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Rider Wins MAAC Championship, Heading to NCAAs

Rider won its second Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Championship in the last three years by defeating Canisius Friday. The third seed, Rider (36-21) won the four-team, double elimination tournament in three straight, also defeating the second seed, Marist, and Canisius.

Rider will now make its 10th trip to an NCAA Regional in the last 27 years, its second trip in the last three years. "It's a good feeling," said Rider head coach Barry Davis. "It really is."

Junior A.J. Albee (Ashley, Pa./Hanover Area) collected six runs, five hits, four RBI in the tournament with two doubles and a home run and was named the tournament MVP. Albee set new Rider single-season records this season for runs scored (62), RBI (60) and assists (173).

Third-year sophomore Patrick Devlin (Richboro, Pa./Council Rock North) struck out a season-high seven while allowing just six hits for his seventh win of the season and was named to the all-tournament team.

Rider took a 1-0 lead in the fourth inning when senior Nick Wojnowski (Baldwin, Md./Calvert Hall) walked and eventually scored on a ground out by senior Eric Woodrow (Hamilton, N.J./Hamilton West).

Wojnowski, a Second Team All-MAAC selection, is Rider's leading hitter batting .400. In the tournament Wojnowski collected three hits, scored four runs and knocked in three runs with two home runs and was named to the all-tournament team along with sophomore Brandon Cotten (Wiconisco, Pa./Williams Valley), who collected five hits, four runs and one RBI in the tournament, and junior Mason Heyne (Shrewsbury, Pa./Susquehannock), who had three hits and three RBI in the tournament.

The Broncs took a 4-0 lead in the seventh inning when freshman Adam Wayman (Wilkes-Barre, Pa./G.A.R. Memorial) was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, followed by two bases loaded walks to Woodrow and junior Steve Galella (Wilkes-Barre, Pa./G.A.R. Memorial).

Freshman Tyler Smith (Westmont/Haddon Twp.) pitched a three-up, three down ninth inning for his ninth save of the season.

The victory was Rider's 10th in a row, the longest streak since winning 10 in a row during the 2002 season. Rider has won 16 of its last 18 since losing three straight at Canisius. "At that point we were just concerned about getting into the tournament," Davis said. "We had a stretch were we had to do some things and winning eight out of nine conference games just got us in by a game. Something started to click. We have a great group of guys and that had a lot to do with it."

The 36 wins sets a new Rider record for wins in a season. "It is nice to be able to be compared with some of the great Rider teams that coach Pittaro and Coach Petroff had," Davis said.

Albee All-Tournament

Rider University junior A.J. Albee (Ashley, Pa./Hanover Area) was named to the all-tournament team at the NCAA Austin Regional Baseball tournament, won by host Texas.

Albee batted .500 in the tournament with three hits in two games, including a pair of doubles, a walk and had five assists and a pair of put outs. He turned four double plays in the two games and scored a run.

Albee set Rider single-season records this year for runs scored (63), RBI (60) and assists (182) and hit a double against Rice for his 86th hit of the season, two shy of the Bronc single-season record.

"If we played another game or two Albee would be an all-tournament player,"' said Rider head coach Barry Davis after the Broncs were eliminated by 17th ranked Rice. "He's on base a lot, hit a couple of doubles, turned some tough double plays. He's a good, solid player."

Albee finished the season with a .360 batting average.