The National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association released their all-region selections for the 2024 season with the Lakers being well represented with four honorees. Chris Juchno and Jacob Bazala found their way onto the Second Team while John Susnik and Mitchell Grosch were both named as Honorable Mentions.
Juchno was named to his second All-PSAC team this year with it being his first nod as a member of the First Team. The Laker outfielder was one of the more improved players on the diamond in the conference this year with him hitting for a .331/.438/.632 triple slash line for an OPS of 1.070, the second-best on the team. He led the way in home runs (9) and extra base hits (21) with many of those coming in the final few weeks of the season. Since April 9th, Juchno has recorded 14 extra base hits, hitting five home runs and nine doubles in that time. Four of those two baggers came in game three of the team's series against Pitt-Johnstown on April 21st while three of his home runs came in the series final against Cal (Pa.) on the 27th, making him a hitter who can get hot at any moment.Â
The lone Laker pitcher to make their way onto an all-region team was Bazala who made a major contribution at both the start and end of games. He ended up seeing time on the mound in 15 games with three starts for 35.2 innings of work. The junior righty tallied 51 strikeouts in 35 plus innings for a K/9 rate of 12.9, which is the best on the team. Bazala struck out at least one batter in 13 of his appearances with multiple batters fanned in 12 games with a season-high of eight on the 23rd of February against Glenville State in 3.2 innings of work. Â
Susnik had one of the better seasons for a backstop in recent years for the Lakers and was rewarded for it with him now being named to an all-conference and now an all-region team. The senior backstop finished the regular season with a career-best batting average of .302 with a .386 OBP and a .573 SLG thanks to his six home runs, tying for the second-most on the team. His half a dozen dingers helped him eclipse the 20-home run mark for his career, now standing at 21. For his career, the native of Willoughby, Oh. batted .256 with 76 hits to his line. 58 of those came in the last two years as he hit .297 with 15 home runs.Â
Grosch found his way onto the second team as the DH, giving him his first all-conference selection. The senior proved to be one of the top hitters in the PSAC this year with his .403 batting average, which is good for third in the conference. His 1.107 OPS was also seventh, and his .607 SLG eighth in the conference. He recorded the most hits of any Laker this year with 52, having multiple hits in 15 games, doing so in five straight games at one point as he went 11-19 with three home runs and two doubles. His most hits on the year proved to be a career-high five against D'Youville back in late February, going 5-5 with all singles.Â