ERIE, Pa. – The Penn State Behrend baseball squad had eight players named to the 2021 All-Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference (AMCC) Team, announced on Friday.
Thomas Zbezinski (Gibsonia, PA/Pine Richland) and Colin Harger (Pittsburgh, PA/Shaler) were chosen to the first team. Derrick Shields (Waterford, PA/Fort LeBoeuf), CJ Weller (Sewickley, PA/North Allegheny), Josh Wagner (South Park, PA/South Park) and Juston Jones (Moon Township, PA/Moon) are second-team honorees. Zack Bowen (Plum Borough, PA/Serra Catholic) and Braden Paulinellie (DuBois, PA/DuBois) are third-team selections.
Zbezinski, the 2021 Preseason Pitcher of the Year, is making his first appearance on the first team. The junior starter leads the team and is ranked second in the conference with seven wins and a 1.79 ERA. Zbezinski made nine appearances this season and threw 55.1 innings. He also leads the AMCC and ranks 27th in NCAA DIII statistics in strikeouts with 74, registering a career-high 12 in the AMCC Championships against La Roche on Wednesday. Zbezinski threw his first-collegiate no-hitter in a 6-0 win over Pitt-Bradford on May 8.
Harger landed on the first team for leading the AMCC in batting average at .444. The sophomore has 13 multiple-hit games and has a 16-game hitting streak. Harger tallied a career-best five hits in the AMCC semifinals against Mt. Aloysius. He ranks second on the team doubles (11) and is third with 49 hits. Harger has scored 27 runs and has driven in 24 runs this season.
Shields earned his first all-conference honors this season. He was selected to the second team at starting pitcher for making eight appearances and hurling 47.1 innings. The sophomore posted a 4-1 record and threw two complete games for a 3.61 ERA. Shields is tied for fourth in the AMCC in strikeouts with 52. He pitched a three-hit shutout against Pitt-Bradford this season and tallied a season-best nine strikeouts in a 3-1 win at Penn State Altoona.
Weller is a second-team choice at catcher for the Lions. The sophomore split time behind the plate and had a 1.000 fielding percentage in conference games, allowing just one passed ball. Overall, he has a .944 field percentage and has caught nine runners stealing in 20 games. At the plate, Weller has tallied 18 hits, 15 runs and 10 RBIs. He has 145 putouts in 159 chances.
Wagner, the 2021 Preseason Player of the Year, is earning his second nod on the All-Conference Team. He was selected to the first team in 2019. The senior third baseman ranks first in the AMCC with 42 RBIs this season. Wagner is also second on the team and fourth in the conference with a.405 batting average. He is second in the AMCC in doubles (15) and third in hits (49). Wagner has 15 multiple-hit and 10 multiple-RBI games this season. He had four hits, two doubles and six RBI in the AMCC quarterfinal win over Pitt-Bradford.
Jones was voted to the second team after ranking second on the team in RBIs (31) and fourth on the team in hits (43) and doubles (9). The sophomore appeared in 34 games, registering 126 at-bats and 23 runs. The designated hitter also pitched 6.1 innings and fanned 11 batters for a 2.84 ERA in five appearances. Jones has a 1-0 record on the mound with one save.
Bowen got his first All-Conference nod on the third team. The sophomore infielder has 30 hits, 21 runs and 22 RBIs this season. He smacked six doubles, two triples and a home run. Bowen has turned 12 double plays and boasts a .977 fielding percentage. He tallied a save on the mound in the AMCC Championships on Wednesday.
Paulinellie closes out his career with his first All-Conference honor on the third team. He leads the team and is second in the conference with 51 hits, including 10 doubles. Paulinellie is ninth in the AMCC with 30 RBIs. The senior infielder had an 18-game hitting streak and had 13 multiple-hit games this season. Paulinellie scored a season-high six runs in the AMCC quarterfinals against Pitt-Bradford.
