Pitt-Johnstown senior right-hander Ben Watkins (Tire Hill, Pa.) was named the 2009 Daktronics Baseball Atlantic Region Pitcher of the Year on Wednesday to lead a pair of Mountain Cats who garnered First-Team All-Region honors. Sophomore second baseman Nick Barbera (Harrisburg, Pa.) joined Watkins on the All-Region First-Team, while pitchers Kaleb Fleck (Claysburg, Pa.) and Eric Faint (Johnstown, Pa.) were Second-Team Daktronics All-Region selections. Watkins and Barbera will now advance to the national ballot to become Daktronics All-Americans... (Daktronics All-Atlantic Region Teams)
Members of the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) from NCAA Division II schools and conferences sponsoring baseball vote for the Daktronics All-Region and All-America teams. The process begins at the regional level with the First-Team All-Region choices advancing to the national Ballot.
Slippery Rock University junior catcher Matt Adams was named the 2009 Daktronics Atlantic Region Player of the Year.
Watkins, 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).
Joining Watkins on the All-Region First-Team is Barbera. Barbera led Pitt-Johnstown in at-bats (149), runs (49) and walks (25) and was second in batting average (.362), hits (54), doubles (14), triples (3) and total bases (83).
Fleck, a sophomore right-hander, and Faint, a senior closer, were named Second-Team Daktronics All-Atlantic Region. Fleck, who will pitch this summer in the prestigious Cape Cod League. Fleck 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. Nationally, Fleck ranks 32nd in strikeouts per nine innings (10.25), 55th in E.R.A. (2.61) and 77th in hits allowed per nine innings. 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. Faint ranks 53rd nationally in saves with five.
Pitt-Johnstown wrapped-up the 2009 season with a 29-15 overall record. The Mountain Cats also finished third in the WVIAC Northern Division with a 9-7 record.
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