Pitt-Johnstown senior right-hander Ben Watkins (Tire Hill, Pa.), a 2009 Third-Team Daktronics All-American and a First-Team ESPN The Magazine/CoSIDA Academic All-American, was named the 2009 National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) Atlantic Region Pitcher of the Year on Monday to lead four Mountain Cats who garnered All-Region honors. Pitchers Kaleb Fleck (Claysburg, Pa.) and Eric Faint (Johnstown, Pa.) were Second-Team NCBWA All-Region selections, while senior first baseman Matt Hanley (Delmont, Pa.) was an honorable mention choice... (NCBWA Atlantic Region Teams)
Slippery Rock University junior catcher Matt Adams was named the 2009 NCBWA Atlantic Region Player of the Year, and West Chester University's Greg Mamula was tabbed the Coach of the Year.
Watkins, the WVIAC Pitcher of the Year and a three-time WVIAC Pitcher of the Week recipient in 2009, led Pitt-Johnstown with a 7-1 record and a .84 earned-run-average in 53.1 innings-pitched. Watkins allowed just seven runs all seasons, five of which were earned. Watkins also struck out a team-best 63, while walking only four. In this week's NCAA statistics, Watkins, a graduate of Conemaugh Township Area High School, ranks second in the country in walks allowed per nine innings (.68), fifth in E.R.A. (.84), 19th in strikeouts per nine innings (10.64), 22nd in hits allowed per nine innings (6.59) and 50th in victories (7).
Fleck, a sophomore right-hander, and Faint, a senior closer, were named Second-Team NCBWA All-Atlantic Region. Fleck, who will pitch this summer in the prestigious Cape Cod League, posted a 6-2 record and a 2.61 E.R.A. in 48.1 innings of work. Fleck finished second on the team behind Watkins with 55 strikeouts. Faint ended the season with a 5-1 record and a team-high five saves. His 1.32 E.R.A. in 34 innings-pitched was second on the team.
Hanley, an Honorable Mention NCBWA All-Region selection, led Pitt-Johnstown in batting average (.426), hits (63), homeruns (10), runs batted-in (55), total bases (108), slugging percentage (.730) and on-base percentage (.488).
