The Penn State Altoona baseball team saw a program-record seven players voted to the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference’s all-conference team, as the league released its postseason awards list on Tuesday, May 16.
NORTH BOSTON, N.Y. — The Penn State Altoona baseball team saw a program-record seven players voted to the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference’s all-conference team, as the league released its postseason awards list on Tuesday, May 16.
The Lions had three second-team all-conference selections, while four student-athletes were voted to the third team. Left-handed relief pitcher Mack Meengs, of State College; outfielder Tyreke Green, of Altoona; and utility player Jake Hillard, of State College, were second-team All-AMCC picks, while right-handed reliever Alex Kitko, of Houtzdale; catcher Timothy Richard, of Douglassville; shortstop Corey Chamberlain, of Claysburg; and outfielder Garrett Alauzen, of Pittsburgh, took third-team honors.
Meengs was Penn State Altoona’s top left-hander out of the bullpen and put together a strong season on the mound. Among all AMCC pitchers, he ranks second in saves (5), third in appearance (18), seventh in strikeouts (45), 17th in opponent batting average (.250), and 22nd in inning pitched (37 2/3). Meengs posted a 1-1 record and a 4.30 earned run average, and he averaged 10.75 strikeouts per nine innings.
This is Meengs’ first career appearance on an AMCC all-conference team.
Green had a breakout season during which he played in 27 games and made 21 starts before suffering an injury during the AMCC postseason tournament. He hit .400 this season with a .464 on-base percentage and a .680 slugging percentage. Among all AMCC hitters in categories in which he qualified, Green was fifth in stolen bases (13), seventh in sacrifice hits (4), 10th in home runs (4), 18th in doubles (9), 30th in total bases (51), 34th in runs scored (34) and RBI (23), and 47th in hits (30). In the field, he ranked 20th in fielding percentage (.984) while tallying a pair of outfield assists.
This is Green’s first career selection to an AMCC all-conference team.
Hillard put together another impressive season at the plate for the Lions while starting 44 of his team’s 45 games, splitting time between left field and third base. In the AMCC, he is sixth in runs scored (41), ninth in walks (23), 11th in doubles (11), 13th in hits (51), 14th in total bases (71), 17th in home runs (3), 23rd in RBI (26), 26th in slugging percentage (.444), 27th in on-base percentage (.412), and 28th in batting average (.319). With the glove, he ranks 27th in the conference in assists (33).
This is the third consecutive year that Hillard has been voted to an All-AMCC team, getting second-team recognition last year after being the conference’s Newcomer of the Year and a first-team selection in his first season.
Kitko was the Lions’ top righty out of the bullpen and performed well during the year. In the AMCC, he is second in saves (5), sixth in appearances (15), 31st in strikeouts (20), and 37th in innings pitched (27 1/3). He has one win this season while compiling a 5.93 ERA and averaging 6.59 strikeouts per nine innings.
This is Kitko’s first career appearance on an AMCC all-conference squad.
Richard had a strong showing at the plate this season during which he played in 26 games and made 23 starts. He ranks ninth in the AMCC in home runs (5), 17th in sacrifice hits (3), 19th in RBI (27), 31st in doubles (7), and 36th in total bases (47) while batting .298 and posting an on-base percentage of .362 and a slugging percentage of .560. Behind the plate, he was 11th in the conference in runners caught stealing (4) and 22nd in putouts (94).
This is Richard’s first career selection to an All-AMCC team.
Chamberlain had an excellent second season, during which he played in all 45 games for the Lions and started 44 of them. In the AMCC, he ranks third in doubles (15), fifth in hits (62), seventh in total bases (83) and sac flies (3), ninth in RBI (34), 13th in batting average (.378), 18th in on-base percentage (.439) and slugging percentage (.506), 25th in home runs (2), 27th in sac hits (2), 30th in walks (16), and 34th in runs scored (26). With the glove, he was third in the AMCC in assists (98) and sixth in double plays turned (17).
This marks Chamberlain’s first time being selected to an All-AMCC team.
Alauzen started 43 of Penn State Altoona’s 45 games in his second year with the team. Among all AMCC hitters, he is seventh in sac hits (4), 12th in runs scored (36), 14th in triples (1), 18th in hits (46), 22nd in total bases (58), 25th in RBI (25), 31st in doubles (7), 34th in stolen bases (4), 40th in batting average (.297), and 41st in slugging percentage (.374). In the field, he recorded five outfield assists while ranking 23rd in the conference in fielding percentage (.980) and 24th in putouts (93).
This is Alauzen’s second time on an All-AMCC squad, after he also took third-team honors last year.
Penn State Altoona baseball holds a 20-25 overall record this season, including a 5-9 mark in the AMCC during the regular season. The Lions won the AMCC Tournament this past weekend for the third time in program history, and the team will be making its second-ever appearance in the NCAA Division III Tournament later this week. Penn State Altoona will face No. 1 Johns Hopkins University in the Baltimore Region bracket on Friday, May 19, at 11 a.m.
