May 17, 2001
Fishkill, NY--Fairfield University baseball player Ryan Bittner (Emerson, NJ) was selected as the first baseman on the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) All-Conference First Team, it was announced this morning at the MAAC Baseball Tournament Banquet, by a vote of the leagues 10 coaches. Four Stags were named to the prestigious MAAC All-Academic Team, it was also announced by the conference office.
Bittner, a graduate of Bergen Catholic High School, was a major cog in the Stags offense this season as he led them to a 14-13 record in the conference. In team-high 173 at-bats this season, Bittner knocked out a team best 63 base hits, hitting .364 for the season, second on the team. The lone player to appear and start in all 45 of the Stags season, Bittner drove in 31 RBI, as he knocked out 12 doubles, a triple and two homeruns. A two-time MAAC Player of the Week selection this spring, Bittner slugged .488 and had an on-base percentage of .422.
Defensively, Bittner made just nine errors in 443 chances, 410 putouts and 24 assists, for a .980 fielding percentage. He was also a perfect 2-2 in stolen base attempts.
The Stags also had four players named to the MAAC All-Academic Team. To be selected to the All-Academic Team the athlete must have completed two semesters at Fairfield, have at least a 3.20 overall Grade Point Average, and be a starter or significant reserve on the team.
Senior Matt McGoldrick (Butler, NJ) earned his third MAAC All-Academic Team selection, as an Information Systems major at Fairfield. A utility player, McGoldrick saw his action limited to 12 games this season due to a shoulder injury. Sophomore Jeff Castellano (Staten Island, NY), a Marketing major, played in 30 games for the Stags, with seven extra base hits. Junior Matt Ciardelli (Avon, Conn.), a Marketing major, started 44 games for the Stags at second base, hitting .290 with 26 RBI this season. Jim Conner (Shelton, Conn.), a sophomore, Management major, saw action in 16 games, mainly as a designated hitter, and drove in a pair of runs.
The Stags finished the year with a 17-28 overall record, missing out on a seventh straight season with at least 20 wins. Fairfield missed out on a MAAC Tournament berth by a game.
