RIVERDALE, N.Y. - Manhattan College senior pitcher Taylor Sewitt was named to the American Baseball Coaches Association 2012 Northeast Region First Team, while Jaspers junior centerfielder Anthony Vega garnered Second Team honors. Sewitt and Vega enjoyed breakout campaigns as they helped lead Manhattan to its second straight Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference crown and berth to the NCAA Tournament.
Sewitt was the 2012 MAAC Tournament Most Valuable Player after pitching 22 scoreless innings over three appearances in three days. The 6'3" sidewinder from Highland Mills, N.Y. won three of the four games that the Jaspers needed to battle out of the elimination bracket and lock up the program's third MAAC championship in the last seven years. Sewitt received "Louisville Slugger's" National Player of the Week award as presented by Collegiate Baseball Newspaper.
In 23 appearances, Sewitt led the MAAC with an 11-2 overall record, 86 strikeouts and a .211 batting average against. He was one win shy of setting the program's single season record. Sewitt harbored a 2.62 earned run average and yielded only 25 walks in 96.0 innings of work. Sewitt was the Jaspers game one starter in the NCAA Tournament against two-time defending College World Series champion South Carolina. He carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning against the Gamecocks before having his consecutive scoreless inning streak end at 39 1/3.
Vega signed with the Baltimore Orioles organization after enjoying a career year with the Jaspers. He became the first Manhattan baseball player to sign with a Major League club since 2007. Vega earned First Team All-MAAC honors after starting all 60 of Manhattan's games in centerfield. He led the Jaspers batting .326 with 41 runs scored, 4 triples, 108 total bases, 32 stolen bases and a .476 slugging percentage. The Patchogue, N.Y. native was second on the squad with 5 home runs and 41 RBI.
Vega's was selected in the 30th Round of the Major League Baseball Draft by the Orioles. He begins his professional career Monday with Baltimore's Short Season Class A affiliate the Aberdeen IronBirds. The IronBirds visit the Hudson Valley Renegades at Dutchess Stadium at 6:35 p.m.
