WV State Places Five on First Team All-WVIAC Baseball Squad
May 3, 2007

(PRINCETON, W.VA.)---Divisional champions accounted for the top honors in 2007 West Virginia Conference as voted upon by the league's head coaches. Southern Division title holder West Virginia State accounted for the WVIAC's Player and Hitter of the Year in Josh Miller, while the Jackets also produced Michael Barron, the WVIAC Pitcher of the Year. Veteran West Liberty State head coach Bo McConnaugh was honored by his peers as the league's Coach of the Year.

The first team All-WVIAC pitching staff is comprised of West Virginia State's Michael Barron, West Liberty State's C.J. Besece, Alderson-Broaddus' Eduardo Castro, Fairmont State's Tony Magnanelli, and Seton Hill's Matt Nelson as starters. WVSU closer Patrick Muldoon is the team's reliever.

West Virginia State sluggers comprise the right side of the infield with first baseman Brandon Halstead and second baseman Jeff Miller. Shortstop Paul Day (Alderson-Broaddus), third baseman Mike McCarthy (Seton Hill), and utility selection Marc Kimes (West Virginia Wesleyan) round out the infield.

Pitt Johnstown backstop Paul Pentz is the selection by the coaches as the WVIAC's top catcher, while Shepherd's Dirk Webb is the designated hitter. Outfielders Jim Daily (Charleston), John Hawse (Shepherd), Josh Miller (West Virginia State), and Chris Wilkins (Shepherd) make up the remainder of the 17-player All-WVIAC first team.

Jeff Miller, Halstead, and Webb are the lone repeat selections from the 2006 first team all-league team. All three were picked at different positions than last year as Miller moved from first to second base. Halstead made the transition from the outfield to first base, while Webb shifted from first base to designated hitter.

Pentz becomes the initial first team All-WVIAC baseball selection from Pitt Johnstown. Nelson and McCarthy hold the same honor for fellow conference newcomer Seton Hill.

Five players on the first team all-conference squad are West Virginia natives, while four hail from Pennsylvania. Three selections claim Ohio as a home state and a pair are from Maryland. Kentucky, Virginia, and California each produced a member of the all-league first team.

First team all-conference honorees are eligible for the league's top individual honors, which will be named later on Thursday. The WVIAC Coach of the Year will also be announced at that time.

The full 2007 All-WVIAC baseball squad follows:

2007 All-WVIAC Baseball

1st Team:

• SP-Michael Barron (West Virginia State, Soph., Cross Lanes, WV, 7-0, 4.10 ERA, 50 K)
• SP-C.J. Besece (West Liberty State, Jr., Dillonvale, OH, 4-2, 2.88 ERA, 42 K)
• SP-Eduardo Castro (Alderson-Broaddus, Sr., Holtville, CA, 8-2, 3.09 ERA, 44 K)
• SP-Tony Magnanelli (Fairmont State, Sr., Frederick, MD, 5-2, 1.84 ERA, 52 K)
• SP-Matt Nelson (Seton Hill, Jr., Jeffersonboro, PA, 10-1, 3.30 ERA, 50 K)
• RP-Patrick Muldoon (West Virginia State, Sr., Hebron, KY, 3-1, 0.87 ERA, 4 SV)
• C-Paul Pentz (Pitt Johnstown, Sr., Johnstown, PA, .360 BA, 2 HR, 21 RBI)
• 1B-Brandon Halstead (West Virginia State, Sr., Charleston, WV, .457 BA, 13 HR, 55 RBI, 63 R)
• 2B-Jeff Miller (West Virginia State, Sr., Pine Grove, PA, .435 BA, 17 HR, 60 RBI, 48 R)
• 3B-Mike McCarthy (Seton Hill, Soph., Pittsburgh, PA, .396 BA, 1 HR, 24 RBI, 23 SB, 51 R)
• SS-Paul Day (Alderson-Broaddus, Jr., Dayton, OH, .454 BA, 5 HR, 34 RBI, 33 R)
• UT-Marc Kimes (West Virginia Wesleyan, Sr., Vienna, WV, .417 BA, 11 HR, 36 RBI)
• OF-Jim Daily (Charleston, Jr., Wintersville, OH, .430 BA, 14 RBI, 9 SB, 46 R)
• OF-John Hawse (Shepherd, Sr., Winchester, VA, .386 BA, 8 HR , 44 RBI)
• OF-Josh Miller (West Virginia State, Sr. Cottageville, WV, .451 BA, 14 HR , 56 RBI, 58 R)
• OF-Chris Wilkins (Shepherd, Jr., Baltimore, MD, .388 BA, 4 HR, 27 RBI, 18 SB)
• DH-Dirk Webb (Shepherd, Jr, Hedgesville, WV, .371 BA, 4 HR, 32 RBI)
• NOTE: Five starting pitchers selected due to a tie in the voting

2nd Team:

• SP-Chuck Boring (Pitt Johnstown, Soph., Dilltown, PA, 5-2, 5.87 ERA, 51 K)
• SP-Mike Darrah (West Liberty State, Sr., Rootstown, OH, 5-1, 4.11 ERA, 42 K)
• SP-Christian Rosado (West Virginia Wesleyan, Sr., Deltona, FL, 5-0, 3.14 ERA)
• RP-Dan Burkintas (Seton Hill, Sr., Pittsburgh, PA, 2-3, 4.12 ERA, 6 SV)
• RP-Vince Licursi (Wheeling Jesuit, Fr., Medina, OH, 1-1, 3.21 ERA, 2 SV)
• C-Kyle Root (Charleston, Soph., Easley, SC, .333 BA, 32 RBI)
• 1B-Brett Twigg (Alderson-Broaddus, Sr., Martinsburg, WV, .391 BA, 11 HR, 49 RBI)
• 2B-Rick Szeligo (Wheeling Jesuit, Soph., Wheeling, WV, .410 BA, 2 HR, 27 RBI)
• 3B-Jonathan Kemp (Fairmont State, Soph., New Martinsville, WV, .350 BA, 4 HR, 28 RBI)
• SS-Josh Wenderoth (Shepherd, Fr., Reisterstown, MD, .405 BA, 6 HR, 32 RBI)
• OF-Luis Diaz (Salem International, Fr., Caracas, VZ)
• OF-Tyler Nunn (Fairmont State, Soph., Oak Hill, WV, .394 BA, 3 HR, 27 RBI, 11 SB)
• OF-Jason Redden (Bluefield State, Jr., Beaver, WV, .370 BA, 3 HR, 31 RBI, 10 SB)
• OF-Matt Stratton (Alderson-Broaddus, Sr., Alexandria, VA, .393 BA, 3 HR, 35 RBI, 16 SB)
• DH-Brandon Durben (Ohio Valley, Sr., Kimbolton, OH, .387 BA, 3 HR, 32 RBI)
• DH-Seth Fluharty (Wheeling Jesuit, Soph., Wintersville, OH, .419 BA, 2 HR, 28 RBI)
• DH-Sean Jackson (West Liberty State, Soph., Olmstead Falls, OH, .336 BA, 3 HR, 17 RBI)

Honorable Mention:

• SP-Rick Austin (Seton Hill, Sr., Pittsburgh, PA, 4-5, 1.95 ERA, 70 K)
• SP-Trey Smith (Concord, Fr., Wytheville, VA, 6-2, 4.28 ERA, 40 K)
• C-Will Moody (Concord, Soph., Midlothian, VA, .320 BA, 1 HR, 16 RBI)
• 1B-Ben Bennett (Concord, Sr., Danville, VA, .364 BA, 1 HR, 32 RBI)
• 1B-Bill Colosimo (Pitt Johnstown, Sr., Sidman, PA, .403 BA, 3 HR, 26 RBI)
• 1B-Andrew Lore (Ohio Valley, Sr., South Charleston, WV, .349 BA, 6 HR, 41 RBI)
• 2B-Alan Baumann (Alderson-Broaddus, Jr., Frederick, MD, .413 BA, 17 RBI, 21 R)
• SS-Jason Russell (West Virginia Wesleyan, Jr., Millet, AB, .372 BA, 2 HR, 31 R)
• SS-Jesse Young (Ohio Valley, Jr., Parkersburg, WV, .350 BA, 1 HR, 35 RBI)
• OF-D.J. Schreckengost (Ohio Valley, Sr., Parkersburg, WV, .288 BA, 7 HR, 32 RBI, 11 SB)
• DH-Blake Rogers (Davis & Elkins, Jr., Charleston, WV, .370 BA, 1 HR, 20 RBI)