Onorati, Thomas and Paolini Take Home MAAC Baseball Weekly Awards
MAAC Sports
Player of the Week
Mark Onorati, Manhattan
Sophomore, OF, 5-10/177, Williston Park, N.Y./Herricks
Onorati hit .600 (6-10), recorded a .800 slugging percentage and drove in five RBI to help the Jaspers to a MAAC series victory over Rider last week. He began the series with a 3-for-5 performance from the plate, which included two doubles and four RBI, to lead Manhattan to a 6-3 game one victory. Then on Sunday, Onorati hit 3-for-5 and stole a base in the doubleheader split with the Broncs. His two-hit performance in the series clinching rubber match marked his 21st multi-hit game of the year. The win also clinched Manhattan’s seventh consecutive berth in the MAAC Baseball Championship.
Pitcher of the Week
Mike thomas, Rider
Sophomore, LHP, 6-2/170, Forest Hill, Md./Fallston
Thomas pitched a complete-game (seven innings) shutout victory at Manhattan, allowing just four singles while striking out a career-high nine batters. He also pitched a scoreless inning of relief in win at Lafayette last week, retiring all three batters he faced. Thomas improved to 4-2 on season, 10-5 for his career and lowered his era to 4.59.
Rookie of the Week
Dan Paolini, Siena
Freshman, 2B, 6-0/180, Stratford, Conn./Bunnell
Paolini finished off the best rookie season in school history with a strong weekend in the Saints’ sweep at Iona. He batted .467 with a double, triple, home run and seven runs scored in the three-game series. Paolini posted three hits in each of the final two games and became the school’s single-season hit leader in the process, finishing the year with 86 hits in just 50 games played (1.72 hits/game). This season, he hit safely in 44 of Siena’s 50 games and he finished the year with a 12-game hit streak, posting multi-hit games in 11 of those 12 games. His .430 batting average leads the MAAC.