Rodriguez, Peters Named OCCAC Baseball Player, Pitcher of the Year Recipients

By Nicholas Huenefeld/OCCAC Sports Information

The Ohio Community College Athletic Conference (OCCAC) has announced the 2016 All-OCCAC team and the major award winners for baseball.

Cuyahoga Community College's Manny Rodriguez (Lincoln West/Cleveland, Ohio), a freshman second baseman who hit .404 with 16 runs, three doubles, one triple, five home runs, 19 RBI, 10 walks and seven stolen bases, was named the OCCAC Player of the Year. He finished second in the conference in home runs and stolen bases, and he was third in RBI.

Cuyahoga, led by 2016 OCCAC Coach of the Year Evan Agona, captured its first OCCAC championship since 2013 and its sixth overall since 1989 with a 14-2 record. In addition to Rodriguez, they also had four other players make the All-OCCAC team including sophomore catcher Gabriel Vargas (UE Jose Tadeo Monagas/Caracas, Venezuela), freshman outfielder Matt Starcovic (North Olmsted/North Olmsted, Ohio), freshman left-handed pitcher Juan Perez (James F. Rhodes/Cleveland, Ohio) and freshman right-handed pitcher Max Lavisky (Lakewood/Lakewood, Ohio).

Lavisky captured OCCAC pitcher of the week recognition on April 24 and May 8, while Perez captured that honor on May 1. Starcovic was named OCCAC player of the week on March 20 and May 15, while Rodriguez won the honor on May 8.

Agona, meanwhile, led his team to a championship in just his second year at the college. He has compiled an 80-32 record overall in his tenure, including a 27-13 mark in OCCAC play, as his team enters Region XII tournament play tomorrow.

Owens Community College, which produced a 11-5 record in conference play to finish second, produced the 2016 OCCAC Pitcher of the Year, Grant Peters (Eastwood/Pemberville, Ohio), who went 4-0 with a 1.35 ERA and three complete games over 26.2 innings in conference play. The sophomore right-hander also added 37 strikeouts while finishing at least tied for the conference lead in most wins, fewest losses, complete games and strikeouts. He also finished second in ERA.

Furthermore, Peters was named the OCCAC and National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division II Pitcher of the Week on April 17. 

Aside from Peters, Owens also had three others make the All-OCCAC team including sophomore first baseman Jake Schmeltz (Eastwood/Perrysburg, Ohio), freshman middle infielder Ty Suntken (Wauseon/Wauseon, Ohio) and sophomore infielder/outfielder Casey Gose (Genoa/Genoa, Ohio).

Sinclair Community College, which finished 10-6 in league play for a third place finish, had three players on the All-OCCAC team including sophomore outfielder Ben Myers (Grove City/Grove City, Ohio), sophomore right-handed pitcher Jake Mason (Anderson/Cincinnati, Ohio) and sophomore infielder Chad Roberts (Wilmington/Wilmington, Ohio).

Roberts and Myers both earned OCCAC player of the week recognition on April 3 and 10, respectively, while Mason was named the OCCAC pitcher of the week on April 3 and May 15. He helped lead Sinclair to the Sub-Region XII championship and a bid in this week's Region XII tournament in Battle Creek, Mich.

Lakeland, which finished 7-13 and finished in fourth, placed sophomore catcher Seth Velucci (Massillon, Ohio) and freshman right-handed pitcher David Neale (Brecksville, Ohio) on the All-OCCAC team, while Edison (2-14 OCCAC) placed freshman catcher Jarob Negron (Manuel Ramos Hernandez/Puerto Rico) and freshman infielder Keith Olmo (Coral Glades/Coral Springs, Fla.) on the team.

Congratulations to all these student-athletes.