University of Connecticut Athletics
Three Huskies Receive BIG EAST Postseason Honors
5/21/2003 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
STORRS, CT (May 21) - Three members of the University of Connecticut baseball team earned BIG EAST postseason honors, the league announced Wednesday night at the annual awards banquet.
Senior Peter Soteropoulos (Peabody, MA) was named to the All-BIG EAST First Team, junior Mike Leonard (Vernon, CT) was named to the All-BIG EAST Second Team and sophomore Russ D'Argento (Marlboro, MA) was named to the All-BIG EAST Third Team. All choices were made by the league’s head coaches, who were not permitted to vote for their own players. Soteropoulos was selected as the first team’s utility player and Leonard was the catcher for the second team. While the first and second teams are chosen by position, the third team is made up of the remaining top 13 vote recipients, regardless of position.
Soteropoulos led the team in seven major statistical categories, while playing first base and pitcher. He was a second team All-BIG-EAST selection last season. Soteropoulos finished with a .381 batting average, a .534 slugging percentage and a .469 on base percentage, while playing in 46 games. In 2003, Soteropoulos had 24 multiple hit games and 11 multiple RBI games. Soteropoulos was a perfect 10-for-10 in stolen bases and led the team in total bases with 94.
As the starting catcher, Leonard played in 46 games, while hitting .294. Leonard was a third team All BIG-EAST selection last season. Behind the plate, Leonard threw out 36-of-54 stolen base attempts and had a .982 fielding percentage. He finished second on the team in doubles with 10 and fourth in runs and hits with 30 and 50, respectively.
D'Argento coming back from a ruptured appendix in 2002 led the team in runs scored hitting in the lead off spot. He hit .326 this season and played in 46 games in centerfield. D'Argento finished second on the team in hits with 59 and total bases with 87. He hit a career high nine doubles and five home runs, with an outstanding .990 fielding percentage.
Marc Tugwell of Virginia Tech and Jarod Rine of West Virginia were named the BIG EAST Co-Players of the Year. Notre Dame's Chris Niesel was named the BIG EAST Pitcher of the Year, while West Virginia's Stan Posluszny was named the BIG EAST Rookie of the Year and Greg Van Zant the BIG EAST Coach of the Year.
All-BIG EAST First Team
P- Chris Lambert, Boston College, So.
P- Chris Niesel, Notre Dame, So. (BIG EAST Pitcher of the Year)
P- Matt Dalton, Virginia Tech, Sr.
C- Wyatt Toregas, Virginia Tech, So.
1B- Matt Edwards, Notre Dame, So.
2B- Marc Tugwell, Virginia Tech, Sr. (Co-BIG EAST Player of the Year)
SS- Mike Rozema, St. John's, Jr.
3B- Chris Stanton, Virginia Tech, So.
OF- Jeff Frazier, Rutgers, So.
OF- Casey Grimm, Seton Hall, Sr.
OF- Jarod Rine, West Virginia, Jr. (Co-BIG EAST Player of the Year)
UT- Peter Soteropoulos, Connecticut, Sr.
DH- Matt Wolski, Rutgers, Sr.
All-BIG EAST Second Team
P- Ryan Kalita, Notre Dame, Sr.
P- Jack Egbert, Rutgers, So.
P- Chris Noonan, Seton Hall, Jr.
P- Zac Cline, West Virginia, So.
C- Mike Leonard, Connecticut, Jr.
1B- Kurtis Clinton, West Virginia, Sr.
2B- Steve Sollmann, Notre Dame, Jr.
SS- Bryan Spamer, Pittsburgh, Jr.
3B- Tim McCabe, West Virginia, Sr.
OF- Drew Locke, Boston College, So.
OF- Stuart Rykaceski, Pittsburgh, Sr.
OF- Lee Fritz, West Virginia, So.
UT- Andrew Cleary, Georgetown, So.
DH- Stan Posluszny, West Virginia, Fr. (BIG EAST Rookie of the Year)
All-BIG EAST Third Team
Kevin Shepard, Boston College, P, So.
Josh DiScipio, Boston College, 2B, Jr.
Russ D'Argento, Connecticut, OF, So.
Michael Lombardi, Georgetown, C, So.
J.P. Gagne, Notre Dame, P, So.
Kris Billmaier, Notre Dame, OF, Sr.
Mike Scanzano, Pittsburgh, 3B, Jr.
Steve Normane, Rutgers, 1B, Jr.
Joe Reid, St. John's, P, So.
Anthony DeRosa, St. John's, OF, Jr.
Tim Pahuta, Seton Hall, 1B, So.
Spencer Harris, Virginia Tech, SS, Sr.
Jake Serfass, West Virginia, OF, Jr.
