All-NJAC Teams

Ewing, NJ …Senior Anthony Cocuzza (Absecon, NJ/St. Augustine Prep) was named 2015 New Jersey Athletic Conference Co-Player of the Year as the all-conference teams were announced by Commissioner Terry Small on Wednesday.
 
Cocuzza was joined by junior Patrick Roberts (Hillsborough, NJ/Hillsborough) on the All-NJAC First Team and junior John Rizzi (Long Hill, NJ/Watchung Hills) received All-NJAC Second Team honors following a vote by the league's 10 head coaches. The conference selections were based off performance and statistics in NJAC games only.
 
The starting shortstop for the past four seasons, Cocuzza enjoyed a spectacular season on the diamond. His play was at its highest level when the games mattered most as he compiled a .434 batting average with 33 hits against NJAC opponents. No player in the conference accrued more hits in league games than the Lions' starting shortstop.
 
In the 18 conference contests on the schedule, Cocuzza hit safely in 17 and registered 11 multi-hit games. Twice he rapped out three hits and also posted a 4-for-5 performance in a victory over William Paterson University. Cocuzza also knocked in 14 runs, scored 16 times and stole nine bases in nine attempts.
 
Overall, the economics major is batting .390 this season with 53 hits and 32 runs batted in, all team highs. He stroked four hits and drove in three runs yesterday in a 9-4 victory over top-seeded Rutgers University-Camden in the opening round of the 2015 NJAC Championship Tournament.

Cocuzza shared the major award with Rowan senior Casey Grimes.
 
Roberts has wielded a dangerous left-handed bat all season. He hit .370 in NJAC games with 27 hits, 17 runs scored and 16 RBI. Roberts also displayed power with eight extra base hits. He roped four doubles, three triples and a home run in league play. On the defensive side, Roberts was perfect in right field. He did not make a single error, while securing 40 putouts.
 
Overall in 2015, Roberts is batting .380 with 46 hits, 28 RBI, 29 runs scored and a team-high four home runs. He has not committed an error in 78 chances and gunned down three baserunners from the outfield.
 
Rizzi put together a tremendous second half of the season and his offensive production helped propel the Lions to a post-season bid. Entering the conference opener against Kean University, he was hitting .135 with 11 runs scored and six stolen bases, in part due to a hamstring injury. Rizzi finished the season batting .275 with a league-best 43 runs scored and 26 stolen bases.
 
In NJAC contests, Rizzi hit .343 with 29 runs scored and 19 stolen bases. He hit safely in 16 of 18 games and scored multiple runs in 10 of those match-ups. Of the 23 hits he compiled in league play, none were bigger than his single in the 13^th inning at Montclair State to clinch a playoff berth for the Lions.
 
TCNJ continues its bid for a conference championship on Friday at Kean University. They take on fourth-seeded Rowan University at 3:30 p.m. The NJAC championship tournament is a double-elimination format.