Posted 19 June 2004 - 09:20 AM
Six FDU Players Earn NJCBA Honors
Pleeter and Nugent earn first team honors, Geroni and Anziano named to second team.
McLaughlin earns Senior Award and Franceschi named to All-Rookie Team.
HACKENSACK, NJ - Six members of the Fairleigh Dickinson University baseball team will receive New Jersey Collegiate Baseball Association (NJCBA) All-State honors. The awards were announced at the NJCBA weekly meeting on Monday night. Senior Matt Nugent (Staten Island, NY) and junior Gregg Pleeter (Spring Valley, NY) were named All-State First Team, while senior Pat Geroni (Pt. Pleasant, NJ) and junior Jesse Anziano (Meriden, CT) earned All-State Second Team honors. Freshman Rich Franceschi (Franklinville, NJ) was an All-Rookie Team selection and Tom McLaughlin (Glendora, NJ) will also receive the team's Senior Award. All honorees will receive their awards at the NJCBA Awards Banquet to be held at the East Brunswick Hilton on Tuesday, May 27th.
Nugent earns his spot as a utility player for the second straight year (second team in 2002). The 6-foot, 180-lb. switch-hitter was the catalyst of the Knights' offense when he was moved to the leadoff spot midway through the season. Nugent led the team with a .319 batting average and 43 hits to go along with four home runs and 16 runs batted in as he split time between catcher, left field and center field.
A 6-foot-5, 195-lb. right-hander, Pleeter led the Northeast Conference (NEC) with 86 strikeouts and 76.1 innings pitched. He posted a 5-6 record, a 4.24 earned run average and held opponents to a .231 batting average (2nd in NEC). The Knights' number one pitcher for nearly every Saturday NEC doubleheader, Pleeter started 11 games and completed eight.
Geroni, a first team selection in 2002, led the Knights and ranks second in the conference with nine home runs. A 6-foot-1, 227-lb. first baseman, he also led the squad with 29 runs batted in, eight doubles, a .579 slugging percentage, a .404 on base percentage and batted .316. A fine defensive player as well, Geroni made just three errors in 303 chances for a .990 fielding percentage. He completed his career with 17 home runs as a Knight.
Another 6-foot-5, 243-lb. right-hander, Anziano ranked among the nation's leaders in strikeouts per nine innings, finishing the year with 79 in 64.0 innings pitched. He led the team and ranked third in the NEC with a 3.09 earned run average and posted a 3-4 record in 10 appearances with five complete games and tossed the Knights' only shutout of the year. Anziano walked just 20 batters, allowed just one home run and held opposing hitters to a .241 batting average.
McLaughlin earns the Knights' NJCBA Senior Award, given to the player who represents the team with dedication, leadership and character. A four-year starter for the Knights, McLaughlin played in 147 games during his career. After a slow start battling through injuries in 2003, the second baseman batted .260 with a .389 on base percentage and made just seven errors in 155 chances in the field.
Franceschi, a 6-foot-5, 225-lb. right hander was one of the top freshmen in the NEC this year. He split his time as a starter and reliever, posting a 2-3 record with a 5.20 ERA. He walked just 17 batters while fanning 42 in 45 innings.
The Knights finished the 2003 season at 14-25 overall for a five-win improvement over 2002, and posted a 12-15 record in league play, battling for a spot in the NEC Tournament until the final weekend of regular season play. The pitching staff set a new single season program record with 306 strikeouts, surpassing the old mark of 295 set in 1999. The Knights' arms also recorded a team ERA of 5.33, t
