Behrend Baseball Leads AMCC With Nine Named All-Conference

ERIE, Pa. – The Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference (AMCC) office released the 2022 All-Conference baseball selections on Tuesday with nine from Penn State Behrend earning All-AMCC accolades.

First-team selections include Zack Bowen (Pittsburgh, PA/Serra Catholic), Zac Bogats (Corapolis, PA/Moon) and Mac Ciocco (Venetia, PA/Peters Township) as Jeff Zick (Moon, PA/Our Lady of Sacred Heart), Derrick Shields (Waterford, PA/Fort LeBoeuf) and Isaac Stouffer (Punxsutawney, PA/Punxsutawney) found a spot on the second team. Thomas Zbezinski (Gibsonia, PA/Pine-Richland), Joe Lang (Pittsburgh, PA/North Allegheny) and Chase Palmer (Brookeville, PA/Brookeville) each round out the all-conference honorees with a third-team bid.

Bowen ends his career being named one of the best in the conference for the third time in his career. Bowen was previously a third-team selection in 2021 and 2019 and earns first-team honors ranking in the top-10 in almost every offensive statistical category at the conclusion of the regular season. With a batting average of .372, Bowen played a key role in run production, driving in 31 while scoring a conference-best 49. The second baseman compiled 51 hits with 20 going for extra bases and led the AMCC in triples with seven.

Bogats is named All-AMCC for the first time in his career, riding a hot second half that propelled him to the top of the conference in batting average with a .404. Bogats was tabbed to the first team as a third baseman and finished the season with .404 on-base percentage. The Lion lead-off man scored 28 runs while driving in 24 during the regular season and tied for the team lead in doubles with 12.

Ciocco opens his collegiate career as an AMCC First-Team choice as a utility man with the majority of his appearances coming as a designated hitter and first baseman. Ciocco entered the postseason with a .352 batting average, collecting 31 hits in 88 at bats while striking out just eight times. Ciocco ended with 20 RBIs and 20 runs scored.

Zick hits the All-AMCC Second Team for the first time after leading the conference in ERA with a 2.08. Zick allowed just 35 hits in 43.1 innings of work. He compiled 46 total strikeouts to just 15 walks and finished with the fifth-best conference mark in strikeouts per nine innings with a 9.72.

Shields makes the all-conference team for the second time in his career after being a second-team selection a season ago. Shields proved to be a reliable arm and entered the conference tournament without a loss at 4-0. He ranked in the top-10 in ERA with a 4.53 and averaged 9.72 strikeouts per nine innings.

Stouffer finished 2022 in the top-5 in multiple statistical categories including doubles, homeruns, RBIs and slugging percentage. Stouffer finished the regular season with six homers and 34 RBIs and continued into the postseason as he left the yard three times in four games.

Zbezinski rounds out his career with a third team bid. The Behrend lefty logged an AMCC-best 11.12 K/9. Zbezinski logged a 4-2 record with a 4.54 ERA. Lang and Palmer each end their freshman campaign as an AMCC Third-Team selection. Lang tied for the conference lead in saves with three and carried a mark of 11.51 strikeouts per nine, striking out 29 over 22.2 innings pitched. Palmer saw time most of the season as the starting shortstop and finished his rookie season just shy of a .300 batting average at .299. Palmer racked 26 hits in 87 at bats including three doubles, four triples and two homeruns. He drove in 17 runs and scored 20 in 29 games played.