Panas, Siddall, Rivera, Guglietti and Quintana Earn ABCA All-Region Honors
MAAC Sports
EDISON, N.J.- The American Baseball Coaches Association has released the 2015 ABCA/Rawlings NCAA Div. I All-Region teams. Canisius College’s Connor Panas and Brett Siddall were named to the NCAA Division I Northeast All-Region First-Team, while Iona College’s Mariano Rivera, Quinnipiac University’s Vincent Guglietti, and Siena College's Matt Quintana were named to the NCAA Division I Northeast All-Region Second-Team.
Panas closed out his senior season by hitting .372 with 17 doubles, seven triples, 11 home runs, 68 RBI and 65 runs scored as the Blue and Gold secured its second trip the NCAA Division I Baseball Championship in the last three seasons. He was named the 2015 MAAC Championship MVP.
An All-MAAC First-Team selection, the infielder led the conference in five different offensive categories and he became the second player in Canisius history to be named the MAAC Championship MVP after he hit .500 (13-for-26) with three extra-base hits, 10 runs scored and 12 RBI in six games May 20-24 in Fishkill, N.Y. For the season, he posted a .632 slugging percentage; a .472 on-base percentage and he ended the year ranked fifth in the MAAC with his 19 stolen bases on 24 attempts.
The 2015 MAAC Player of the Year and an All-MAAC First-Team selection, Siddall has posted career numbers of .339 batting average (182-for-537), 42 doubles, six triples and 16 homeruns, including a career-high 12 in 2015.
The Windsor, Ontario native ranked in the top-five in the MAAC in five different offensive categories, and he was the MAAC’s leader in doubles and homers this season. His 24 extra-base hits in 2015 ranks first in school history for a single-season and he ends the regular season tied for 10th nationally in doubles.
In his best statistical season (2015) Siddall boasted a slugging percentage of .590, an on-base percentage of .390 and stole six bases on seven attempts. In the team’s 8-7 win over top-seeded Rider in the MAAC Baseball Championship May 22, his eighth-inning grand slam helped push the Griffs to an elimination game victory, and he closed out the MAAC’s postseason tournament by batting .440 (11-for-25) with five doubles, a home run, six runs scored and eight RBI in six contests.
Rivera was named the 2015 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Pitcher of the Year on May 19. Rivera was also named to the All-MAAC First Team and led the MAAC in strikeouts during the 2015 season recording an Iona single-season record 113. He posted a dominating 11.96 strikeout per game mark and 12.87 strikeouts per game in conference play. The right hander earned five wins and a 2.65 ERA and while his ERA in MAAC play was a stingy 1.81. He held opposing batters to a .211 average against him overall and kept conference hitters south of a .155. Rivera threw six complete games, one shy of the Iona record and led the MAAC with three shutouts in 85.0 innings pitched. He was a three-time recipient of the MAAC’s Pitcher of the Week Award.
This past season, Guglietti led the Bobcats with a .330 batting average, .414 on base percentage, .589 slugging percentage, 10 home runs, 47 RBI, 27 walks, three triples, 43 runs scored and was second on the team with 65 hits and 15 doubles. Guglietti set career-highs in each category except batting average and doubles. He finished his four-year career with the fourth most hits in program history with 228. Guglietti also was first in program history with 49 doubles, 14th in program history and 10th in the Division I era with 18 home runs, fifth in program history and second in the Division I era with 132 RBIs, 15th in program history and 11th in the Division I era with 116 runs scored.
Quintana recently completed one of the top pitching careers in program history, capped off with one of the most dominant seasons ever for a Siena pitcher. The West Simsbury, Conn. native led the MAAC with a 1.50 ERA in 60 innings pitched in 2015. He made 20 appearances and struck out 64 men with just 14 walks, on his way to Second Team All-MAAC accolades.
Quintana tossed a complete game shutout in Siena’s dominant 12-0 MAAC Tournament opening win over Monmouth on May 20. He allowed just three hits, walked one and struck out six in perhaps the top pitching effort in Siena’s postseason history. Opponents hit just .176 off Quintana this season.
Quintana’s 82 career appearances rank second all-time in program history, and his 7.13 strikeouts per nine innings pitched ratio is ninth best. Quintana also ranks sixth all-time with a 3.31 ERA, fourth with nine saves, and third with a 2.9 strikeout-to-walk ratio.