ERIE, Pa. – Six Penn State Behrend baseball players have been named to the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference (AMCC) All-Conference team, announced on Tuesday.
Ryan Jacobs (Port Vue, PA/South Allegheny) and John Hlavinka (Venetia, PA/Peters Township) each earned individual honors as well. Jacobs was named the AMCC Pitcher of the Year with Hlavinka earning Newcomer of the Year honors.
Head coach Paul Benim was tabbed as the Coach of the Year for the fifth time after leading the Lions to the 2013 AMCC Championship. Behrend won the AMCC regular-season title as well with a 15-1 conference record.
Jacobs had a historical season for the Lions (30-10). The senior right-hander led the Behrend pitching staff with an 8-1 record and a 1.37 ERA. Jacobs struck out 49 batters in 59 innings of work with an opponent's batting average of just .203. He also broke the school record for career wins (28) and career innings pitched (257.1). On April 14 against Mount Aloysius, Jacobs became the first player in program history to throw a perfect game. In addition to his Player of the Year award, Jacobs was named to the First-Team All-Conference for the second straight year.
A trio of Behrend seniors were also named to the first team. Evan Bukowski (Washington, PA/Trinity), Vinny Rice (Harmony, PA/Seneca Valley), and Ryan Kragnes (Bethel Park, PA/Bethel Park) each earned First-Team All-Conference accolades.
Bukowski, a two-time all-conference selection, had a great year behind the plate. The senior catcher hit .308 with 40 hits, 27 runs, 25 RBIs, and 24 walks. Bukowski started in every game for a second consecutive season.
Rice had a breakout senior year for the Lions. Rice set career-highs in batting average (.382), hits (42), RBIs (24), and runs (20). The first baseman only made two errors in the field and set the single-season record for putouts with 302.
Kragnes capped a memorable career with a spot on the first team for the third straight season. Kragnes led Behrend in batting average (.398), hits (51), runs (44), walks (36), and stolen bases (25). During the regular season, the senior outfielder broke the program record for stolen bases and walks.
Senior Matt Bittner (Lancaster, NY/St. Mary's) also received recognition with a spot on the second team. Bittner hit .314 this year with 43 hits and 27 runs scored. He also led the team with 42 RBIs, 10 doubles, and two home runs. The all-conference honor marked the fourth straight year that the senior has earned a post-season all-conference selection.
Hlavinka took home the Newcomer of the Year award and a spot on the second team. The freshman made an immediate impact for the Lions this season. Hlavinka was third on the team with a .347 batting average. He recorded 43 hits, 31 walks, 17 RBIs, and nine doubles in his first season while starting in 38 games.
Chad Zurat (Clearfield, PA/Clearfield) rounded out the honorees with a Third-Team All-Conference nod. Zurat anchored the Behrend bullpen with a team-high six saves. The junior struck out 31 hitters in just 24 innings to go with a 2.25 ERA. Opposing batters hit a measly .195 off the right hander, helping Zurat earn all-conference recognition for the second straight year.
