Four Named to List of Division III Baseball Players to Watch in 2014

TUSCON, Ariz. – Four student-athletes from the St. Joseph's College (Brooklyn) baseball team were featured as Division III Players to Watch in 2014 in the latest Collegiate Baseball Newspaper. Seniors Joe Mendez (Staten Island, N.Y./Monsignor Farrell) and Mike Cundari (Staten Island, N.Y./St. Peter's) along with junior Thomas McKenna (Bellerose, N.Y./St. Francis Prep) and sophomore Rosario DiLorenzo (Howard Beach, N.Y./Archbishop Molloy) were all chosen by Division III baseball coaches across the country and compiled in the list featured in the January 3rd edition of the newspaper.

All four were Association of Division III Independents (AD3I) All-Independent First Team selections a year ago after helping lead the Bears to a school-record 20 wins and a berth in the USCAA Small College World Series. It is the first time any Bear has been recognized by the newspaper.

Mendez, an outfielder, anchored the middle of the lineup for the Bears ranking second on the team with a .365 batting average. The outfielder had four home runs on the year and led the team with 41 RBI and 19 doubles. The senior was the first Bear to receive First-Team All-New York Region honors. Mendez is 30 hits shy of becoming the all-time leader in St. Joseph's history and is four home runs shy of tying the career mark set by Kevin Diaz.

Cundari, a first baseman, hit .349 with four home runs and had 37 RBI in 129 ABs a year ago. The first baseman also finished with a .597 slugging percentage and scored 37 runs. The senior is 12 runs shy of 100 for his career.

McKenna, who switches from shortstop to the outfield this season, led the Bears offense with a .397 batting average, .447 on base percentage and also had 16 stolen bases. The junior was also a USCAA Second Team All-American selection and is St. Joseph's leader in career batting average.

DiLorenzo, last year's AD3I Pitcher of the Year, started 11 games last season finishing 5-2 with a 3.41 ERA in 63.1 innings of work. The sophomore held opponents to a .228 batting average and fanned 7.96 batters per nine innings.

The Bears ride back-to-back winning seasons and open their seventh varsity campaign with a five-game set at the RussMatt Central Florida Invitational from February 21-23.