Eight Canes Named to All-ACC Academic Baseball Team
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – Eight members of the University of Miami baseball program were selected to the 2019 All-ACC Academic Team, as announced by the conference office Tuesday.
Three-time honoree Evan McKendry headlines a large group of Hurricanes recognized for the athletic and academic achievements. Sophomores Daniel Federman, Chris McMahon and Alex Toral and freshmen Slade Cecconi, Adrian Del Castillo, JP Gates and Anthony Vilar join McKendry to tie Miami with Virginia for the second-most selections on the 2019 All-ACC Academic Team. Duke and Louisville tied for the most selections with nine honorees each.
Minimum academic requirements for selection to the All-ACC Academic Team are a 3.0 grade point average for the previous semester and a 3.0 cumulative average during one’s academic career for undergraduate students.
Athletic achievements during the most recent season are also considered in selecting the All-ACC Academic Team.
Cecconi struck out 89 batters with 18 walks over 80 innings and posted a 5-4 record and 4.16 ERA in his debut season with the Hurricanes. A native of Oviedo, Fla., Cecconi started for Miami in the Starkville Regional final and threw three perfect innings to open his first NCAA postseason start, racking up five strikeouts in the process. Cecconi finished the game allowing three runs on six hits and striking out six over seven innings. A health science major, Cecconi made President’s Honor Roll (4.0) and Provost’s Honor Roll (3.75) once and was named to the Dean’s List (3.5), Athletic Director’s Honor Roll (3.2) and Book Buster Club (3.0) in both semesters of his freshman year.
Del Castillo was an offensive juggernaut in his debut season with the Canes, finishing the season batting .331 with 78 hits, 22 doubles and 72 RBI, all team-bests. The Miami native also scored 58 runs and clubbed 12 homers, while striking out just 24 times in 236 at-bats. A Freshman All-America selection by four publications, Del Castillo has earned a host of awards after his collegiate debut season, including Second Team All-ACC, ACC All-Freshman Team, ABCA All-Region and all-regional at the 2019 Starkville Regional. A finance major, Del Castillo earned Athletic Director’s Honor Roll once and is a two-time Book Buster recipient.
Federman served as a key arm in the back of Miami’s bullpen in 2019. The sophomore had seven saves and compiled a 3-5 record and a 3.51 ERA over a team-leading 35 appearances. Federman struck out 60 batters and walked just 19 over 48.2 innings pitched. A Pembroke Pines, Fla., native, Federman is a four-time Book Buster Club honoree while majoring in finance.
Gates emerged as a powerful hitter after beginning the season focused on pitching, hitting .340 with nine doubles, two triples, four homers and 31 RBI in 147 at-bats. The freshman posted 14 multi-hit games and seven multi-RBI performances and ranked fifth on the team with a .510 slugging percentage, while his 14-game hitting streak was second-longest on team. An all-regional selection at the 2019 Starkville Regional, Gates earned Book Buster Club distinction once in his first year majoring in sport administration.
McKendry, who was selected in the ninth round on the MLB Draft by the Tampa Bay Rays, was a team captain in 2019 and Miami’s Friday night starter to open the season. The junior right-handed pitcher went 7-2 over 13 starts in his third season with the Hurricanes, striking out 72 batters over 67.1 innings pitched. He earned ACC Pitcher of the Week honors after an outstanding showing against Florida State, holding the Seminoles to just three hits and striking out nine over seven shutout innings. A three-time All-ACC Academic honoree, the Pembroke Pines, Fla., native made the Dean’s List once, was a four-time Athletic Director’s Honor Roll recipient and a five-time Book Buster while majoring in entrepreneurship at Miami.
McMahon had an impressive second season with the Hurricanes. The sophomore right-hander went 3-2 with a 3.72 ERA over 12 starts in 2019. Primarily serving as the Canes’ Saturday starter, the West Chester, Pa., native struck out 67 batters and walked just 23 over 60.1 innings pitched. His best start of the season came against rival Florida State on April 6, allowing just three hits over seven shutout innings while striking out nine in a victory over the Seminoles. A management major, McMahon has been named a Book Buster three times in two years at Miami.
Toral flexed his muscle at the plate all season for the Canes hitting an ACC-leading 24 home runs that ranked third in Division I and helped propel Miami to a conference-high 85 homers on the season. In addition to his 24 homers, the sophomore first baseman hit .293 with six doubles, 47 runs scored and 67 RBI. Toral’s 19 multi-RBI games led the Canes, while the Davie, Fla., native also posted 15 multi-hit performances. A management major, Toral is a two-time Book Buster Club honoree.
Vilar started all 61 games in his debut season with the Hurricanes, batting .291 with 12 doubles, a triple, five homers, 49 runs scored and 39 runs batted in. The freshman was tied with Del Castillo for the team lead with 22 multi-hit games, while his 11 multi-RBI performances ranked third on the team and Vilar’s 12 doubles ranked third on the 2019 Canes. A Miami native, Vilar earned Athletic Director’s Honor Roll once and Book Buster Club twice in his first year as a management major.
