Two Riverbats Take Home Major SUNYAC Awards, Three Others Honored

Brockport State senior Rob Maxwell (GV '06/Brockport '07) and Cortland State sophomore Matt Tone (Brockport '07) have been chosen as the State University of New York Athletic Conference's Player and Pitcher of the Year respectively for the 2008 season.

In addition, both Tone and Maxwell were selected first-team all-league. Cortland State manager Joe Brown (Ithaca '92-'99 mgr.) has been named the SUNYAC Coach of the Year and Cortland State's Mike Zaccardo (Brockport '04) and Fredonia State's Rob Herrmann (Allegany County '08) were named to the all-conference team.

Rob Maxwell is a senior infielder and pitcher from Amherst, N.Y. Between the regular season and SUNYAC tournament, Maxwell batted .365 with a team-high four home runs and 39 runs batted in. He had 42 hits, 33 runs scored, 12 doubles, 19 walks, six stolen bases, a .574 slugging percentage and a .490 on-base percentage. The senior led the team in doubles and slugging percentage and tied for the team-high in runs scored. In conference play, Maxwell batted .439 with a team-high 15 RBI, five doubles and .634 slugging percentage. On the mound, Maxwell went 4-3 with a 2.86 ERA in seven appearances overall. He allowed 16 earned runs in 50.1 innings pitched, walked 11, struck out 40 and pitched two complete games. Against conference opponents, Maxwell was 2-1 with a 2.90 ERA and 20 strikeouts.

The Amherst, N.Y., native was a second-team All-SUNYAC selection in 2006. He was named the SUNYAC Rookie of the Year in 2005.

Maxwell played in the New York Collegiate Baseball League during the 2006 and 2007 seasons for the Genesee Valley ('06) and Brockport ('07) Riverbats. He was a key member of Genesee Valley's 2006 Central Division championship team. Maxwell hit a team-high .323 and went 4-2 with a 2.79 ERA in 10 appearances.

Matt Tone is a sophomore from Rochester, N.Y. This spring, Tone is 7-0 with a 2.48 earned run average in nine starts. He has allowed 15 earned runs in 54.1 innings pitched, walked 26 and fanned 66. Opponents against Tone are batting .180 this season. In conference play, Tone went 3-0 with a 1.69 ERA. He allowed 12 hits in 21.1 innings pitched and struck out 28. The sophomore pitched a complete-game no-hitter for nationally-ranked Cortland at Oswego State on April 5.

The former Irondequoit High School standout pitched in the NYCBL last summer for the Brockport Riverbats. He was 3-1 with a team-best 1.71 earned run average in six appearances. Tone yielded six earned runs in 34.1 innings pitched, walked 18 and struck out 42.

Cortland State manager Joe Brown skippered his team to a fourth-straight SUNYAC tournament championship this past weekend. At the conclusion of the tournament, the Red Dragons had posted a record of 36-3 and won 32-straight games dating back to a Spring Break trip to Arizona. Cortland finished the conference regular season, 14-0, and went undefeated in the conference tournament with three-straight victories. Seven Red Dragons were named to the All-SUNYAC team.

Under Joe Brown, Cortland has won eight of the last nine SUNYAC championships. The Red Dragons have made four appearances in the NCAA Division III World Series and they were the national runners-up in 2005 to Wisconsin-Whitewater.

The Clifton Springs, N.Y., native managed the Northeastern Collegiate Baseball League's Ithaca Lakers from 1992 through 1999. The Lakers made the league playoffs in all eight seasons and won three league championships. For more on Joe Brown's NCBL coaching career, click here.

Mike Zaccardo was named first-team all-league. He is a senior catcher from Rochester, N.Y. Between the regular season and SUNYAC tournament, Zaccardo hit .400 with four home runs and 39 runs batted in. He led the Red Dragons with 54 hits, 42 runs scored, 12 doubles, 23 walks and 80 total bases. In conference play, Zaccardo batted .349 and drove in 12 runs. The left-handed swinger was the 2007 SUNYAC Player of the Year and a D3baseball.com honorable mention All-America.

The Rochester, N.Y., native played in the NYCBL for the 2004 Genesee Valley Riverbats. He hit .216 and drove in eight runs in 34 games for the first-year Riverbats.

Rob Herrmann is a sophomore catcher from Trumansburg, N.Y. He was named second-team All-SUNYAC and was one of two Fredonia players honored by the league. This season, Herrmann hit .395 and drove in 26 runs. In 35 games, Herrmann had 47 hits, 23 runs scored, 11 doubles, one triple and a .504 slugging percentage. In conference, the sophomore hit .396 with 11 RBI and threw out eight of 12 would-be base stealers. Last year, Herrmann was named All-SUNYAC as a freshman.

The former Trumansburg Blue Raider will play in the New York Collegiate Baseball League this summer for the Allegany County Nitros.