Keckler Named CAC Rookie of the Year

YORK, Pa. - Wesley College's D.J. Keckler (Fallston, Md./Fallston) was named the Capital Athletic Conference Rookie of the Year and was joined by teammates Geoff Kimmel (Lawrenceville, N.J./Lawrence), Grant Morlock (Bel Air, Md./Fallston) and Kevin Murphy (Middletown, Md./Middletown) on the All-CAC teams.

Both Kimmel and Morlock earned places on the first team, while Keckler and Murphy were chosen to the second team.  It was the first All-CAC honor for all four student-athletes.

Keckler is the first Wolverine to win one of the CAC major awards since Wesley joined the conference in 2008.  He started his career with 17.2 scoreless innings and was named the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Division III Pitcher of the Week after shutting out No. 1 Salisbury on February 28.  He also picked up a win over a nationally ranked York (Pa.) squad during a stellar freshman season.  Keckler finished the year with 46 strikeouts against only 15 walks in 60 innings and went 5-2 with a 3.60 earned run average.

Kimmel emerged as the Wolverines clean up hitter in his first year as a full-time starter during his sophomore season.  The New Jersey native led the team with a .406 batting average, 56 hits and 42 runs batted in.  His four homers tied with fellow first teamer Morlock for the team lead.  He was fourth in the CAC in batting average and tied for fifth in hits.  Kimmel had 16 mult-hit games, including a four hit game and a five hit effort and also drove in at least four runs on four different occasions.  The first baseman also struck out just 12 times in 138 at bats.

Morlock did a little of everything during his junior season, finishing in the top 10 in the CAC in seven different offensive categories:  batting average (ninth, .363), slugging (eighth, .588), on-base percentage (third, .488), runs (fifth, 45), homers (tied for eighth, four), walks (second, 30) and stolen bases (eighth, 14).  Wesley's starting third baseman led th team in both walks and on base and tied for the team lead in home runs and extra base hits (18). 

Like Morlock, Murphy had a superb all-around season as a sophomore.  At second base, he made just five errors in 41 games.  He led the team with 13 doubles, tied for second in the conference, and runs scored with 54, third in the CAC.  He also ranked among the conference leaders in batting average (.360, 10th), on base percentage (.463, sixth), hits (54, eighth), runs batted in (40, seventh), total bases (80, seventh), walks (28, third), sacrifice flies (5, tied for first), and stolen bases (27, second).  His 18 extra base hits tied for the team lead.

Salisbury's Mike Celenza was named the CAC Player of the Year and the Sea Gulls' Doug Fleetwood won Coach of the Year.

The Wolverines four All-CAC selections tied for the second most in the conference with York (Pa.).  Conference champ Salisbury led the way with eight picks.

Wesley's foursome led the Wolverines to a 24-16-1 record and an 11-7 mark in the CAC.  The team also finished third in both the conference regular season and the CAC Playoffs. 

The Wolverines are awaiting word on a potential ECAC South Championship Tournament bid.