LOCK HAVEN, PA – West Chester University was well represented on the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division all-league squad that was announced Tuesday afternoon. The Golden Rams landed seven players on the All-PSAC East team while graduate student,
Anthony Boccio (Coatesville, Pa./Coatesville), was named the loop's player of the year.
Boccio becomes the sixth different player and seventh overall to win the division player of the year awards. Jared Melone last won the award in back-to-back seasons of 2018 and 2019. West Chester put four players on the first team and three on the second team. The seven players represents the most Golden Rams on the all-league squad since 11 made it in 2010. The four first-teamers are the most since four were picked in 2012.
Joining Boccio on the first team was senior catcher,
John DeMucci (Swarthmore, Pa./Msgr. Bonner & Prendie), who is the only repeat selection in the group, senior shortstop
Sean Szestowicki (Mount Royal, N.J./Kingsway Regional) and junior first baseman,
Avery Spencer (Pottsgrove, Pa./Pottsgrove). Second-team selections went to R-So., left-handed pitcher,
Julian Costa (Mantua, N.J./Clearview), senior second baseman,
Zack Miles (Hatfield, Pa./North Penn) and utility player
Drew Simpson (Hockessin, Del./Delaware Military Academy).
DeMucci was a first-team All-PSAC East pick in 2023 while Costa was the Rookie of the Year in the PSAC East last season, but did not appear on either of the all-league teams.
Boccio finished second in the league in hitting with a .415 batting average. He was one of only three players in the entire PSAC to finish over .400 in the regular season. Cal U's Payton Conte, the PSAC West Player of the Year, was the only individual to have a higher batting average. Boccio, who transferred into West Chester from Widener University to finish out his collegiate eligibility, ranked among the Top 10 in five offensive categories. He placed second in OPS with a mark of 1.197 and second in triples with four. He is three hits shy of 200 in his college career combining his work at both Widener and West Chester.
DeMucci was fifth on the team in hitting with a .325 average. He had 51 hits and scored 43 runs. He legged out 10 doubles, 1 triple and hit three home runs while knocking in 28 runs on his own. He authored a .417 on-base percentage and stole 14 bases in 15 tries. The two-time All-PSAC East performer handled the majority of catching duties once the team came back from Cary, N.C. and threw out six base stealers.
Szestowicki made the most of his final college season raising his batting average more than 100 points from .241 to .365. He ranked third on the team and 12th in the PSAC in hitting. He produced an OPS of 1.109, which ranked sixth in the PSAC, and a slugging percentage north of .600 for the first time in his career that was almost 200 points higher than his previous best. He was one of only four shortstops in the Eastern Division to hit better than .300 this spring.
Spencer led the PSAC in runs batted in (RBI) with 47 and also being hit by a pitch. He was hit 25 times, which is one shy of both the school and conference record of 26 held by former WCU first baseman, Mike Ferrara. Spencer hit .364 and placed right behind Szestowicki in hitting in both the league and on the team.
Costa put together an 8-2 record on the mound with a 2.74 earned run average (ERA). Both of those marks led the Golden Rams starters. His eight wins ranked fourth in the PSAC while his ERA was 10th. Costa also ranked 10th in the conference in strikeouts (70) and innings pitched (65 2/3). Of his 70 K's, 24 of them were looking, which ranked sixth in the PSAC. He also hit .269 on the year in 26 at bats. He doubled twice – though none of his hitting statistics factored into his nod to the second team as a pitcher.
Simpson, who was a second team utility player selection, was chosen on the merits of both his pitching and hitting. When not manning the hot corner in the infield, Simpson was shutting down opponents on the mound. He went 6-1 on the year. That win total was seventh in the league, but first among true freshmen. He posted a 4.38 ERA and struck out 53 batters in 39 innings. At the plate, he batted .306 with five doubles and one home run while knocking in 17. He authored a .418 on-base percentage.
Miles batted .309 on the year with 12 doubles, 1 triple and 1 home run. He knocked in 30 runs and scored 32 more. He was in on 16 double plays defensively, teaming with Szestowicki to construct the most consistent double play combination in the league.
West Chester University led the conference in seven offensive categories, including: batting average, runs, hits and RBI. The Golden Rams take these offensive weapons, along with an entire infield around the horn that was all-league, into the PSAC Tournament on Wednesday against Mercyhurst at 4:30 p.m.
