Army West Point Athletics
Baseball Picked to Repeat as Patriot League Champions, Five Receive Preseason Honors
February 08, 2022 | Baseball
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – The Army West Point baseball team landed the top spot in the Patriot League Preseason Poll that was released on Tuesday afternoon, thanks to 10 first-place votes and 50 points.
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The Black Knights, who head into the 2022 campaign on the hunt for their fourth-straight conference title, additionally placed four cadet-athletes onto the All-Patriot League Preseason Team as right-handed pitcher Anthony LoRicco, left-handed pitcher Connelly Early, shortstop Kevin Dubrule and third baseman Sam Ruta all received the nod. Army also received an at-large selection in outfielder Nick Manesis.
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"We are really looking forward to the start of the season," head coach Jim Foster said. "This is always a really exciting time of year and while it's nice to be recognized by the league and its coaches, we are just ready to go out each day and earn wins on the field."
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LoRicco will return to the mound this year after a junior campaign that saw him capture Second Team All-Patriot League honors. As the Friday starter, he racked up a 4-2 record to go along with an ERA of 5.14. The right-hander led the Cadets with 65 punchouts while limiting opponents to a .276 average in the box.
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One of the Black Knights' top southpaws from the 2021 campaign, Early is coming off a freshman season that saw him lead the team in WHIP (1.13) while finishing second in ERA (2.23). In addition to helping Army finish second in the league with an ERA of 5.14, he pitched his way to a 4-2 record while fanning 39 batters.
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Dubrule, a former Second Team All-Patriot League selection, will look to maintain his role this year as the Cadets' primary shortstop. The Patriot League's returning assists leader (107) posted a fielding percentage of .924 from the middle of the infield while helping the team turn 25 double plays. Dubrule finished his sophomore season batting .283 and additionally cranked out nine doubles and a pair of triples to go along with 29 RBI.
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Though he mainly appeared in the outfield in his freshman season, Ruta landed on this year's Preseason All-Patriot League Team as a third baseman. The returning Rookie of the Year and First Team All-Patriot League honoree started off his career in thrilling fashion, as his first hit was a home run against Austin Peay. Ruta went on to finish the year with a team-high 40 RBI while slashing .276/.431/.376. His five home runs, tied with Manesis for the team lead, were the the third-most of any conference player.
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Manesis, who received an At Large All-Patriot League selection a season ago, is coming off a year that saw him bat .267 with 44 hits from the cleanup spot. His 35 runs scored ranked fourth in the conference.
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The Patriot League Preseason honors come just 10 days out from the 2022 baseball season. Army is scheduled to open its slate at the Swig & Swine Collegiate Classic in Charleston, S.C. on Friday, Feb. 18. To view the team's full schedule, click HERE.
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 2022 Patriot League Baseball Preseason Poll
1. Army West Point (10 first-place votes), 50 points
2. Navy, 38
T3. Lafayette, (2), 32
T3. Lehigh 32
5. Bucknell, 18
6. Holy Cross, 10
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2022 Patriot League Baseball Preseason Major Awards
Patriot League Preseason Player of the Year – Chris Cannizzaro, Bucknell, Sr., OF
Patriot League Preseason Pitcher of the Year – Chris DiFiore, Bucknell, Jr., RHP
Patriot League Preseason Defensive Player of the Year – Eduardo Diaz, Navy, So., SS
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2022 Preseason All-Patriot League Baseball Team*
SP: Chris DiFiore, Bucknell, Jr.
SP: Anthony LoRicco, Army West Point, Jr.
SP: Luke Rettig, Lehigh, Sr.
RP: Connelly Early, Army West Point, So.
C: Christian Policelli, Navy, Sr.
1B: Zach Stevens, Navy, Sr.
2B: Sam Kirkpatrick, Holy Cross, So.
2B: Blaze Fadio, Lafayette, So.
SS: Kevin Dubrule, Army West Point, Jr.
SS: Justin Johnson, Lafayette, Sr.
3B: Sam Ruta, Army West Point, So.
OF: Chris Cannizzaro, Bucknell, Sr.
OF: Casey Rother, Lehigh, Sr.
OF: Pete Ciuffreda, Lafayette, Jr.
At-Large: Nick Manesis, Army West Point, Sr.
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*Additional players added to the preseason All-League team due to ties in the voting
FOLLOW ALONG
For complete coverage of Army West Point Baseball, follow the Black Knights on Twitter and Instagram at @ArmyWP_Baseball and online at www.goarmywestpoint.com. Â
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The Black Knights, who head into the 2022 campaign on the hunt for their fourth-straight conference title, additionally placed four cadet-athletes onto the All-Patriot League Preseason Team as right-handed pitcher Anthony LoRicco, left-handed pitcher Connelly Early, shortstop Kevin Dubrule and third baseman Sam Ruta all received the nod. Army also received an at-large selection in outfielder Nick Manesis.
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"We are really looking forward to the start of the season," head coach Jim Foster said. "This is always a really exciting time of year and while it's nice to be recognized by the league and its coaches, we are just ready to go out each day and earn wins on the field."
Â
LoRicco will return to the mound this year after a junior campaign that saw him capture Second Team All-Patriot League honors. As the Friday starter, he racked up a 4-2 record to go along with an ERA of 5.14. The right-hander led the Cadets with 65 punchouts while limiting opponents to a .276 average in the box.
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One of the Black Knights' top southpaws from the 2021 campaign, Early is coming off a freshman season that saw him lead the team in WHIP (1.13) while finishing second in ERA (2.23). In addition to helping Army finish second in the league with an ERA of 5.14, he pitched his way to a 4-2 record while fanning 39 batters.
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Dubrule, a former Second Team All-Patriot League selection, will look to maintain his role this year as the Cadets' primary shortstop. The Patriot League's returning assists leader (107) posted a fielding percentage of .924 from the middle of the infield while helping the team turn 25 double plays. Dubrule finished his sophomore season batting .283 and additionally cranked out nine doubles and a pair of triples to go along with 29 RBI.
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Though he mainly appeared in the outfield in his freshman season, Ruta landed on this year's Preseason All-Patriot League Team as a third baseman. The returning Rookie of the Year and First Team All-Patriot League honoree started off his career in thrilling fashion, as his first hit was a home run against Austin Peay. Ruta went on to finish the year with a team-high 40 RBI while slashing .276/.431/.376. His five home runs, tied with Manesis for the team lead, were the the third-most of any conference player.
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Manesis, who received an At Large All-Patriot League selection a season ago, is coming off a year that saw him bat .267 with 44 hits from the cleanup spot. His 35 runs scored ranked fourth in the conference.
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The Patriot League Preseason honors come just 10 days out from the 2022 baseball season. Army is scheduled to open its slate at the Swig & Swine Collegiate Classic in Charleston, S.C. on Friday, Feb. 18. To view the team's full schedule, click HERE.
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 2022 Patriot League Baseball Preseason Poll
1. Army West Point (10 first-place votes), 50 points
2. Navy, 38
T3. Lafayette, (2), 32
T3. Lehigh 32
5. Bucknell, 18
6. Holy Cross, 10
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2022 Patriot League Baseball Preseason Major Awards
Patriot League Preseason Player of the Year – Chris Cannizzaro, Bucknell, Sr., OF
Patriot League Preseason Pitcher of the Year – Chris DiFiore, Bucknell, Jr., RHP
Patriot League Preseason Defensive Player of the Year – Eduardo Diaz, Navy, So., SS
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2022 Preseason All-Patriot League Baseball Team*
SP: Chris DiFiore, Bucknell, Jr.
SP: Anthony LoRicco, Army West Point, Jr.
SP: Luke Rettig, Lehigh, Sr.
RP: Connelly Early, Army West Point, So.
C: Christian Policelli, Navy, Sr.
1B: Zach Stevens, Navy, Sr.
2B: Sam Kirkpatrick, Holy Cross, So.
2B: Blaze Fadio, Lafayette, So.
SS: Kevin Dubrule, Army West Point, Jr.
SS: Justin Johnson, Lafayette, Sr.
3B: Sam Ruta, Army West Point, So.
OF: Chris Cannizzaro, Bucknell, Sr.
OF: Casey Rother, Lehigh, Sr.
OF: Pete Ciuffreda, Lafayette, Jr.
At-Large: Nick Manesis, Army West Point, Sr.
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*Additional players added to the preseason All-League team due to ties in the voting
FOLLOW ALONG
For complete coverage of Army West Point Baseball, follow the Black Knights on Twitter and Instagram at @ArmyWP_Baseball and online at www.goarmywestpoint.com. Â
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