BRIDGEPORT, Conn. - - A season of firsts continues for the Wilmington University baseball team as David Hatt was named the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) East Region Pitcher of the Year, leading a group of five Wildcats named on the two postseason teams.

Hatt, also the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference Pitcher of the Year, was joined by Josh Hampton on the All-Region First Team while Matt Lopes, Frank Samluk, and Ray Gambone were named to the Second Team. It is the first time in program history the Wildcats produced an East Region Pitcher of the Year, in any postseason organization.

The senior right-handed pitcher is 7-0 on the season, and following a start in the CACC Tournament, carries a 2.00 earned run average into the NCAA Division II East Region Tournament. He has thrown 81 innings while striking out 51 batters. Hatt has only allows 17 walks while batters are hitting .215 against him on the year. He had a season high nine strikeouts in a complete game shutout against Felician on April 6.              The Wildcats are 10-4 in his 14 starts this year, including a 10-1 record when removing his one inning bullpen outings.

Hampton, also a First Team All-CACC honoree, finished tops in the conference with 74 hits, 24 doubles, and 45 runs batted in. the junior was also in the top five in the CACC with four triples, four home runs, and a .351 batting average. Hampton was also third on the team in walks, leading to a .421 on-base percentage while also slugging .559 on the year. He once had a 17 game hitting streak this season and leads the team with 14 multiple RBI games.

Lopes, a First Team All-CACC honoree, comes into the East Region Tournament with a .307 batting average, collecting 10 doubles, a home run, 36 RBI, and 24 runs scored. His 36 runs batted in rank third in the CACC. Lopes had a 16 game hitting streak during the 2013 season and reached base in 28 consecutive games. The team is 33-11 when Lopes starts behind the plate with him throwing out 17 would be base runners.

Samluk, a First Team All-CACC utility player, closed out the CACC Tournament with seven shutout innings in the championship and also hitting 4-for-7 in the three games, garnering the CACC Tournament MVP award. Samluk is batting .317 in 42 games in the field this year, knocking in 22 runners while scoring 29 himself. On the mound, the sophomore is 4-1 in 12 appearances, being a part of three shutouts while tossing a no-hitter against Molloy. He enters the NCAA East Region Tournament with a 2.53 earned run average and 37 strikeouts in 57 innings pitched.

Gambone, another First Team All-CACC pitcher, tossed eight scoreless innings in his last start in the CACC Tournament, improving to 8-1 on the year. The eight scoreless lowered his earned run average to 2.25 on the season, with a team leading 61 strikeouts in 80 innings. The sophomore has been a part of two shutouts and struck out a career high 10 batters in eight innings against the University of the Sciences. The Wildcats are 12-2 in Gambone's 14 starts on the hill.

St. Thomas Aquinas' Mike Russo was named the NCBWA East Region Player of the Year for his season behind the dish for the Spartans, leading the team to the ECC Tournament Championship and the No. 2 seed in the East Region Tournament. The Spartans' head coach Scott Muscat was named the NCBWA East Region Coach of the Year in leading the team to a 39-12 overall mark.

AGATE:

2013 NCABWA All-East Region Teams

First Team:
Catcher - Mike Russo, St. Thomas Aquinas, Senior, Boca Raton, Fla.
First Base - Luis Gonzalez, Concordia (N.Y.). Senior, Carmel. N.Y.
Second Base - Efrain Bautista St. Thomas Aquinas, Senior, Bani, D.R.
Third Base - Josh Hampton, Wilmington (Del.), Junior, West Grove, Pa.
Shortstop - Dan Kemp, Franklin Pierce, Senior, Sturbridge. Mass.
Outfield - Rich Baerga, St. Thomas Aquinas, Sophomore, Pomona, N.Y.
Outfield - Casey Cotter, Merrimack, Senior, North Hampton, N.H.
Outfield - Andrew Pezzuto, Southern New Hampshire, Grad. Student, Hastings-on-Hudson, N.Y.
DH - James Pjura, Pace, Junior, Shelton, Conn.
Utility - Robert Kelly, St. Anselm, Senior, Rancho Margarita, Calif.
Starting Pitcher - Tyler Badamo, Dowling, Junior, Mt. Sinai, N.Y.
Starting Pitcher - Trevor Graham, Franklin Pierce, Junior, Sebastian, Fla.
Starting Pitcher - David Hatt, Wilmington (Del.), Senior, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Starting Pitcher - Junior Mendez, Southern New Hampshire, Junior, Patchogue, N.Y.
Relief Pitcher - Dillon McNamara, Adelphi, Senior, Staten Island, N.Y.

Second Team:
Catcher - Matt Lopes, Wilmington (Del.), Sophomore, Deerfield Beach, Fla.
First Base - Zach Mathieu, Franklin Pierce, Junior, Derry, N.H.
Second Base - Vincent Sharkey, Adelphi, Sophomore, Lynbrook, N.Y.
Third Base - Stanley Susana, St. Thomas Aquinas, Sophomore, Puerto Plata, DR
Shortstop - John Ascenzia, Bridgeport, Junior, West Haven, Conn.
Outfield - Geoff DeGroot, UMass Lowell, Sophomore, Wesley Chapel, Fla.
Outfield - Carlos Guzman, Molloy, Junior, Bloomingburg, N.Y.
Outfield - Pat Wiese, LeMoyne, Junior, Fayetteville, N.Y.
DH - Christian Florito, Concordia (N.Y.), Sophomore, Yonkers, N.Y.
Utility - Frank Samluck, Wilmington (Del.), Sophomore, Middletown, Del.
Starting Pitcher - Shane Beauchemin, UMass Lowell, Sophomore, Manchester, N.H.
Starting Pitcher - Robert Frank, St. Thomas Aquinas, Junior, Closter, N.J.
Starting Pitcher - Ray Gambone, Wilmington (Del.), Sophomore, King of Prussia, Pa.
Starting Pitcher - Pat Simone, New Haven, Junior, Branford, Conn.
Relief Pitcher - C.J. Ferrigi, St. Thomas Aquinas, Junior, Bellmore, N.Y.

Player of the Year- Mike Russo, Catcher, St. Thomas Aquinas, Senior, Boca Raton, Fla.
Pitcher of the Year- David Hatt, Wilmington (Del.), Senior, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Coach of the Year-Scott Muscat, St. Thomas Aquinas College