BRIDGEPORT, W.Va. – Nine members of the Shepherd University baseball team were named to the 2014 All- Mountain East Conference Team today. Senior pitcher Paul Hvozdovic (Herndon, Va./Herndon) was named MEC Pitcher of the Year, while head coach
Matt McCarty was selected as MEC Coach of the Year.
Hvozdovic became the first Ram to earn conference Pitcher of the Year honors since Chuck Russell in 1984. He posted a perfect 10-0 record during the regular season with a 1.42 ERA. His 87 strikeouts were the most in the MEC, and his strikeout-to-walk ratio of 17.41 is best in the country. In addition, he ranks in the top 10 nationally in complete games (8), victories (10), WHIP (0.82) and walks allowed per nine innings.
McCarty directed the squad to a 37-10 overall record and the inaugural Mountain East Conference regular season championship after posting a 35-7 mark in MEC play. He is the first Shepherd coach to garner conference Coach of the Year honors since Wayne Riser in 2002. Shepherd is ranked first in the most recent NCAA Atlantic Region rankings.
Hvozdovic, senior outfielder Michael Lott (Woodbridge, Va./Woodbridge), junior catcher Spencer Wolfe (Huntingtown, Md./Huntingtown/USC Aiken), and freshman second baseman Jacob Carney (Stephens City, Va./Sherando) garnered first team honors.
Lott has a.423 batting average with a team-best 69 hits in 163 at-bats. He has scored 48 runs and driven in 30. Lott added nine doubles, a triple, and three home runs. Shepherd's all-time leader in stolen bases, Lott is 25-of-33 in stolen bases this season.
Wolfe has a .401 batting average with 59 hits in 147 at-bats. He has scored a team-best 53 runs and ties for the team lead in RBIs with 49. Wolfe has added 16 doubles and a team-best seven home runs. He is 20-of-23 in stolen bases.
Carney has a .379 batting average with 47 hits in 124 at-bats. He has scored 27 runs and driven in 36. Carney has added seven doubles and a round-tripper. He is 20-of-23 in stolen bases.
Senior designated hitter Ryan Messina (St. James, N.Y./Smithtown East/Tampa), senior outfielder Kyle Porter (Baltimore, Md./Good Counsel/CCBC), and junior outfielder Matt Wilson (Baltimore, Md./Archbishop Curley/Essex CC) were chosen to the second team.
Messina has a .312 batting average with 43 hits in 138 at-bats. He has scored 31 runs and ties for the team-lead in RBIs with 49. Messina had a team-best 17 doubles and five home runs. He is 9-of-12 in stolen bases.
Porter has a .299 batting average with 41 hits in 137 at-bats. He has scored 42 runs and driven in 26. Porter has 11 doubles, a triple, and four home runs on the season. He leads the team in walks (25) and stolen bases (27).
Wilson has a .384 batting average with 48 hits in 125 at-bats. He has scored 43 runs and driven in 37. Wilson has added eight doubles, a triple, and three home runs. He is 18-of-21 in stolen bases and has been hit-by-pitch a team-best 26 times.
Sophomore pitchers Jamie Driver (Broad Run, Va./Kettle Run) and Ryan Pansch (Charles Town, W.Va./Washington) were honorable mention selections.
Driver has an 8-1 mark with a 4.10 ERA. He recorded 45 strikeouts in 63.2 innings. He has one complete game and a shutout to his credit this year.
Pansch has a 6-3 mark with three saves and a 2.42 ERA. He has fanned 62 in 52.0 innings. He has one complete game, a shutout, and two combined shutouts this season.
The All-MEC teams are selected by a vote of the league's coaches.
| All-MEC First Team |
| Pos. | Name | School |
| C | Spencer Wolfe | Shepherd |
| 1B | Joey Miller | Concord |
| 2B | Jacob Carney | Shepherd |
| SS | D.J. Busby | West Liberty |
| 3B | Mike McCollum | UVa-Wise |
| Utility | Corey Lynn | West Virginia Wesleyan |
| OF | Bret Blevins | Concord |
| OF | Jack Hudson | West Virginia State |
| OF | Michael Lott | Shepherd |
| OF | Matt Paculan | Urbana |
| DH | Joe Camp | Concord |
| SP | Paul Hvozdovic | Shepherd |
| SP | Matt Kastelic | Notre Dame |
| SP | Ryan Weatherholtz | Concord |
| SP | Jake Welch | Notre Dame |
| RP | Joshua Falbo | West Virginia State |
| | |
| All-MEC Second Team |
| Pos. | Name | School |
| C | Tyler Payne | West Virginia State |
| 1B | Keifer Quick | Notre Dame College |
| 2B | Jerrod Groves | Concord |
| SS | Cody Ridinger | Urbana |
| 3B | Ryan Johnston | Concord |
| Utility | Roman Gammell | Urbana |
| OF | John Koon | West Virginia Wesleyan |
| OF | Kyle Porter | Shepherd |
| OF | Jose Vargas | Urbana |
| OF | Matt Wilson | Shepherd |
| DH | Ryan Messina | Shepherd |
| SP | Nick Bozman | Urbana |
| SP | Tyler Hall | West Virginia State |
| SP | Mark Smyth | West Liberty |
| SP | Tyler Thompson | West Virginia State |
| RP | Corey Lakatos | Charleston |
| | |
| All-MEC Honorable Mention |
| C | Zach Gunter | Charleston |
| 1B | Bill Steven | UVa-Wise |
| 2B | Eric Craft | West Virginia State |
| SS | Brad Sullivan | Concord |
| Utility | Anthony Brunetti | Charleston |
| OF | Jon-Michael Brunner | West Liberty |
| OF | Robbie Collin | Charleston |
| OF | Ryan Foster | Charleston |
| OF | Andrew Seigel | Concord |
| DH | Ryan Sanders | Notre Dame College |
| SP | Tyler Coyle | Concord |
| SP | Jamie Driver | Shepherd |
| SP | Chris Kelly | Concord |
| SP | Ryan Pansch | Shepherd |
| RP | Nick Mayle | Fairmont State |
| | |
| Player Of The Year: Joey Miller (Concord) |
| Pitcher Of The Year: Paul Hvozdovic (Shepherd) |
| Freshman Of The Year: Tyler Hall (West Virginia State) |
| Coach Of The Year: Matt McCarty (Shepherd) |
