ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. – Six Penn State Altoona baseball players were voted to the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference’s All-Conference team, as the league released its postseason awards on Wednesday morning.
The Lions’ total of six players on the All-AMCC squad is the program’s most since the 2011 season, when Penn State Altoona had six players voted to the All-Conference team.
Voted first team All-AMCC were senior outfielder Jim Shomberg (Lansdale, PA/Methacton) and sophomore outfielder Peter Jacobs (Dix Hills, NY/Half Hollow Hills West).
Shomberg capped his four-year Penn State Altoona baseball career with a sensational senior season this spring. Among all AMCC baseball players, the senior ranked fifth in runs batted in (46) and slugging percentage (.655), seventh in hits (56), doubles (15), and batting average (.403), eighth in home runs (6) and total bases (91), 10th in runs scored (40), 13th in on-base percentage (.466), and 15th in walks (19). Shomberg also ranked 50th in the NCAA Division III in RBI per game (1.21) and 90th in batting average, and he set personal career-highs in several statistical categories, including runs scored, doubles, home runs, RBI, and walks.
This is Shomberg’s second career selection to an AMCC All-Conference team. He was also a first team All-AMCC pick as a sophomore in 2016.
Jacobs emerged as one of the top hitters in the conference during his sophomore season with Lions baseball. In the AMCC, the outfielder ranked fourth in doubles (17), sixth in runs scored (44) and slugging percentage (.644), eighth in batting average (.393), 11th in total bases (87), 12th in hits (53) and on-base percentage (.468), 13th in home runs (5), 21st in RBI (29), and 28th in walks (16). In the NCAA Division III, Jacobs was 29th in doubles per game (0.47) and 41st in total doubles.
This is Jacobs’ first time appearing on the first team of the All-AMCC squad. Last spring, he was a third team All-Conference pick. During this season, Jacobs was named the AMCC Player of the Week one time while also earning a spot on the D3baseball.com Team of the Week once.
Earning a second team All-Conference nod was freshman utility player Catcher Cumming (Altoona, PA/Altoona).
Cumming, who split time between catcher, first base, and designated hitter, had an effective freshman year for the Lions. In the AMCC, he ranked 11th in doubles (12), 20th in home runs (3), 21st in RBI (29), 25th in total bases (61), 26th in slugging percentage (.513), and 27th in stolen bases (6). He posted a .319 batting average and a .383 on-base percentage. Cumming was also solid with the glove when playing in the field, posting a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage while ranking 10th in the AMCC in double plays (16).
Voted to the third team of the All-AMCC squad were freshman relief pitcher Tyler Manger (Lindenhurst, NY/Lindenhurst), junior second baseman Austin Anderson (Macungie, PA/Emmaus), and sophomore shortstop Hunter Breon (Boiling Springs, PA/Boiling Springs).
Manger was a solid option out of the bullpen for Penn State Altoona this season. The right-hander posted a 3-2 record with two saves and a 4.01 earned run average. Among all AMCC pitchers, Manger ranked fourth in saves, seventh in appearances (14), 15th in wins (3), 26th in strikeouts (23), and 30th in innings pitched (33 2/3).
During the season, Manger was awarded the Eastern College Athletic Conference’s Division III South Region Rookie of the Week honor one time.
Anderson was a consistently solid performer for the Lions this season. In the AMCC, the junior ranked third in sacrifice hits (7), eighth in doubles (14), 14th in runs scored (36) and triples (2), 21st in total bases (64), 24th in home runs (2), 27th in slugging percentage (.512), 28th in walks (16), and 31st in hits (40). Anderson compiled a .320 batting average and a .396 on-base percentage, while also setting career-highs in several categories, including runs scored, hits, doubles, triples, home runs, RBI, walks, and slugging percentage. Anderson was also steady in the field for the Lions, ranking first in the AMCC in double plays (26) and 11th in assists (82) while posting a .965 fielding percentage.
This is Anderson’s first career selection to an AMCC All-Conference team.
Breon, the AMCC’s 2017 Newcomer of the Year, followed up his strong freshman season with a solid sophomore campaign this spring. In the AMCC, he ranked 14th in runs scored (36) and triples (2), 15th in sacrifice hits (3), 16th in doubles (11), 21st in RBI (29), 23rd in walks (17), 26th in hits (42), and 30th in total bases (57). Breon batted .313 for the Lions with a .390 on-base percentage. He also ranked third in the AMCC in double plays (20) and seventh in assists (90).
This is Breon’s second appearance on an AMCC All-Conference team in as many years, as he was a second team All-AMCC pick last season. This year, he picked up one AMCC Player of the Week award and one ECAC Division III South Region Player of the Week award.
Penn State Altoona baseball finished its 2018 season with a 17-21 overall record that included a 10-8 mark in the AMCC. The Lions earned their second consecutive berth into the AMCC Tournament and made a run into the conference’s final four for the first time since the 2011 season.
