Baseball All-Conference Accolades Announced

CONTACT: Adam Sopris, a.sopris@hvcc.edu, 518-629-7898 or 518-416-2137
FOR RELEASE: Immediate, Tuesday, May 23, 2023

The Hudson Valley Community College baseball program had five student-athletes named to the Mountain Valley All-Conference Teams as announced by the Conference on Monday afternoon.

The Vikings had a conference-best four student-athletes named to the All-Conference First-Team and one named to the Second Team. Led by 2023 All-Region First Team performers Michael Talavera and Josh Foglia, the duo garnered first team honors at the conference level. Jacob Lapham, an All-Region Third Teamer, was named to the All-Conference First Team as one of the best pitchers in the conference. TJ Strevell was recognized for his great season as a first team outfielder after hitting .340 with 34 hits in 30 games played. Connor Waiting was recognized on the All-Conference Second Team for his contributions during his freshman season.

Talavera continued to hit the ball all over the field as he concludes his record-setting, two seasons at HVCC with over 100 career hits, which puts him among the best hitters to play at the valley. Talavera's 105 hits put him fifth on the Vikings career hits list. He collected 62 hits this season (one of six Vikings in program history to reach 60+ hits), which ranks third in the NJCAA Region 3 and he finished tied with a team-best .431 batting average. Talavera was a menace on the bases as he swiped a team-best 36 bases and set the Vikings career stolen base record with 60 total steals in two years.

Foglia also closes out a spectacular career for the Vikings. He finished the season tied for the team-lead with a .431 batting average and collected 56 hits, nine doubles, three triples and 40 RBIs. His .431 batting average and 56 hits both ranked sixth in the NJCAA Region 3. Foglia rarely struck out at the plate, a total of 20 times in 220 at-bats over 76 games played. He is a career .391 hitter with 86 career hits and scored 61 runs (43 in 2023) and drove in 63 career runs. 

Lapham is a pitching workhorse over the last two seasons and this season was no different as he led the team with 53.1 innings pitched, 82 strikeouts and posted a team-best 3.69 ERA over his 10 starts on the mound. Lapham had a big showing in the Vikings 4-3 win over Genesee in the NJCAA Region 3 Sub-Regional round last weekend when he tossed 7.2 innings and allowed one run on four hits with eight strikeouts. His performance over Genesee earned Lapham the Region 3 Baseball Player of the Week.

Strevell starred as the Vikings centerfielder and leadoff hitter for the majority of the season. Outside of his .340 batting average, Strevell was one of the more feared hitters in the Vikings potent lineup. He was one of four Vikings to steal more than 20 bases on the season, finishing the year with 23 stolen bases. He scored 35 runs and added seven doubles, five triples and one home run. Strevell was also nominated for the All-Region glove team as he recorded 40 putouts with a .976 fielding percentage.

Waiting was a staple in the middle of the Vikings lineup this season and he went on a tear with a team-best five home runs. Waiting also hit .313 on the year with 35 hits in 112 at-bats and scored 34 runs with nine doubles and 28 RBIs. Waiting proved to add a much-needed defensive versatility as he saw time at first base and third base. His stellar defense helped him record 50 putouts and 10 assists over his 41 games played.

For the second consecutive season, head coach Josh Parrow was recognized by his peers as the Mountain Valley Conference Coach of the Year. Parrow and his coaching staff guided the Vikings to an 11-game improvement from last year and qualified for the NJCAA Region 3 Championships for the first time since 2018.