TOWSON, Md. - Towson University's Department of Athletics has released the latest installment of its 2012-13 Points of Pride. The Points of Pride have been designed to highlight and represent the best of Tiger Athletics and will be updated on a monthly basis.
Academics:
• The Tiger women's cross country and women's soccer programs received NCAA Public Recognition Awards for their academic achievement. Public Recognition Awards are presented to programs that rank in the top 10 percent of NCAA Division I Academic Progress Reports (APR).
• Third baseman Zach Fisher of the Tiger baseball team was named to the Capital One Academic All-America® Division I baseball first team, as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).
• Junior swimmer Melanie Rowland was named as a first team women's at large selection to the Capital One Academic All-District II team as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).
Baseball:
• Junior Kurt Wertz was named named as a third team All-American selection by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA), it has been announced by the NCBWA. Wertz is the first Tiger baseball player to be named as a member of the NCBWA All-America team. This season, he hit .338 with 13 home runs and 65 RBI's.
• For the third time in program history, the Tigers qualified for the NCAA Regionals after winning the school's first-ever Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) baseball championship.Towson previously made the NCAA Regionals in 1988 and 1991.
• Senior catcher Andrew Parker was named as the CAA Defensive Player of the Year. Parker retired 23 of 48 base runners trying to steal. He had a .994 fielding percentage with only two errors in 309 fielding chances and he was part of seven double plays. He had only three passed balls all season.
• Wertz was named as a first team All-CAA selection, while sophomore outfielder Peter Bowles, junior centerfielder/pitcher Brandon Gonnella, Parker and Fisher were named second team All-CAA. Junior outfielder Dominic Fratantuono earned a spot on the All-CAA third team.
• Senior righthander Mike Volpe, who earned a victory over No. 23 Florida Atlantic University in the first round of the NCAA Chapel Hill Regional, was named to the Chapel Hill Regional all-tournament team. Volpe, who finished the season with a 10-3 record and 3.59 E.R.A., was the only player on the all-tournament team who didn't play for North Carolina or Florida Atlantic.
• Fratantuono, Parker and Wertz were also named All-East Region by the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA).
Community Service:
• Members of the Tiger women's basketball team and coaching staff took time to volunteer at the Color Run in Baltimore in May. The Color Run is a 5K run that benefits charities as runners are pelted with colored cornstarch throughout the race. The event in Baltimore helped the Cool Kids Campaign, which aids children and families in Baltimore battling cancer.
• Towson basketball head coach Pat Skerry and members of the Tiger men's basketball team spent a weekend volunteering at the Special Olympics Summer Games, which were held at the Towson Center and Tiger Arena. During the weekend, athletes competed in aquatics, athletics, bocce, cheerleading, softball and tennis. The games ended with an award ceremony inside Tiger Arena.
Men's Lacrosse:
• Senior Andrew Wascavage and junior Thomas DeNapoli have been selected as USILA Honorable Mention All-Americans. Wascavage, a goalie, finished the year with a 9.33 goals-against average (GAA) and a .592 save percentage. He earned Most Outstanding Performer honors at the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) Tournament after posting 26 saves, a .591 save percentage and a GAA of 9.00 in two games.
DeNapoli was also selected as a first-team All-CAA selection by the league's head coaches after leading Towson in goals (41), assists (19) and points (60).
• Wascavage will play in the 2013 USILA/LaxWorld North/South All-Star Division I game on Friday, May 24 at 5:30 p.m. on the campus of Cabrini College in Radnor, Pa.
Women's Lacrosse:
• Senior defender Alexa Demski capped a stellar career by earning second-team All-American honors from the Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA).
• Demski will play in the IWLCA North/South Senior All-Star Game on May 26. Demski started all 19 games in 2013 and helped the Tigers win their second straight CAA title. She led the team in ground balls (41) and caused turnovers (22).
