Mont Alto Baseball Places Four on USCAA Baseball All-American Teams

By: Frank Maira, Assistant Director of Athletics/Sports Information Director

DuBois, Pa. – Four Penn State Mont Alto baseball players earned All-American awards from the United States Collegiate Athletic Association as announced Sunday night. Jared Pine (Mercersburg, Pa. / James Buchanan), Zach Garlin (Newville, Pa. / Big Spring) and Chance McClure (Chambersburg, Pa. / Chambersburg Area) earned First Team accolades, while Hayden Kissel (Chambersburg, Pa. / Chambersburg Area) was honored on the Second Team.

Garlin, who was named Penn State University Athletic Conference Newcomer of the Year and Pitcher of the Year earlier in May, led the Mont Alto pitching staff with a perfect 7-0 record. The freshman lefty had a 3.67 ERA while totaling 61.1 innings along the way to 72 strikeouts which is second best in the USCAA. He had 10 punchouts in his lone start in the USCAA Small College World Series in the 4-1 win over Wright State-Lake Campus.

Jared Pine (Mercersburg, Pa. / James Buchanan) was a menace atop the Mont Alto lineup with team-bests in batting average (.442), runs scored (41), triples (4) and stolen bases (24). The junior shortstop had 11 extra base hits including legging out an inside the park homer against Penn State Beaver. He's a slick fielder helping turn seven double plays while managing a .953 fielding percentage.

Also honored on the USCAA All-American First Team was Chance McClure (Chambersburg, Pa. / Chambersburg Area) who earned the laurels for the first time in his career at Penn State Mont Alto. McClure was one of three Nittany Lions to start all 32 games as the junior slashed .429 in 112 at-bats. He drove in 22 RBIs while scoring 31 runs. He had a team-best 13 doubles and was a sparkplug in the postseason with 11 hits, which included five in the USCAA Small College World Series.

Kissel who was named PSUAC West Player of the Year has been an immediate contributor to Mont Alto after transferring from Ashland University. The junior infielder finished the 2021 season hitting .383 in 94 at-bats. He totaled 11 doubles, one triple and smacked three homers while driving in 32 RBIs. The Chambersburg, Pa., native threw 11.0 innings with a 2.45 ERA as a relief pitcher for PSUMA.

The USCAA also announced the members of the 2021 USCAA Baseball All-Academic Team. Representing Mont Alto on the All-Academic Team included Matt Gelhard (Mount Airy, Md. / Linganore), Jacob Heflin (Gettysburg, Pa. / Gettysburg Area), Hayden Kissel (Chambersburg, Pa. / Chambersburg Area) and Kaden Robinson (New Bloomfield, Pa. / West Perry).

All student-athletes must have 24 or more credits on their USCAA transcripts and their cumulative grade point average must be a 3.50 or greater to be eligible for the recognition. A full list of the 2021 USCAA Baseball National All-Academic Award winners can be found here.

Mont Alto captured the PSUAC West regular season crown, were runner's up in the PSUAC Tournament and just finished competing in the USCAA Tournament as they wrapped up the 2021 season with a 25-7 record.