Penn State Behrend Earns Numerous Spots on All-Conference Team

JJ Fyffe
JJ Fyffe

The Behrend Lions placed eight players onto the AMCC All-Conference team including the player of the year, Josh Fyffe (Fredonia/Sharpsville), and the pitcher of the year, David Koerbel (Pittsburgh/Central Catholic).

Fyffe, a junior shortstop, led the Behrend Lions through much of the season racking up a .404 batting average while driving in 55 runners with nine homers, three triples, and 12 doubles.  Fyffe moved to fourth all-time in career RBI (113) and is two behind the single season record set by fellow All-Conference selection Dave Miller (St. Marys/St. Marys). Fyffe was named the 2007 AMCC Newcomer of the year and has been placed on the All-Conference team in each of his first three seasons. Fyffe has gone 16-for-19 in stolen base attempts which moves him into the top ten in career steals with 47.  Fyffe has cracked the top 10 in runs scored (116), hits (175), doubles (32) and home runs (12). 

This is the second time that Koerbel has been named the pitcher of the year.  Koerbel was named both the player and pitcher of the year in 2008 and was the newcomer of the year in 2006.  Koerbel has been solid for the Behrend Lions throughout his career.  Koerbel has distinguished himself from the rest of Behrend pitchers.  Koerbel is the career leader in almost every category including wins (27), innings pitched (238.2), strike outs (251), and complete games (18).  Koerbel finds himself in the top ten in career ERA (3.09) and appearances (43).  Koerbel led the blue and white to its second championship in as many years going 9-and-1 on the year with a 3.62 ERA.  Koerbel set the single season strikeout mark at 83 capped off with a 13 strikeout performance in the semi-final game of the 2009 AMCC championship tournament.

Jon Gray (State College/State College) joins Fyffe and Koerbel as a first team selection.  Gray, who was leading the nation in hitting at one point in the year, has been selected to the All-Conference team once before in 2008.  Gray led the team with a .437 batting average and is one run away from tying the single season mark for runs scored with 58.  Gray has been key to the Behrend Lions offense with a .545 on base percentage and 16 stolen bases on the year.

The second team includes Andy Chrobak (New Castle/Laurel), Dustin Dubensky (Punxsutawney/Punxsutawney), Miller, and Geoff Lang (Pittsburgh/North Allegheny).  Chrobak finished the year with a 7-3 record and a 4.19 ERA.  Chrobak was second on the team in strikeouts with 63 and was first in innings pitched with 68.2.  Miller was a RBI factory producing 57 runs while batting .361 on the year.  Miller was third on the team in homeruns (5) behind Fyffe (9) and Lang (6).  Lang batted .329 while driving in 40 runners with four triples and six doubles on the year.  Dubensky knocked in 38 runners with a home run and eleven doubles while batting .342.

Rounding out the Behrend Lions on the All-Conference team was Eddie Kessler (Bethel Park/Bethel Park).  Kessler was recently named as the AMCC player of the week after going 7-for-12 with six RBIs and two home runs in the AMCC championship tournament.  Kessler batted .408 on the year with 36 RBIs and was 13-of-14 in stolen base attempts.

The Behrend Lions took a blow in the first round of the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regionals with a 13-1 loss to TCNJ.  Penn State Behrend will now wait to play the loser of today's #1Kean vs. #8 Penn State Berks game.  Tomorrow's game between Behrend and Kean/PS Berks will be an elimination game starting at 10:00 a.m.