May 29, 2007

2007 Philadelphia Big 5 Baseball Release

PHILADELPHIA - In voting conducted by the area coaches, La Salle University Baseball had five of its players recognized for their work on the field in 2007.

Rich Prall and John Rickards were both named All-Big 5 for the second straight year, while Gerard Breslin and John Malloy get the honor for the first time. Dan Waters gets his fourth academic award after being named to the Big 5 Academic Team.

Prall was second on the team in batting average (.332), hits (64), doubles (11), RBI (27), and - named to the city team as a catcher - helped La Salle's staff to its best-ever ERA in the last 25 years at the school (4.83). Against the rest of the city, he batted .372 in nine games, with 16 hits, and seven runs.

He finished his career at La Salle in the top 10 in five categories, including at bats (760 - 1st); hits (258 - 2nd); doubles (50 - 3rd); total bases (359 - 4th); and RBI (127 - 6th).

For the season, Rickards led La Salle in batting average (.385 - the best mark since Brian Schaller hit .415 in 1996), runs (31), triples (5), HR (7), RBI (31), slugging % (.646), on-base % (.492), total bases (104), and mutli-hit (22) and multi-RBI (9) games.

 

The junior second baseman was among nation's leaders in hit by pitch per game (14th), batting average (71st), and slugging percentage (57th). His 104 total bases was tied for seventh-best in a season at La Salle and the five triples is tied for third.

 

Against the city, he hit .414 in eight games, with 12 hits, six runs, five RBI and a .526 on-base %, and was named Big 5 Player of the Week a season-best three times.

 

In just his first season at 20th and Olney, Malloy registered a La Salle school record, a conference freshman record and his 24-game hitting streak, which started the season, was the second best all-time in the Atlantic 10 Conference.

 

Then after the outfielder's first hitless game, he went on a 13-game hitting streak to make it 37 of first 38 college games with a hit and reached base in all but three games this season.

 

He led team in at-bats (211), hits (69), doubles (18) and games with at least three hits (6), and was second in runs (28) and total bases (93) and had 18 multi-hit games, six multi-RBI games (both third on the team).

 

He set an Explorer freshman record for hits in a season (8th overall in a season) and doubles (third) and was among nation's leaders in doubles per game (85th). Against the rest of the city, batted .447 in nine games, with a team-high 17 hits, seven doubles, five RBI and 24 total bases for a .632 slugging percentage.

 

Breslin was named to the city team as a relief pitcher as he was 9-for-10 in save opportunities this year, with a 0.00 ERA in 14.2 IP, allowing just seven hits and striking out 11. Against Big 5 schools, he was 1-1 with three saves, a 1.29 ERA in 7.0 IP and seven strikeouts

 

He saved nine of the Explorers' 17 victories and five of their eight conference wins. Breslin was among the nation's leaders in saves (47th), while leading the team with 25 appearances and 43 strikeouts.

 

He finishes as La Salle's all-time leader in appearances (108), saves (29), and strikeouts (221), tied for third in wins (13), and fifth in ERA (4.13) and innings (218.0).

 

In its first year, Waters is named to the Academic Big 5 Team - gaining his fourth academic honor of the 2007 season. Already this year, the pitcher was named to the a CoSIDA/ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District First Team, the Atlantic 10 All-Academic Team and the Philadelphia Academic All-Area.

 

Waters was the team's leader in games started (14), wins (5), strikeouts (68), and innings pitched (80.0) and the Explorers won four of his nine conference starts (half of their A-10 win total).

 

The senior finishes his La Salle career (three seasons), tied for first in games started (43), tied for fifth in wins (12), third in innings (225.1), second in strikeouts (198) and eighth in ERA (4.39).

 

He was 1-0 in 14.1 IP against city teams, with a team-high 15 Ks. In his college career (includes one season at Maryland), Waters won 14 games, had a 4.28 ERA in 240 innings and 207 strikeouts.

 

To see the entire Big 5 team and release click on the link above.