WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J. ? Monmouth University juniors Brad Brach (Freehold, N.J./Freehold Township) and Andy Meyers (Stratford, N.J./Sterling) were both named to the 2007 American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) All-East Region First Team, while freshman Ryan Buch (Yardley, Pa./Conwell Egan Catholic) was added to the ABCA All-East Region Second Team, as selected by the head baseball coaches in the East Region.
Brach, the 2007 Northeast Conference Pitcher of the Year, finished his junior campaign with a 9-3 mark, which established a new school career record for wins for the righthander (21). Brach, who is pitching in the Cape Cod League this summer with the Cotuit Kettleers, ranked second on the Hawks with his 2.89 ERA in 99.2 innings of work. The inning workload set a new school mark for innings pitched, while he also set a new program record for strikeouts with 84. Brach, who tossed a nine-inning no-hitter on April 13 against Long Island University for which he was named the NCBWA National Pitcher of the Week, threw six complete games for the 2007 NEC Champions and four shutouts.
Meyers claimed first team accolades at first base following a season that saw him rank in the NEC top-10 in 10 different categories, including RBI (65, first), average (.395, second), slugging percentage (.596, second) and on-base percentage (.474, third). Meyers, who connected on nine homers, ranks second in school history with 88 hits on the season.
Joining Brach and Meyers on the first-team All-East Region were pitchers Steve Healing (Rutgers), Anthony Shawler (Old Dominion) and Luke Pisker (VCU), catcher Jason Bour (George Mason), second baseman Chris Fournier (George Mason), shortstop Todd Frazier (Rutgers), third baseman Greg Sexton (William & Mary), designated hitter Tim Park (William & Mary) and outfielders Scott Krieger (George Mason), Kellen Kulbacki (James Madison) and David Williams (Rutgers).
Buch, the 2007 NEC Rookie of the Year, was added to the second-team squad after his 9-2 season in which he set a new freshman record for wins. Buch tied for the league lead in wins, and lead the Hawks with his 2.44 ERA in 81.0 innings of work. The rookie, who held opponents to a .223 batting average against, added 76 strikeouts. Buch was also named to the Collegiate Baseball/Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American Team, and also tabbed as an All-Ping Baseball Second-Team Freshman All-American.
Pitchers Luke Foss (Norfolk State), Billy Harris (Delaware) and Jordan Flasher (George Mason) joined Buch on the second-team, while catcher Jonathan Batts (UNC-Wilmington), first baseman Jared Bolden (VCU), second baseman Brent McWhorter (William & Mary), shortstop Sergio Miranda (VCU), third baseman Matt Prokopowicz (Hofstra), designated hitter David Burns (Old Dominion) and outfielders James Conrad (Lafayette), Bryan Hagerich (Delaware), Ryan Hill (Rutgers), Justin Jenkins (West Virginia) and Mike Zahm (Old Dominion) were named as well.
The Monmouth baseball team won its third NEC title in 2007, while setting a new school record for wins with 36. The Hawks competed in the Tempe Regional at Arizona State Univeristy, dropping a 5-3 decision to the No. 5 national seed Sun Devils in the first game. On the second day, in which Buch started and pitched 6.1 innings, with five strikeouts, the Blue and White fell to Nebraska, 6-5. In both contests, Monmouth had the tying runs in scoring position in the ninth inning.
