kevin Mager (Rollins, Sr)
2B - Mike Diorio (Lynn, Sr)
3B - Damon Elder (Tampa, Sr)
SS - Alex Del Monte (Eckerd, Sr)
C - Sean Reilly (Rollins, Sr)
OF - Keith Curcio (Florida Southern, Fr)
OF - Brendan Collins (Saint Leo, Fr)
OF - Connor Obrochta (Tampa, So)
OF - Zach Persky (Rollins, So)
DH - Heath Pritchard (Tampa, Sr)
UT - Eric Grabe (Tampa, Sr)
SP - Jason Boyer (Florida Tech, Jr)
SP - Ben Brown (Tampa, Jr)
SP - Joey Cuda (Eckerd, Sr)
SP - Nick Krolczyk (Florida Southern, So)
RP - Preston Packrall (Tampa, So)
HONORABLE MENTION
SP - Rick Teasley (Saint Leo, Jr)
