UNIONTOWN, Pa. – Six Penn State Fayette, The Eberly Campus student-athletes were recognized by the Pennsylvania State University Athletic Conference for their 2012 athletic seasons, including three baseball and three softball players, the conference office announced today.
Freshmen Shelby Dziak (Eighty Four, Pa.), Moriah Kromer (Mount Pleasant, Pa.) and Katie Volek (Smithfield, Pa.) all earned their first PSUAC honors in softball, including Volek’s selection as the PSUAC Newcomer of the Year. Volek’s selection as the Newcomer of the Year gives the Roaring Lions their fourth such award this year. Dziak and Kromer were named to the PSUAC Honorable Mention squad, while Volek also earned PSUAC first team honors.
Senior baseball players Sam Beucher (Connellsville, Pa.) and Zach Durbin (Carmichaels, Pa.) earned their third and second PSUAC selections, respectively, while sophomore teammate Alex Fogle (Connellsville, Pa.) received his first postseason nod. Fogle made the PSUAC second team, while Durbin was named to the conference’s first team. Beucher was named to the first team as a pitcher and the second team as a position player.
Volek appeared in 16 games for Fayette, batting .519 with a slugging percentage of .906 before an ankle injury in mid-April sidelined her the remainder of the season. Despite missing 12 games, Volek finished second on the team in RBIs with 20, and picked up a win on the mound for Fayette in three appearances. Of her 28 hits, 11 went for extra bases, including three home runs, good for fifth best in the PSUAC, and eight doubles.
Volek becomes the fourth Fayette female student-athlete to win a conference Newcomer of the Year award in the past two years, joining Jill Guthrie (Women’s Basketball, 2010-11), Janelle Cooper (Women’s Volleyball, 2011) and Caitlin Wontroba (Women’s Basketball, 2011-12). Volek joins Cooper, Wontroba and Brandon Cunningham (Men’s Basketball, 2011-12) as the four conference Newcomer’s of the Year for Fayette in 2011-12.
Dziak finished fourth in doubles in the PSUAC with nine and eighth in hits with 33, primarily batting in the lead-off spot in all 28 games for Fayette. Dziak batted .347 for the Roaring Lions to finish second on the team behind Kromer, and added 15 RBIs. Not only was Dziak consistent at the plate, but she provided the Roaring Lions with strong defense behind it, committing only two errors in 167 chances as the team’s primary catcher, good for a team-high .988 fielding percentage.
Kromer appeared in all 28 of the Roaring Lions’ games, hitting .374 to lead Fayette and finish 13th in the PSUAC. Kromer led the PSUAC with six triples, and also added a home run and five stolen bases for the Roaring Lions. Her 26 runs scored were the sixth-most in the PSUAC, and her 34 hits led Fayette. On the mound, Kromer was fourth in the PSUAC in ERA at 3.01, while picking up a team-best six wins. In 90 2/3 innings, Kromer struck out 88 batters, and finished second in the PSUAC with 6.79 strikeouts per game.
Beucher, a United States Collegiate Athletic Association Honorable Mention and the conference’s co-Player of the Year in 2011, earns his third consecutive PSUAC first team selection. Beucher was also named to the PSUAC second team as an infielder in 2012, making him the only player in the conference to be recognized as both a pitcher and position player. Beucher picked up one win and two saves, tied for the most in the PSUAC, and pitched to a 2.42 ERA, while striking out 47, both good for fifth-best in the conference. As a position player, Beucher finished second in batting for Fayette, cracking 33 hits to hit .355. His four home runs tied him for the team lead with Durbin, and also placed him third in the conference. Beucher also finished second on the team with 24 RBIs, while drawing a team-high 20 walks.
Durbin earns his second PSUAC honor, being named to the second team in 2010 following his sophomore season. Durbin led Fayette in hitting in 2012, batting a career-high .389 to finish sixth in the PSUAC. He tied Beucher with four home runs to lead the team, and also knocked in 24 RBIs to finish second for Fayette. Durbin’s 11 doubles were good enough for fourth in the PSUAC, while his career-best .644 slugging percentage in 2012 placed him third in the PSUAC. Durbin also contributed as a pitcher, earning two wins and striking out 31 in 35 1/3 innings.
Fogle’s selection to the PSUAC second team is his first conference award, as he finished the season leading Fayette with 28 RBIs. Fogle hit .346 on the season, third best for Fayette, while adding three home runs and six doubles. His 28 RBIs were eight-best in the conference, and he led Fayette in hits (37) and at-bats (107).
Fayette baseball finished 13-19 in 2012, 7-11 in the PSUAC. The Roaring Lions return eight players for 2013, including six starters. The Roaring Lions softball team finished 13-15, 9-7 in the PSUAC, in 2012, narrowly missing the conference playoffs by one game for the third straight season. Fayette returns nine players, including eight starters, for 2013.
For more information, contact Athletic Director Vince Capozzi at 724-430-4100 ext. 4515.
