NEWARK, Del. - - Pitching and offense weren't the only two factors which led the Wilmington University baseball team to its first ever appearance in the NCAA Division II East Region Championship this past season.

For the second year in a row, the Wildcats had players named to the 2013 American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA)/Rawlings Gold Glove All-East Region Team, with two players earning a spot on the defensive list this season.

Junior third baseman Josh Hampton backed up his bat with a solid glove at the hot-corner being named to the First Team, while senior outfielder Jordan Johnson helped set the table at the top of the lineup and also anchored the defense in center field, earning Second Team honors.

It is the second time a Wildcat has been named to a Gold Glove All-East Region squad, as 2012 graduate Jordan Oncay became the first player to earn the award after placing on the First Team as an outfielder in 2012.

Hampton finished the 2013 season by playing in all 57 games, making 56 starts at third base. On 168 chances, the junior made 130 assists and recorded 28 putouts while only making 10 errors. He finished by turning eight double play balls and tallying a .940 fielding percentage.

Johnson played in 56 games this year, making 55 starts while anchoring the outfield in center. He also started 55 games atop the Wildcat lineup, with the team going 41-14 in those games. Johnson had 152 chances from the outfield, making 142 putouts while recording eight outfield assists. He committed only two errors, finishing with a .987 fielding percentage, second on the team among regular fielders. Two of his outfield assists came with the result as a double play.

Hampton and Johnson helped the Wildcats win an NCAA era record 43 games this year, going 43-14 overall. They won the CACC Regular Season Championship and wont three straight games in the CACC Tournament to capture their third straight and fifth overall CACC Tournament Championship. Wilmington's season came to an end with a 5-1 loss in the East Region Tournament championship game to Franklin Pierce.

AGATE:

2013 ABCA/Rawlings Gold Glove All-East Region Teams

First Team:
1B – Evan Mondor, Fr., Bentley
2B – Vincent Redmond, Sr., LeMoyne
3B – Josh Hampton, Jr., Wilmington
SS – Kris Kelly, Sr., Molloy
OF – Mike Cleary, Sr., Southern Connecticut State
OF – Dan Lagasse, Jr., St. Anselm
OF – Jesse Solar, Jr., Bridgeport
C – Kevin Korwek, Sr., Bentley
P – Jon Mussad, Sr., Southern New Hampshire

Second Team:
1B – Zac Bellinger, So., Saint Rose
2B – Case McKay, Jr., LIU Post
3B -
SS – Dan Kemp, Sr., Franklin Pierce
OF – Jordan Johnson, Sr., Wilmington
OF – Rob Inzerillo, Sr., Molloy
OF – Nick Barbalato, Sr., St. Thomas Aquinas
C – Tyler Clark, Jr., Dominican
P – Jeff Croteau, Sr., Bentley