Carmen Lopresto (left), Stephen Ruch (middle), and Joe Dantas (right) were each tabbed as All Conference performers

WILKES BASEBALL PLACES THREE ON ALL-FREEDOM SQUADS

5/2/2013 12:00:00 PM

WILKES BASEBALL PLACES THREE ON ALL-FREEDOM SQUADS

ANNVILLE – The Middle Atlantic Conference announced their selections for the 2013 All-Freedom Conference baseball team Thursday afternoon.

Joe Dantas (Reading, PA/Fleetwood) was named All-Freedom First Team while Stephen Ruch (Dallas, PA/Holy Redeemer) garnered a Second Team selection and Carmen Lopresto (Pittston, PA/Pittston Area) was tabbed Honorable Mention.

To View the full All-Conference teams ,click here: All-Freedom Conference Team

Dantas, earned his first All Conference accolades after a great senior year. An All-Freedom First Team selection at third base, Dantas collected 41 total hits, including eight doubles and one triple while crossing home plate 28 times and knocking in 28 RBI's. A .357 hitter, he was a consistent performer and a good eye at the plate, sporting an on-base percentage of .443 while drawing 18 walks. Dantas' biggest game of the year came in a 17-13 win against Manhattanville where he went 4-for-5 with two walks, three RBI's, and two runs scored. He posted10 multi-hit games this season.”Joe had a great year offensively,” first-year head baseball coach Matt Hollod noted. “He always came through when we needed him.”

Ruch, a .387 hitter, was named to the All-Freedom Second Team at first base. He smacked 46 hits, including 11 doubles, two triples, and eight home runs. With a team-best 45 RBI's, Ruch was feared by opposing pitchers, recording a slugging percentage of .714. With 11 multi-hit games, Ruch was no stranger to clutch situations. Against Eastern, Ruch was 4-for-4 with all six RBI's, eventually connecting on a first pitch game-winning walk off grand slam to give the Colonels the 6-5 win. A steady hand at first base, Ruch committed only one error, posting a .996 fielding percentage. “He put up first-team numbers,” Hollod explained. “Steve had a fantastic year for us, but Mauro (DeSales) had a .500 year at the plate. Sometimes things don't work out.”

Lopresto was named as an All-Freedom Honorable Mention shortstop. A .336 hitter, Lopresto garnered 41 hits including nine doubles and one triple. He crossed home plate 33 times while knocking in 17 RBI's. A consistent contact hitter and tough out at the plate, Lopresto garnered 22 free passes while only striking out 13 times in 122 total at-bats. He had 11 multi-hit games, his biggest coming against Manhattanville when he was 4-for-5 with two walks, two RBI's, and two runs scored. With an on base percentage of .450, Lopresto was 5-for-8 in stolen base attempts. A three-time All-Freedom selection, Lopresto will leave Wilkes ranked fifth all time in runs scored, fourth all-time in career hits, fifth in doubles, and 8^th all-time in stolen bases. “Carm was consistent with his glove and his bat,” Hollod said. “He had a great season.”

The Wilkes University baseball team concluded their season with a 21-15 overall record and a fifth place finish in the Freedom Conference. The 21 wins is an eight win improvement from a season ago.

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