Felician Athletics - 5/18/07 BASEBALL - Quintana Earns Third Player Of Year Award; Four Named All-NJCBA

RUTHERFORD, N.J. – Felician College senior Frank Quintana (Miami, FL/South Miami) has been named the 2007 New Jersey Collegiate Baseball Association Division II/III Player of the Year, according to balloting released Thursday. Quintana’s selection highlights four Golden Falcons who were named to the All-NJCBA Teams.

Quintana, a first-baseman, was a two-time NJCBA Player of the Week in 2007. He ranks 16th in the country among Division II players in both home runs per game (0.33) and slugging percentage (.768) and is in the top 50 in three other categories. Starting all 49 games for Felician, he hit .405 with 19 doubles, school records of 16 homeruns and 59 runs batted in, 59 runs scored, 30 walks, and 23 stolen bases. He leads the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference in six statistical categories, and is the Golden Falcons’ all-time leader in homers (35) and RBI (146). He was also named CACC Player of the Year and Daktronics Division II Northeast Region Player of the Year.

Voted to the All-NJCBA Second Team were freshman relief pitcher Jeff Calabrese (Freehold, NJ/Christian Brothers) and senior outfielder Ray Rose (Piscataway, NJ/Piscataway). Calabrese, the NJCBA Rookie Pitcher of the Week on Mar. 12, had a 4-1 record, four saves, and a 3.41 earned-run average in 23 appearances. He struck out 31 batters and walked 13 in 31 2/3 innings, and opponents hit .197 off of him. Rose batted .377 with 13 doubles, five homers, 35 runs, 39 RBI and 24 walks in 48 games.

Senior designated hitter Chris Flynn (Keyport, NJ/Keyport) was named to the Third Team after hitting .368 with eight doubles, four homers 23 runs, and 33 RBI in 42 games.

Freshman infielder Richard Melendez (Miami, FL/South Miami) (42 GP, .345, 1 HR, 30 RBI) was an NJCBA All-Rookie Team selection. Outfielder Kenny Vanderhee (Aventura, FL/Dr. Michael Krop) will be Felician’s recipient of the NJCBA Senior Award, given to the senior on each team who best personifies his program.

All NJCBA award winners will be honored at the association’s annual banquet on May 29 at the Pines Manor in Edison. The NJCBA consists of all four-year colleges in New Jersey that sponsor varsity baseball.

2007 All-NJCBA Teams (.PDF)