Greensboro, NC – The 2023 ABCA/Rawlings NCAA Div. III All-Region teams and Regional Players of the Year were announced earlier this summer. For the first time ever, Russell Sage College had a player honored with a selection to the Region III Third Team. The teams are voted on by members of the American Baseball Coaches Association and the process is led by the ABCA NCAA Division III All-America Committee.
RSC's senior James Lubanski (Port Washington, NY/Paul D. Schreiber) earned the distinction as the first Gator to ever earn a spot on ABCA All-Region squad. The honor comes on the heels of numerous awards for the designated hitter.
Lubanski, who was also named to the 2023 Empire All-Tournament Team , was also a 2023 Empire 8 Second Team pick as both a designated hitter and a utility player. A newcomer with the Gators this year, he started 42 of 43 games and added a .335 batting average. He also led the team with his school-record 18 doubles and 78 total bases. He had a .503 slugging percentage with a .444 on-base percentage.
For the Empire 8 tournament, he batted .313 with three doubles, four runs scored, and a .500 slugging percentage and was 3-3 on stolen bases with four walks and no errors, defensively.
Only a second-year team, Russell Sage College's baseball team wrapped the 2023 season with new high-water marks for wins as well as producing 10 Empire 8 All-Conference performers. The Gators earned back-to-back appearances in the Empire 8 Tournament under head coach Nick Pontari and capped the 2023 season as the Empire 8 Tournament runner-up with record of 18-25.
NCAA Div. III Region 3 All-Region Third Team
Pos. Player Cl. School State
1B Timothy Connor So. St. Lawrence NY
1B Liam Daly Fr. SUNY Purchase NY
2B Joe Sanguedolce Jr. St. Joseph's (L.I.) NY
2B Reid Lapekas Jr. Vassar NY
SS Johnny Brucato Fr. Mount Saint Vincent NY
OF Chris Bonacci So. Cortland State NY
OF Jamal Ritter Sr. Old Westbury NY
OF Phil Krpata Sr. St. Joseph's (L.I.) NY
OF Aaron Whitley Sr. Rochester NY
OF Andrew Kanellis Sr. Vassar NY
DH James Lubanski Sr. Russell Sage NY
UT Sean Liquori Sr. SUNY Oneonta NY
UT Brendan May Sr. Utica NY
P Aidan Risse Jr. Bard NY
P Eric Sipling Gr. RIT NY
P Mark Aaronson So. Rochester NY
P Kooper Knabe Fr. Utica NY
Region Position Player of the Year: Noah Campanelli, Sr., St. John Fisher
Region Pitcher of the Year: Dylan Beers, So., Cortland State
#SageNation