College Baseball
Two Broncs All-MAAC
13 All-Academic
WEST LONG BRANCH, NJ—Two members of the Rider University baseball team, junior Justin Thomas (Richboro, PA/Council Rock South) and junior Nick Richter (Fox River Grove, Ill./Cary-Grove), were honored by the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference at the MAAC Championship Tournament Tuesday.
Thomas was named the First Team All-MAAC first baseman and Richter was named the Second Team All-MAAC third baseman.
Recently named the Rider team's Most Improved Player, Thomas batted a team-high .341 in 2014, 65 points higher than his average last year. Thomas ranks second in the MAAC in RBI with 45, 21 more than last year. His slugging percentage of .492 this year is 150 points higher than last year. He ranks fourth in the MAAC in total bases with 88.
“Justin has made himself into a quality first baseman,” said Rider head coach Barry Davis, “and this produced at the plate. His offensive statistics match up with most anyone in the MAAC and he deserves this honor.”
Thomas batted .337 against MAAC teams with 21 RBI in 22 conference games.
Richter, the Rider team MVP, batted 321 with 61 hits, 41 runs scored and 41 stolen bases. The Rider leadoff batter, Richter ranks first in the nation in stolen bases and fourth in the MAAC in runs scored. Richter batted a team-high .356 against MAAC pitchers with 32 hits in 22 MAAC games.
“Nick solidified himself as one of the best players in the conference,” Davis said, “batting .321 on the season and .356 in conference. His ability to play the game in more than one way makes him valuable to our program. This honor is well deserved.”
Richter broke the Rider record of stolen bases in a season (40) that stood since 1967.
“We are excited to have both young men back in 2015,” Davis said.
Richter was one of 13 Broncs to earn MAAC All-Academic team honors. Richter majors in Business Administration and owns a 3.94 grade point average.
Other MAAC All-Academic Team members were sophomore Vincenzo Aiello (Staten Island, NY/Tottenville), junior Mickey Donnelly (Bayville, NJ/Central Regional), junior David Hafer (Pine Grove, PA), senior Kyle Kennett (Spring Lake, NJ/St. Rose), sophomore Connor Luff (Milford, DE/Milford), junior Zach Mawson (Magnolia, DE/Caesar Rodney), sophomore James Locklear (Hamilton, NJ/Steinert), junior Peter Mayer-Klepchick (Milford, NJ/Delaware Valley Regional), junior Mike Parsons (Liverpool, NY), junior Kurt Sowa (Bensalem, PA/Fr. Judge), junior Eric Strano (Robbinsville) and junior Eric Thomas (Dallastown, PA/Dallastown Area).
Aiello is a Biology major with a 3.30, Donnelly is a Business Administration major with a 3.6 and Hafer is a Biochemistry major with a 3.28. Kennett graduated with a 3.55 in Secondary Education/Psychology, Luff is a Political Science major with a 3.82 and Mawson has a 3.42 majoring in Business Administration. Locklear majors in Business Administration and has a 3.44, Mayer-Klepchick has a 3.62 in Communication. Parsons is a Human Resource Management major with a 3.26, Sowa has a 3.52 in Secondary Education/Mathematics, Strano has a 3.3 majoring in Business Administration and Thomas is a Marketing major with a 3.34 grade point average.
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