Six Pioneers named All-Region in baseball
DeMark and Sidick earn first team honors for second straight season

May 24, 2005
ALLIANCE, Ohio – The 2005 Rawlings/American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) Division III All-Mideast Region teams were announced Tuesday (May 24). Marietta and Wooster combined to account for 12 of the 50 selections, with both teams having six participants earn the honor. Two familiar faces joined the list of 15 first team All-Mideast Region selections, as senior Chris Sidick (Cecil, PA/Canon McMillan) and junior Mike DeMark (Jeanette, PA/Penn-Trafford) were given first team recognition for the second straight season.

Sidick, who already picked up his second consecutive Jack Rafeld OAC Player of the Year award earlier this month, was a third team All-Region honoree in 2003. The center fielder led the Etta Express in batting average (.384), slugging percentage (.768), on-base percentage (.500), runs scored (55), triples (7), home runs (12), total bases (116), walks (32) and stolen bases (26). The 2004 second team All-American was also second on the team in hits (58) and RBI (40) this spring.

DeMark finished his junior year with a mark of 10-0 and was named the Kent Tekulve OAC Pitcher of the Year. The right hander appeared in 17 contests, starting 10, with four complete games and two saves in 74.6 innings of work. He led the team and the OAC with 76 strikeouts on the year. Opponents hit just .216 off DeMark, who finished with a 3.13 ERA. DeMark was named a second team All-American a year ago.

Senior Justin Papania  (Butler, PA) was the lone Pioneer to earn second team All-Region honors. The right hander, who as of May 15 had the third-best ERA (0.95) in the nation, finished his final season with a 5-2 record. In 12 appearances, seven starts and four complete games, Papania threw 56.6 innings, allowed just six earned runs and struck out 45 opponents. Opposing hitters batted just .199 against him in 2005. Papania, a first team All-OAC selection this year was a third team All-Region selection as a junior in 2004.

Three Etta Express players picked up third team All-Region honors this spring. Senior Mike Mooney (Pittsburgh, PA/Shady Side Academy), junior Lee Guerrera (Wolcott, CT) and freshman Tony Piconke (Clinton Twp., MI/Clintondale) all received this honor.

Mooney led the Etta Express in appearances (19), games started (15) and innings pitched  (79.6) as a senior. The right hander, a first team All-OAC honoree, compiled a 10-3 record with 49 strikeouts and a 23.39 ERA.

Guerrera, the Pioneers’ everyday catcher in 2005, finished his junior season batting .346 (47-of-136) with 31 runs scored, 10 doubles, two triples and 34 RBI. Defensively, the first team All-OAC award winner proved to be a huge asset for the Etta Express, throwing out 19-of-41 runners that attempted to steal.

Piconke, who made the switch from shortstop to left field following Marietta’s spring break trip to Port Charlotte, FL, had a solid freshman campaign in 2005. Piconke finished second on the squad in hitting (.371), runs scored (44), while leading the team in hits (62), doubled (11), triples (7) and RBI (44).

Marietta finished an emotional year, which included the loss of long-time leader Don Schaly to cancer (March 9), 32-10-1 overall and 14-4 in the Ohio Athletic Conference. The Etta Express won the regular season title, but fell to Otterbein in the finals of the Conference Tournament. Marietta was left without an invite to postseason play for the third straight season. Four Pioneers graduated following the 2005 season, Mooney, Papania, Sidick and pitcher Bo Cooksey (Atwater/Waterloo).

The 2005 Rawlings/ABCA All-American team will be announced at the NCAA Division III Championship banquet on Thursday (May 26) evening in Appleton, WI, the site of the 30th annual Division III World Series.