Pitcher of the Week

Michael Vilardi, Queens
Junior, RHP, Massapequa, NY
Junior Michael Vilardi delivered a career-best outing on Friday, tossing eight strong innings while allowing six hits and three earned runs, striking out five to earn his third win of the season. He limited the Spartans to just two hits over the first four innings and retired nine consecutive batters during one stretch. Vilardi closed his outing by retiring the side in order in the eighth, marking his sixth scoreless frame, and recorded his fifth strikeout, his sixth game this season with five or more strikeouts.

---

Rookie of the Week

Geneo Savoca, Mercy
Sophomore, 2B/3B, Albany, NY
Savoca made two appearances on the mound, pitching 7.1 innings with a 0.00 ERA and eight strikeouts. The infielder also recorded two hits and one double. The sophomore pitched 2.0 scoreless innings of relief with two strikeouts in Mercy's win over Dominican on Tuesday. Savoca then pitched 5.1 innings of relief with no earned runs allowed and six strikeouts in game one against Molloy on Saturday. Savoca also went 1-for-5 with a double at Molloy on Friday and went 1-for-3 at Molloy on Sunday.

---

ECC Weekly Honor Roll

Billy Morris, D'Youville
Senior, RHP/INF, Lancaster, NY
With ECC playoff contention on the line, Morris had an incredible weekend in the Saints' 4-game sweep of the Dolphins. He started it out with a career performance as the starting pitcher in game 1, a 1-0 victory for the Saints. Morris tossed a 9-inning complete game shutout, recording a career-high 12 K's on over 120 pitches. He added to his school record win total, bringing him to 19 in his career at DYU.To add onto his weekend, Billy played third base to perfection for the rest of the series. He set a career high in assists with 6 in Sunday's contest. He added 5 hits, 5 RBI's and 5 runs scored on the weekend, including a big home run to spark the Saints in the series-finale. The entire weekend was a showcase of Billy's ability to play both ways, dominating on the mound, in the field, and at the plate. He also scored the game winning run as a baserunner from first after being intentionally walked in the 9th inning of game 2 of the series, a testament to his ability and the opponents' resistance to pitch to him in a crucial spot.
 
Colby Wilson, D'Youville
Senior,1B, Webster, NY
Colby Wilson had a huge weekend with the bat to help the Saints sweep CSI. He went 6/16 on the weekend, including two homeruns to add to his ECC-lead, bringing him to 10 on the season. Wilson also recorded a clutch 3-RBI double to walk-off Saturdays first contest and complete an incredible comeback. Colby finished the series with 8 RBI's and 6 runs scored, including the 3 extra base hits. He also played great on 1st base, posting a perfect fielding percentage with 32 opportunities on the weekend.
 
Jake Ferris, D'Youville
Freshman, OF, Ottawa, Ontario
At his debut in the leadoff spot, Ferris recorded a career-high 3 hits in the first matchup in Saturday's doubleheader against CSI. On the weekend, he started 3 of the 4 games, hitting 6/15 with 2 SB, 3 runs scored and an RBI. He also finished the weekend with a perfect fielding percentage in right, coming down with 6 putouts on the series. His timely hitting in game 2 led to a walkoff opportunity that scored Ferris and others to win the first of two on Saturday.
 
Nevin Scaperotti, Mercy
Junior, P/2B, Stormville, NY
Scaperotti hit .353 (6-for-17) with four RBI, three runs, one double and one stolen base in five games. The junior also made one start on the mound going 7.1 innings with one earned run allowed and four strikeouts at first-place Molloy on Friday. Scaperotti opened the week going 3-for-5 with three RBI and two runs in the win over Dominican on Tuesday. The junior then went 1-for-4 with an RBI and a run in game one against Molloy on Saturday. Scaperotti ended the week going 2-for-5 at Molloy on Sunday.
 
Kyle Engmann, Mercy
Junior, OF, Shoreham, NY
Engmann hit a team-high .429 (6-for-14) with three runs, three doubles, a home run and two RBI in five games. The junior opened the week going 4-for-5 with one RBI, two runs and three doubles in the win over Dominican on Tuesday. The outfielder then went 1-for-2 with a home run in game two against Molloy on Saturday. Engmann ended the week going 1-for-2 at Molloy on Sunday.
 
John Nisco, Mercy
Senior, OF, Tarrytown, NY
Nisco hit .353 (6-for-17) with four RBI, a home run, two runs and two doubles in five games. The senior opened the week going 1-for-4 with a home run and three RBI in the win over Dominican on Tuesday. Nisco then went 2-for-4 with a run and a double in game one against Molloy on Saturday. The outfielder ended the week going 3-for-5 with an RBI and a double at Molloy on Sunday.
 
Mike Knapp, Molloy
RS-Junior, Pitcher, Levittown, NY
Knapp improved to an ECC best 6-1 in Saturday's victory at Mercy. The right-hander tossed his third complete game in his last four appearances, pitching seven innings allowing one earned run on four hits and striking out a season-high 10 without issuing a walk and facing three over the minimum.
 
Mike Sweeney, Molloy
Junior, Shortstop, Queens, NY
Sweeney set the table in Molloy's six-win week. The junior hit .333, slugged .524, and reached base at a .444 clip while totaling two games of scoring three runs. Monday at Caldwell was the first game the junior scored three times on top of driving in three and totaling two hits. In game two on Molloy's doubleheader at Mercy, the lead off man tallied a three-run inside the park home run and scored three times as part of a three hit day. On the week, Sweeney scored seven times, drove in seven, walked three times, homered, and stole a base.
 
James Sill, Molloy
Junior, Pitcher, Levittown, NY
Sill pitched seven innings allowing one run on three hits while striking out a season-high 10 in a no-decision against Mercy on Friday.
 
Vincent Mallon, Queens
Senior, RF, Massapequa, NY              
In a six-game week, senior right fielder Vincent Mallon paced the Knights’ offense, totaling six hits, including two doubles and three home runs, while scoring five runs and driving in a team-best 10 RBI. He batted .300 with an .850 slugging percentage and recorded three multi-hit games, highlighted by a multi-home run performance. Mallon delivered a season-best five RBI in the 13-2 victory over No. 8 STAC, finishing with a double, a home run, and two runs scored.
 
Noah Kirwin, Queens
Freshman, RHP, Manorville, NY
Despite a no-decision in the series finale against No. 8 STAC, rookie Noah Kirwin turned in a career-best performance, pitching 6.1 innings while allowing just one hit and two walks with five strikeouts in his second career start. Kirwin faced 20 batters, worked three clean innings, and faced the minimum in five of his six full innings pitched.
 
John Harkins, Queens
Freshman, CF, Babylon, NY
Rookie center fielder John Harkins posted a .412 batting average, .545 on-base percentage, and .529 slugging percentage, collecting seven hits, one triple, two walks, three RBI, and a team-high six runs scored. In the Knights’ 2-2 ECC series split against No. 8 STAC, Harkins hit .462 with six hits, five runs scored, and three RBI, including a career-tying four-hit performance in the series opener. In the 13‚Äì2 win, he added two RBI and crossed the plate three times.
 
Angelo Bartziokas, St. Thomas Aquinas
Graduate, Pitcher, Middletown, NY
Bartziokas earned his second win of the season by pitching 3.2 scoreless innings of relief in a 5-3 win over Queens on Sunday. The graduate student pitcher allowed just two hits and a walk, while striking out four Knights hitters.
 
Joshua McCormick, St. Thomas Aquinas
Senior, OF, Drexel Hill, PA
Mccormick recorded eight hits in 16 at-bats for a .500 batting average on the week. The senior outfielder stroked a pair of doubles, drove in three runs and scored six times, while also walking twice and stealing a base.
 
A.J. Cumbo, St. Thomas Aquinas
Freshman, Catcher, East Meadow, NY
Cumbo stroked seven hits in 11 at-bats for a .636 batting average on the week. The freshman catcher, playing in the outfield this week, smacked a pair of homers, drove in six runs and scored four times, while also walking three times and stealing a base.

---

ECC Baseball Weekly Award Winners

PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Feb. 16 - Kolongi Goins, Mercy
Feb. 23 - Nick Piazza, Queens
Mar. 2 - Colby Wilson, D’Youville
Mar. 9 - C.J. Cumbo, St. Thomas Aquinas
Mar. 16 - Brian Sanchez, Molloy
Mar. 23 - Billy Morris, D'Youville
Mar. 30 - Charlie Imhof, Molloy
Apr. 6 - Sean Welsh, Molloy
Apr. 13 - Steve Mulqueen, Molloy
 
PITCHER OF THE WEEK
Feb. 16 - Ryan DiNapoli, Mercy
Feb. 23 - Samuel Gill, Mercy
Mar. 2 - Nevin Scaperotti, Mercy
Mar. 9 - Christopher Naronis, Queens
Mar. 16 - James Sill, Molloy
Mar. 23 - JC Kiss, Molloy
Mar. 30 - Nevin Scaperotti, Mercy
Apr. 6 - Nevin Scaperotti, Mercy
Apr. 13 - Michael Vilardi, Queens

ROOKIE OF THE WEEK

---

ECC PRESEASON POLL

1. Molloy University – 36 points (6 first-place votes)
2. Mercy University – 27 points
3. Queens College – 26 points
4. College of Staten Island – 16 points
5. D'Youville University – 11 points
6. St. Thomas Aquinas College – 10 points