Baseball | 1/5/2022 11:40:00 AM
With the 2022 season fewer than two months away, five members of the St. John Fisher College baseball program were named Players to Watch by Collegiate Baseball Newspaper. Additionally, the Cardinals, who finished the 2021 season with a 31-7 overall record, were included among the publication's top teams in Division III after being ranked 36th overall.
Among those recognized for their abilities on the diamond were Alec Teska, Noah Campanelli, Brian Norsen, Luke Duffy and Ben Lavery.
Teska, who was named Third-Team All-Region at the conclusion of last season, made his first appearance on the list after the Cato native tossed 47.1 innings last season. The senior owned a 3.04 earned run average and held opponents to a .244 batting average. In all, he recorded 47 strikeouts on the year and went 3-2 in relief with one save to his credit.
One of Division III's top middle infielders last season, Campanelli will look to build upon a sophomore season that saw him named First-Team All-Region by D3baseball.com. The junior, who was also named a Player to Watch last season, ranked third on the team in hits with 62, had an on-base percentage of .507 and drew a team-high 36 walks. Over 161 at-bats, Campanelli finished with a team-leading 18 doubles to go along with three triples and three home runs.
At the conclusion of the year, he was tied for first in the country with 67 runs scored and held the solo lead in runs per game at 1.76. On defense, the Pittsford native was part of 19 double plays and assisted 75 times for a fielding percentage of .976.
Duffy was named a Player to Watch for the first time in his career after a standout junior season that saw him set career highs across the board. The outfielder, who was named First-Team All-Empire 8 and First-Team All-Region, started 36 games in 2021 and owned a .386 batting average on 54 hits and 39 RBI. He produced the team's third-best on-base percentage at .491 and showed extreme patience at the plate after he earned 29 free passes in all.
The Otisville native recorded 140 at-bats in 2021 and accounted for 14 extra base hits including nine doubles, two three-baggers and three homers to finish the season with a .543 slugging percentage.
Now a two-time honoree on Collegiate Baseball Newspaper's list, Norsen wrapped up his sophomore season with a slew of accolades after being named First-Team All-Region by both the American Baseball Coaches Association and D3baseball.com.
A First-Team All-Empire 8 selection, Norsen ranked second on the roster with 52 RBI over 32 games played. The Hamburg native ranked fifth among his teammates with a .375 batting average after drilling 51 hits in all including nine doubles, one triple and six dingers.
Lavery was recognized after a sophomore campaign that end with a .258 average following 62 at-bats. The designated hitter, had 16 hits in all including six that went for extra bases to go along with 16 RBI in 19 games played.
As a unit, the Cardinals finished their year at 31-7 behind its offensive powerhouse of a lineup, which combined for a nation-leading batting average of .365, a .478 on base percentage and slugging at a percentage of .591 on 501 total hits. On average, the Cardinals more than doubled the scoring of their opponents, as they finished the year at the top of the national leaderboard with 462 runs scored.