Arcadia University Baseball Head Coach Ken Spangenberg ’08 was named MAC Commonwealth Coach of the Year by the MAC Commonwealth Coaches on May 2. David Jacobs (Havre de Grace, Md.) and Justin Simpson (Centreville, Va.) were named to the first team, Elliott Freeman (Bangor, Pa.) was named to the second team, while Michael Nessel (Stuart, Fla.) and Jerry Smith (Philadelphia, Pa.) were named Honorable Mention.

“I’m proud of our team and all these player deserve the honors,” said Spangenberg. “To be recognized by your peers is a great honor, but none of it would be possible with the players and the rest of the coaching staff.”

Spangenberg, who led Arcadia to the postseason as a player, has now done so as a coach, leading the Knights to their first playoff berth since his playing days in 2008. The Knights have shown a marked improvement since he took over the squad in 2012, improving Arcadia’s win total by 15 in his first season and by three this season.

Jacobs is the leading the team with a .374 average and 22 runs scored, three doubles and 12 RBI. He also has a .971 fielding percentage.

Simpson is third on the team with a .333 average, leads the team with 44 hits, has 24 runs scored and 16 RBI. He also has a .965 fielding percentage with four outfield assists.

Elliott Freeman is hitting .302 with 21 runs scored, 10 doubles, two triples and six homers. He leads the team in RBI with 33. Nessel is hitting .283, has 19 runs scored, seven doubles and 15 RBI. Smith is hitting .309 with 27 runs scored, six doubles, three triples and 15 RBI. He also thrown out 34 percent of the runners that have tried to steal.

For more information on the Knights playoff run, visit athletics.arcadia.edu.

Photo by Josh Blustein