5 DiamondDawgs Named to All-League Team

  • By Times Telegram

    LITTLE FALLS — The Mohawk Valley DiamondDawgs were the best-represented team at the Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League All-Star Game in July.

    Now five DiamondDawgs are among the league’s postseason all-stars.

    Mohawk Valley sent eight players and coach Blake Nation to the July 20 game in Albany. Three weeks later, right-hander Joe DeSarro, ironically one of the DiamondDawgs not in uniform at Bob Bellizzi Field, was named co-Pitcher of the Year, and Nation was named Coach of the Year.

    DeSarro and Drew Arciuolo, an injury replacement for the East Division all-star squad, were named to the first-team postseason squad while pitchers David Palmer and Zach Vennaro and outfielder Mac Crispino were second-team selections.

    DeSarro and Arciuolo are joined on the first team by five players from PGCBL champion Amsterdam, including Player of the Year Joe Genord, and one from Utica’s runner-up Blue Sox.

    DeSarro, a Frankfort-Schuyler High School graduate who completed his NJCAA career with a perfect 6-0 record at Herkimer College in the spring, tied the PGCBL record for victories while going 7-1 with a 2.80 ERA over the summer.

    Arciuolo set a PGCBL-era DiamondDawgs record by batting .371. The leadoff hitter and center fielder from Fairfield University scored 24 runs, drove in 23 and stole 20 bases in 37 games in Little Falls.

    Crispino, Arciuolo’s college teammate, batted .336 with team-highs of 12 doubles and 27 RBI.

    The University of New Haven’s Palmer and Monroe Community College’s University of Mount Olive-bound Vennaro were part of the DiamondDawgs’ 2015 PGCBL championship team and did their parts to get the team back to the playoffs.

    Palmer was 4-2 with a 1-81 ERA and completed two of his eight regular season starts; he allowed one unearned run through seven innings of the first-round playoff game Mohawk Valley eventually lost in 12 innings in Albany.

    Palmer matched DeSarro’s 46 strikeouts and the pair tied teammate Jonathan McKinney for fourth in the league.

    Former New York Mills Marauder Vennaro made 14 of his 15 appearances out of the bullpen and saved nine games with a 1.47 ERA while striking out 30 batters in 24 13/ innings.