Six Bearcats named to All-Conference Teams

5/22/2012 (Updated 11:01:35 PM)

VESTAL -- On the eve of the America East Baseball Championship, six Binghamton players have earned recognition from the conference. Senior pitcher Mike Augliera and junior closer Lee Sosa were selected to all-conference first team, junior pitcher Jake Lambert and sophomore second baseman Daniel Nevares were named to the second team and freshmen Brian Ruby and Jake Thomas made the All-Rookie Team. The teams were selected in a vote of the conference head coaches.
The Bearcats are en route to Long Island to prepare for the championship, which begins Wednesday morning. Binghamton faces Albany in the opening game at 11 a.m. from Stony Brooks Joe Nathan Field.

Augliera, who will take the hill as BUs starter against the Great Danes, was a first-team selection for the second consecutive year. He leads the entire nation in strikeout-to-walk ratio (76 strikeouts and 6 walks) and also leads the America East in strikeouts. He is 5-7 with a 3.42 earned run average (4th in AE) and is tied for the most career wins (22) in school history. Augliera, who will likely be selected in the upcoming Major League Baseball Amateur Draft (June 4-6), finishes his career as a three-time all-conference selection.

Sosa, a hard-throwing righty who also has attracted attention from MLB scouts, was the leagues top closer and first-team relief pitcher selection. He has a conference-best 10 saves and a miniscule 1.06 ERA and opponents are hitting just .194 against him. In 10 appearances against America East foes, Sosa has a 0.96 ERA. It is Sosas first all-conference honor.

In his first season at Binghamton, Lambert (6-3) has the most wins on coach Tim Sinickis pitching staff and was dominant in league play. In his seven starts against conference opponents, Lambert went 5-0 with a 2.51 ERA and ranked second in the league in both categories.

Nevares really hit stride in the late season and brings a .341 average into the conference championship. He has an on-base percentage of .408 and has made just six errors in 169 chances at second base (.964). In conference play, Nevares hit .417, which ranked third in the entire conference.

Ruby also has been hot at the plate. The reigning America East Rookie of the Week is hitting .429 in his last 25 games and has pushed his season batting average up to the .400 mark. It would be the highest average in the conference but Ruby moved into a starting infield role (at first and third) in April and is still short on the minimum 2.5 at-bats per game to be included in the conference and national statistics. He hit .397 in 21 conference games and has the two longest hit streaks on the team this year - an 11-game streak and his current 10-game stretch.

Thomas is a hard-hitting designated hitter and catcher who has been among the leagues leaders in on-base percentage the entire season. He was BUs No. 3 hitter in the lineup and leads the team and ranks fifth in the America East with a sparkling .425 on-base percentage. After missing nearly three weeks with a jaw injury suffered in the Hartford series, Thomas returned in the final series against UMBC last weekend and promptly belted his third home run of the season and drove in six runs in three games. He is hitting .296 with 24 RBI (2nd on team) in 38 games played.

(Courtesy: BU Athletics)