Bears Garner USCAA Year End Honors

OLD ORCHARD BEACH, ME – Three Bears have been honored as the United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA) announced their year-end awards at the USCAA National Baseball Championships in Old Orchard Park, ME. Junior Kevin Diaz (Staten Island, NY/Monsignor Farrell) was named as an All-American Honorable Mention and senior Kevin Hernandez (Corona, NY/Newtown) and junior Joseph Boccia (Westwood, NJ/Westwood) made the National All-Academic Team.

This is the first time Diaz has been received the All-American Honorable Mention distinction, finishing the season with a .405 batting average, .579 slugging percentage and .474 on-base percentage. All three numbers were in the top 30 in the USCAA. He was one of only 15 players in the Association to finish with a batting average above .400. Diaz also collected 49 hits and scored 37 runs while connecting for three home runs and driving in 20 runs. His runs and hit totals put him in the top-ten in the USCAA. An all around athlete, Diaz swiped 15 bags for the Bears and manned centerfield, committing only three errors in 74 chances.

Hernandez was named to the USCAA All-Academic Team for the second straight season. The senior pitcher started a career high seven games for St. Joseph's, compiling a 2-4 record. In 49 innings, Hernandez pitched to a 6.06 ERA while striking out 22 batters and allowing 22 walks. Hernandez won the final two games of his career, allowing three earned runs in 14 innings of work.

Boccia joins Hernandez on the All-Academic Team, being named to the squad for the first time in his career. The junior was the Bears' primary leadoff hitter and started all 33 games at second base. Boccia hit for a .320 average and got on base at a .404 clip. He finished fourth in both runs scored (23) and RBI (16), third in hits (39) and second in stolen bases (nine).

USCAA All-Academic Team members must be a sophomore or higher and maintain a minimum 3.5 cumulative GPA.