OF Brett Smith (Bucknell, Quakertown Blazers, 2014) was selected as Defensive Player of the Year and named to the First Team of the Patriot League All Conference Team.

1B Anthony Critelli (Holy Cross, Jersey Pilots, 2014), OF Jacen Nalesnik (Lehigh, Allentown Railers, 2014-15) and DH Connor Donovan (Lehigh, Quakertown Blazers, 2014) join Smith on the first team.

Donovan also landed a spot on the second team as a starting pitcher along with RHP Levi Stoudt (Lehigh, Quakertown Blazers, 2017), 1B David Young (Lehigh, Jersey Pilots,2015; South Jersey Giants, 2016) and 2B Steven Cohen (Lafayette, Lehigh Valley Catz, 2015).

Robbie Welhaf Photo Courtesy of Tim Cowie Photography

Robbie Welhaf (Elon, Quakertown Blazers, 2016) put up an outstanding performance to start the 2017 season. The 2016 ACBL All-Star only faced 28 batters as he no hit Longwood in a 7-0 win for the Phoenix. In nine innings he struck out eight with one walk and a hit batter. The senior RHP threw 100 pitches, 66 for strikes.

Another former ACBL All-Star, Karl Blum (Duke, Trenton Generals, 2015-16), also had an outstanding 2017 debut as the Blue Devils lost to #8 Oregon State 6-3 on Friday. The 6-5, 230 lb. senior allowed only an infield single in four scoreless innings of relief.

LHP Tim Mayza has been assigned to the Toronto Blue Jays major league training site as non-roster invitee. Mayza posted a 2-0 record with four saves and a 1.66 ERA at Dunedin (Toronto, High A) and followed this with a successful season the the Arizona Fall League where his fastball topped out at 97 MPH. Mayza is one of four former PSAC and Blazer players who excelled in the minors last season.

RHP Lou Trivino (Slippery Rock, Quakertown Blazers) had a 2.45 ERA with a save at Midland (Oakland A's, AA) after being promoted from Stockton.

Infielder Dylan Tice (West Chester, Quakertown Blazers) moved up three levels and finished at West Palm Beach (St. Louis Cardinals, High A) with a .288 average.

RHP Jim McDade (Millersville, Quakertown Blazers) posted a 5-1 record with a 1.59 ERA and 0.91 WHIP in the Arizona Rookie League for the San Diego Padres.

Chris Ray recently completed his second year of Professional baseball as a member of the Old Orchard Beach Surge of the Empire League, an independent professional baseball league.

In his rookie season he finished with .350 batting average, 3rd highest average on his team and 4th in the league, a .942 fielding percentage, and was named an all-star. In his second season, he hit .248 and fielded .951 while starting at 2nd baseball with spot starts at shortstop and 3rd base.

Ray attended Alvernia university from 2009-2013, winning all conference honors all 4 years and winning MAC Rookie of the year in 2010 and MAC Player of the Year in 2011 and 2012. Finishing with a .389 career average, he was an integral piece of the winningest class in Alvernia history.

He spent the summer following his sophomore season as a member of the 2011 Quakertown Blazers hitting .268 and fielding .960 at 3rd base and played with the Geneva Redwings of the NYCBL in the summer of 2012.

Ray has spent 5 years coaching players of all ages, and 3 years of coaching and training multiple high school teams. In 2013, he was an assistant coach at Elizabethtown College, specializing in hitting and infield instruction, and assisted with coaching while playing in Old Orchard beach in 2016.