The College of Wooster's Sean Karpen (Venetia, Pa. / Peters Twp.) and Mark Miller (Convoy, Ohio / Crestview) landed the top baseball honors from the North Coast Athletic Conference on Wednesday, as Karpen repeated as the Player of the Year and Miller was named the Pitcher of the Year, announced the conference office.

In all, nine Fighting Scots were selected to the All-NCAC Team, including Matt Groezinger (Columbus, Ohio / Upper Arlington), Justin McDowell (Willard, Ohio / Willard), and John Warren (New Castle, Pa. / Union Area) who joined Karpen and Miller with first-team honors.

Voted second-team all-NCAC were Stu Beath (St. Louis, Mo. / Avon Old Farms – Conn.) and Anthony Trapuzzano (Pittsburgh, Pa. / Canevin Catholic), while Matt DeGrand (Stow, Ohio / St. Vincent-St. Mary) and Zack Vesco (Pickerington, Ohio / St. Charles Prep) received honorable mention.

Karpen becomes just the second from Wooster to earn NCAC Player-of-the-Year accolades more than once, with the legendary Rick Sforzo being the other (1985, 1986, 1987). This spring, Karpen batted leadoff, notching a hit in 42 of the Scots' 43 games, including hitting streaks of 28 and a current one of 14, while accumulating a .433 average. The senior centerfielder ranks second in the NCAC in batting average, and he leads the league in total hits (77) and runs scored (62). Karpen also is second in stolen bases (20), tied for second in home runs (7), tied for third in slugging percentage (.629), sixth in RBI (39), and sixth in on-base percentage (.493).

As the NCAC Pitcher of the Year, Miller keeps the award in Wooster for a fifth consecutive season after Adam Samson (2007, 2008) and Jon Oliver (2005, 2006) each won it in back-to-back years. Now a three-time all-conference honoree after being first-team as a junior and second-team as a sophomore when he was the Scots' closer, the senior right-hander was utilized in a variety of capacities in 2009. Miller has won five of six starts, two of which were complete-game shutouts, including a no-hitter against Oberlin College March 29, and earned a save in 4-of-5 opportunities. Overall, he is 8-1 with the four saves, a 3.06 ERA, and 57 strikeouts in 61.2 innings. Miller rates second in the NCAC in ERA, wins, innings pitched, and opponent batting average (.252), and third in strikeouts, tied for third in appearances (19), and fifth in saves.

Groezinger, Wooster's switch-hitting clean-up hitter, has put up some big offensive numbers en route to a second-straight first-team all-NCAC nod. The junior owns a .412 batting average, to go with 17 doubles, 10 home runs, and 64 RBI, leading the league in the latter two categories, as well as in slugging percentage (.745). Seven of those homers came from April 19-May 2, as he tied an NCAA Div. III record by homering in seven consecutive games. Groezinger, who has started 14 games at first base, 24 at designated hitter, and five in right field, also ranks fifth in the conference in average, second in runs (50), tied for fourth in hits (63), tied for second in doubles, tied for fifth in walks (23), and second in on-base percentage (.505).

McDowell had a breakout season as the sophomore right-hander picks up his initial all-NCAC certificate. He developed into the staff ace late in the year, most recently earning MVP honors during the NCAC tourney by collecting the victory in three of the Scots' four wins. McDowell now leads the league in five of the major pitching categories – ERA (2.42), victories (10), innings pitched (78.0), strikeouts (67), and opponent batting average (.236) – to go with a tie for third in appearances (19).

Warren's senior season has been his best, as the first-timer on the All-NCAC Team is batting .313 with career highs in runs scored (41), hits (42), doubles (11), home runs (4), and RBI (28). Those 41 runs put him tied for sixth in the NCAC in that category and he's also seventh in walks with 22, part of a .426 on-base percentage. Defensively, Warren has been solid in the infield, starting 20 games at third base and settling in at second base (19 starts) of late.

Beath, a junior who hits out of the No. 3 hole, is another newcomer to the all-conference team. Wooster's left fielder has been swinging a hot bat of late, going 19-for-40 (.475) with 16 runs, five doubles, three home runs, and 15 RBI since April 16, which raises his season average to .389. That ranks 10th in the NCAC, and he's tied for third in runs scored (46), sixth in hits (61), tied for second in doubles (17), tied for third in RBI (45), and fifth in slugging percentage (.599).

Trapuzzano becomes the seventh player in program history to earn a fourth all-NCAC recognition after being second-team as a freshman, first-team as a sophomore, and second-team as a junior. This year, he has pitched through a torn labrum in his throwing shoulder, still managing to go 5-0 with a 4.64 ERA and 51 strikeouts over 52.1 innings. The senior right-hander's ERA has him No. 10 in the conference stats, while he's sixth in strikeouts and eighth in opponent batting average (.283). Despite only pitching beyond the fifth inning twice, it has been a good omen for the Scots to have Trapuzzano on the mound as they're 12-0 in the games he has started.

DeGrand now has an all-NCAC honor on the diamond to complement his two on the gridiron, which includes a first-team all-conference selection as an outside linebacker earlier this academic year. During the spring, he has served as the fourth key member of Wooster's pitching staff, compiling a 6-2 record, 4.95 ERA, and 58 strikeouts through 60.0 innings. DeGrand is tied for fourth in the NCAC in wins, tied for sixth in innings pitched, and second in strikeouts, highlighted by a 13-strikeout performance versus Allegheny College on March 21.

Vesco has come on strong late in his freshman season while starting games at four different positions – third base (7), designated hitter (6), first base (4), and right field (2). After seeing limited action through the month of March, he has proven himself time and time again in April and May. Overall, Vesco is batting .418 (28-for-67) with 16 runs, four doubles, a homer, and 16 RBI, while walking 10 times as part of a .506 on-base percentage.

This season saw the Scots overcome a number of key injuries to win the NCAC championship for a 12th time, first since 2006. They are now 35-8 overall as they head into NCAA Div. III Tournament action. Wooster is the No. 2 seed in the Mideast Regional, taking place on the campus of Adrian College in Adrian, Mich., from May 13-16.