FROM CBB NEWS SOURCE
PHILADELPHIA (5/31/09) – Temple senior outfielder Sean Barksdale (Glenolden, PA / Cardinal O’Hara) and Villanova junior right-hander Brian Streilein (Staten Island, NY / Brick Memorial) were named the Philadelphia Big Five Baseball Player and Pitcher of the Year, respectively, in voting conducted by the city’s head coaches and sports information offices.
In that same vote, Penn freshman shortstop Derek Vigoa (Miami, FL / Christopher Columbus) was named the Rookie of the Year, Villanova’s Kyle Carver (Aldan, PA / Delaware County Christian) was named the Student-Athlete of the Year, and Saint Joseph’s Fritz Hamburg was named the Coach of the Year. Villanova, which had a city-best 22 wins and reached the Liberty Bell Classic, was named the Team of the Year.
Barksdale, who was named the Big 5 Co-Player of the Year in 2007, led the city in hits (78), runs (53), RBI (56), home runs (15) and total bases (134) on his way to a .371 batting average. A first team All-Atlantic 10 selection, Barksdale batted .485 with runners in scoring position and broke Temple’s 31-year old record for career RBI.
Streilein won five games and posted a 5.46 ERA for Villanova this season. A three-time Big 5 Pitcher of the Week honoree, he served as the Wildcats’ ace, leading the team in wins, ERA, innings pitched and strikeouts.
Vigoa, a second team all-Ivy League selection, batted .336 with four homers and 27 RBI this season for Penn. The Miami, FL native had a team-best 18 doubles.
A two-way player, Carver played first base and pitched for the Wildcats. He batted .229 with two homers and 17 RBI and was 3-1 with a 6.35 ERA on the mound. The junior has a 3.75 GPA as an accounting major.
In his first season at the helm, Hamburg led Saint Joseph’s to a 5-1 record against Big 5 opponents, including sweeps of La Salle and Temple. The Hawks also posted their best Atlantic 10 finish in four seasons.
Villanova won 22 games and was 3-2 against city opponents to earn team of the year honors for the second straight season. The Wildcats also reached the Liberty Bell Classic Championship and shared the title with Delaware when the game was rained out.
Also on the All-Big 5 team are La Salle’s TJ Chism (Brookhaven, PA / Sun Valley), Kevin Fuqua (Derwood, MD / Avalon School), and John Malloy (Fairless Hills, PA / Conwell-Egan); Penn’s Vigoa, William Gordon (La Grange, GA / Timber Creek) and Tom Grandieri (Media, PA / Malvern Prep); Saint Joseph’s Randy Mower (Hatfield, PA / North Penn), Dewey Oriente (Mount Royal, NJ / Bishop Eustace), and David Valesente (Ithaca, NY / Lansing); Temple’s Barksdale, Tony Jusino (San Diego, CA / Grossmont CC), Kyle Obal (Derwood, MD / Sherwood), Mark Ortega (Palm Beach Gardens, FL / Palm Beach Gardens) and Ryan Thomas (Aliquippa, PA / Center); and Villanova’s Streilein and Mike Francisco (Newtown Square, PA / Malvern Prep).
2009 PHILADELPHIA BIG 5 TEAM
Name School Pos. Hometown AVG HR RBI
Kyle Obal Temple C Derwood, MD .313 0 44
TJ Chism La Salle 1B Brookhaven, PA .310 11 50
David Valesente Saint Joseph’s 2B Ithaca, NY .369 5 35
Mark Ortega Temple SS Palm Beach Gardens, FL .318 5 39
Derek Vigoa Penn SS Miami, FL .336 4 27
Tony Jusino Temple 3B San Diego, CA .363 3 39
Sean Barksdale Temple OF Glenolden, PA .371 15 56
Tom Grandieri Penn OF Media, PA .357 5 32
John Malloy La Salle OF Fairless Hills, PA .329 8 35
Dewey Oriente Saint Joseph’s DH Mount Royal, NJ .403 6 39
William Gordon Penn UT La Grange, GA .327 10 48
1-1, 4.50 ERA, 2 SV
Name School Pos. Hometown ERA W-L K
Kevin Fuqua La Salle SP Derwood, MD 4.52 4-5 50
Randy Mower Saint Joseph’s SP Hatfield, PA 4.80 5-5 44
Brian Streilein Villanova SP Staten Island, NY 5.46 5-8 54
Ryan Thomas Temple SP Aliquippa, PA 5.03 4-3 34
Mike Francisco Villanova RP Newtown Square, PA 4.24 1-2 4 SV
Player of the Year: Sean Barksdale, Temple
Pitcher of the Year: Brian Streilein, Villanova
Rookie of the Year: Derek Vigoa, Penn
Student-Athlete of the Year: Kyle Carver, Villanova
Coach of the Year: Fritz Hamburg, Saint Joseph’s
Team of the Year: Villanova
2009 PHILADELPHIA BIG 5 ACADEMIC TEAM
Name School Major GPA AVG HR RBI
Kyle Carver Villanova Accounting 3.75 .229 2 17
3-1, 6.35 ERA, 1 SV
Tom Grandieri Penn Communication 3.06 .357 5 32
Byron McKoy Temple Info. Science/Technology 3.30 .278 8 28
Dewey Oriente Saint Joseph’s Finance 3.02 .403 6 39
GPA ERA W-L K
Christian Schulz La Salle Accounting 3.24 4.04 3-3 25
