Army West Point Athletics
Army Dominates Patriot League Awards
May 08, 2012 | Baseball
May 8, 2012
CENTER VALLEY, Pa. - After running roughshod over the rest of the Patriot League throughout the 2012 season, the Army baseball team cleaned up on Tuesday afternoon as the conference announced its all-star teams and major award winners.
The Black Knights, who finished with an 18-2 Patriot League record, swept the four major awards and placed five players on the all-conference first team. Two other Army standouts were named to the Patriot League's second unit, giving the Black Knights seven honorees for the first time since the 2009 team took home eight all-league certificates.
It marks the first time since 2005 that Army has swept all four of the Patriot League's major awards. Kevin McKague was named the conference's Player of the Year, Chris Rowley was tabbed the circuit's Pitcher of the Year and Harold Earls copped Rookie of the Year honors.
Head coach Joe Sottolano rounded out Army's list of major award winners as the Black Knights' 13th-year mentor was recognized as the league's Coach of the Year for the first time since 2005 and third time overall.
Army (37-12) has already broken or tied 29 Academy and freshmen records this season (both team and individual). The Black Knights, who have reached the 30-win plateau for the fifth time in the last nine years, are rapidly closing in on the first 40-win season in program history.
Army was picked to finish third in the Patriot League preseason poll, but the Black Knights' bucked that trend by sweeping their first four conference opponents en route to a 16-0 start. Army finished off its regular-season conference slate by splitting a four-game series at Holy Cross to finish with 18 league wins. The 18-2 conference mark is the best by any Patriot League school since the circuit adopted its current 20-game schedule in 1996.
McKague and Rowley were joined by Zach Price, J.T. Watkins and Mark McCants on the All-Patriot League first team, giving Army five first-team honorees for the second time in three years. The Black Knights have placed at least four players on the first team each of the last four years, and it marks the 11th straight season that Army has received two or more first-team selections.
Cody Murtle and Logan Lee were both named to the second unit, rounding out Army's contingent of all-stars.
McKague, who becomes the first Army player to earn Patriot League Player of the Year honors since Cole White earned the award in 2007, leads the conference with a .385 batting average, 67 base hits and a .481 on-base percentage. The senior stars on the diamond as Army's first baseman and doubles as the Black Knights' closer. He ranks second in the conference with 41 runs batted in and 14 doubles, lists third with five home runs and 96 total bases and stands eighth with 32 runs scored and 10 stolen bases.
McKague's numbers versus Patriot League foes were impressive as the power-hitting slugger batted .365 with six doubles and 14 RBI versus conference opponents.
The Fayetteville, N.C., native has also excelled on the mound this season, having compiled a 1.46 earned run average in 11 appearances. He boasts a 1-0 record and five saves to go along with 15 strikeouts in 12.1 innings pitched. Opponents are hitting a paltry .182 against the hard-throwing righty.
McKague, who played a handful of games at third base early in the season, has excelled defensively in 2012. He boasts an incredible .996 fielding percentage, having made just two errors in over 500 chances.
It marks the fourth all-conference selection for McKague, who is busy re-writing the Army history books. He already owns the Academy career standards for base hits (275), doubles (53), multiple-hit games (84) and at-bats (772). McKague, who was named to the watch lists for the Stopper of the Year Award and the John Olerud Two-Way Player of the Year Award, also holds program marks for career saves (27) and single-season saves (13 in 2010).
McKague, who ranks as the Patriot League's all-time leader in hits, lists second in conference history in doubles and RBI (179), while standing seventh in career home runs (24).
McKague becomes just the eighth player in the history of the Patriot League to earn four all-conference certificates. He is the fourth Army player in the last nine years to be named the circuit's Player of the Year. The Black Knights have won a conference-record five Player of the Year awards over the years.
Rowley, who shows a perfect 10-0 record this season, is the third Army hurler to be named the Patriot League Pitcher of the Year in the last four seasons. The Black Knights have taken home the accolade six times in the last nine years, and Army pitchers have won this honor a league-record nine times dating back to the award's inception in 1992.
Rowley, who also earned his first career all-league certificate, has been nearly unhittable this season. The junior right-hander, who has won his last 10 decisions, ranks among the top 10 nationally in a slew of major statistical categories. He leads the nation in victories (10) and walks and hits per innings pitched (0.72), ranks third with a 1.26 earned run average, lists fourth in hits allowed per nine innings (5.03) and stands sixth with six complete games.
Rowley's numbers were even better in Patriot League play, where he fired four consecutive complete-game shutouts to open the conference season. He finished the league year with a perfect 5-0 record and a microscopic 0.51 earned run average. Rowley allowed just 12 hits and two earned runs over 35 innings against league foes. He struck out 33 batters and walked just two, and conference opponents batted a paltry .103 against him during the regular season.
The Duluth, Ga., native set Academy single-season records for shutouts (five), consecutive shutouts (four), consecutive scoreless innings (29) and consecutive innings without giving up an earned run (29). He also tied Army's single-season wins record (10).
Rowley, who has steadily improved on the mound since arriving at West Point, was named Patriot League Pitcher of the Week a record-tying four times throughout the course of the season.
Earls, who stepped into the shoes vacated by 2011 All-Patriot League performer Steve May (USMA '11), becomes the fifth Army player in the last nine seasons to be named the conference's Rookie of the Year. He is the first Black Knight to win the award since Price earned the honor in 2009. The Black Knights have dominated the loop's yearly rookie award since its inception in 2002, winning it five times in 11 seasons.
A native of Cumming, Ga., Earls ranks third in the Patriot League in batting average (.347), fourth in on-base percentage (.433), ninth in base hits (54) and walks (22) and 10th in slugging percentage (.406). The scrappy third baseman also led the conference with an Army freshman-record 19 stolen bases.
Earls posted incredible numbers within the league, batting .338 with four doubles, nine RBI and 11 runs scored against conference opponents. He also totaled six of his 19 steals against Patriot League teams, while racking up a .419 on-base percentage.
Price was named to the All-Patriot League first team for the third time in his career. The senior, who was recently named to the CoSIDA Academic All-District 1 first team, has served as one of the catalysts for Army's offense this season.
The Cantonment, Fla., product leads the Patriot League with 44 runs scored, ranks third in the conference with 60 base hits and 14 stolen bases, lists fifth in the league with a .323 batting average and a .426 on-base percentage, and stands tied for fifth with 25 walks.
Price currently ranks third all-time at Army with 167 runs scored, fourth in Academy history with 231 career base hits and sixth with 49 stolen bases. The Patriot League's all-time walks leader (122), Price has posted a sparkling .996 fielding percentage as Army's regular second baseman. The steady defender has committed just one error in nearly 250 chances.
Watkins garnered his second all-league certificate after being named to the second unit last season. Army's senior catcher ranks among the Black Knights' leaders with a .294 batting average, nine doubles, three home runs and 22 RBI. The Tuscaloosa, Ala., native has scored 21 runs, walked 10 times and boasts a .441 slugging percentage despite missing 11 games due to injury.
Watkins has also played superb defense behind home plate this year. He has thrown out 48.4 percent of potential base stealers (15-of-31), while piling up a .993 fielding percentage. The strong-armed backstop has made only two errors in nearly 300 defensive opportunities.
McCants rounds out Army's list of first-team honorees as the freshman earned the nod at designated hitter. A native of Flower Mound, Texas, McCants ranks tied for third on the team with 23 runs batted in this season. The first-year performer is batting .250 with one home run, one double and 22 runs scored in 39 game appearances.
Murtle and Lee were both honored by the Patriot League for the first time as both Army seniors were placed on the second team.
Murtle is enjoying the best offensive season since he entered the Academy, establishing career highs with four home runs, eight doubles, 39 RBI and 31 runs scored in 2012. Army's regular right fielder, who hails from Huntersville, N.C., ranks among the Patriot League leaders in all of those statistical categories. He also boasts a .406 slugging percentage and nine stolen bases.
Lee, who has shined as one of the Black Knights' weekend starters this season, shows a 6-2 overall record to go along with a 3.62 earned run average in 12 starts. The left-hander ranks second on the team with 52 strikeouts, three shutouts, four complete games and 69.2 innings pitched. The highlight of Lee's season came against Bucknell when he tossed the fourth no-hitter in school history in the Black Knights' 8-0 win over the Bison. He also tossed a one-hitter versus Lafayette and a two-hit shutout opposite Harvard.
A native of Laguna Niguel, Calif., Lee lists among the Patriot League leaders in wins (third), earned run average (eighth), strikeouts (fifth), shutouts (second), innings pitched (third), games started (first) and opponents' batting average (.248, sixth).
Army and Holy Cross topped all Patriot League members with seven All-Patriot League honorees this spring. The Black Knights have piled up an astounding 118 All-Patriot League selections since joining the conference in 1993. Despite joining the league two years after its inception, Army still owns more all-conference certificates than any other conference school. Bucknell stands second with 104 all-league selections.
Army will return to action this weekend (May 12-13) when the top-seeded Black Knights host fourth-seeded Lafayette in the Patriot League Tournament semifinals. First pitch for Saturday's doubleheader is set for 12 p.m. If necessary, the teams will play a single game on Sunday beginning at 1 p.m.
Should Army defeat Lafayette in the three-game series, the Black Knights would advance to the Patriot League Championship Series for the second straight season. Army would host either second-seeded Holy Cross or third-seeded Navy at Doubleday Field in another best-of-three set, May 19-20.
2012 ALL-PATRIOT LEAGUE BASEBALL TEAMS
FIRST TEAM ALL-PATRIOT LEAGUE
SP: Chris Rowley, ARMY
SP: Nate Koneski, Holy Cross
RP: John Colella, Holy Cross
C: J.T. Watkins, ARMY
1B: Kevin McKague, ARMY
2B: Zach Price, ARMY
3B: Mike Ahmed, Holy Cross
SS: Alexis Maldonado, Holy Cross
OF: Bob Donato, Bucknell
OF: Patrick Puentes, Holy Cross
OF: Alex Azor, Navy
DH: Mark McCants, ARMY
SECOND TEAM ALL-PATRIOT LEAGUE *
SP: Logan Lee, ARMY
SP: Cory Kent, Lehigh
SP: Preston Gainey, Navy
RP: Alex Cillo, Bucknell
C: Chad Warga, Lehigh
1B: Jordan Enos, Holy Cross
2B: Kevin Casey, Lafayette
3B: Greg Dupell, Navy
SS: Brendan McGaheran, Lehigh
OF: Cody Murtle, ARMY
OF: Gerry Runyan, Bucknell
OF: Brandon Cipolla, Holy Cross
OF: Joe Abeln, Lehigh
DH: Tyler Brong, Lehigh
* The All-Patriot League Second Team has an extra starting pitcher and extra outfielder due to ties in voting.
2012 PATRIOT LEAGUE MAJOR AWARDS
Player of the Year: Kevin McKague, Army
Pitcher of the Year: Chris Rowley, Army
Rookie of the Year: Harold Earls, Army
Coach of the Year: Joe Sottolano, Army
