CONTACT: Athletic Department (518) 629-7328
FOR RELEASE: Immediate, Tuesday, May 13, 2008
TROY, NY - Hudson Valley Community College shortstop Rich Guillod (Closter, NJ/Northern Valley) was named the NJCAA Region III Player of the Year in baseball, it was announced today by the league office. Guillod was also named to the first-team all-region team along with right fielder Max Keado (Troy, NY/Catholic Central), while third baseman Scott Robinson (Schenectady, NY/Mohonasen), center fielder Mike Guillod (Closter, NJ/Northern Valley) and pitcher Justin Shannon (East Greenbush, NY/Columbia) earned second-team all-region honors.
In 38 games this season, Guillod batted .457 with nine home runs and 57 RBI. He led the team in batting average, hits (59), triples (7), home runs, RBI and slugging percentage (.853).
Guillod went 2-for-5 with 4 RBI in Sunday's win over Niagara County Community College to help the Vikings capture the regional crown. In the four games in the tournament, he batted .388, with two doubles, one triple, two home runs and 11 runs batted in while earning tournament MVP honors.
In 38 games this season, Keado batted .418 with 56 hits, including six doubles, three triples, one home run and 31 RBI. The team's leadoff hitter, he led the team with 28 stolen bases. Keado finished second on the team in hits, batting average and was tied for fourth in RBI.
A first-team all-region selection last season, Robinson appeared in 35 games this year at third base, batting .370, with five home runs and 34 RBI. He ranked second on the team in home runs, slugging percentage (.652) and was tied for second in RBI.
The Vikings' starting center fielder this season, Guillod appeared in 38 games, hitting .383 with 49 hits, including nine doubles, four triples, two home runs and 31 RBI. The younger brother of Rich Guillod, Mike ranked second on the team in stolen bases (22), third in batting average and was tied for fourth in runs batted in.
In 11 games this season, Shannon posted a record of 6-1, with four complete games, two saves and an earned run average of 2.53. He started nine games, allowing 15 runs, 41 hits and struck out 68 hitters in 53 1/3 innings.
Hudson Valley (31-8) will play Ridgewater College (33-4-1) in the first round of the NJCAA Division III JUCO World Series on Saturday (May 17) at 7 p.m. at Mike Carter Field in Tyler, Texas. The Vikings advanced to the World Series for the first time since 2001 when they defeated Niagara County Community College 12-2 in the championship game of the Region III Baseball Tournament last Sunday in Batavia, NY.
The 2008 NJCAA Region III Baseball team is listed below.
Founded in 1953, Hudson Valley Community College offers more than 70 associate's degree and certificate programs in four schools: Business; Engineering and Industrial Technologies; Health Sciences; and Liberal Arts and Sciences; and workforce and academic preparation programs offered through the Educational Opportunity Center. One of 30 community colleges in the State University of New York system, it has an enrollment of more than 12,000 students, and it is known as a leader in distance learning initiatives and worker retraining. Hudson Valley has more than 60,000 alumni.
2008 NJCAA Region III Baseball Team
First Team
Rich Guillod, Hudson Valley Community College
Ty Folli, Herkimer County Community College
Jim Banks, Erie Community College
Damon Arnold, Finger Lakes Community College
Dan Telehany, Corning Community College
Chris Norman, Erie Community College
Max Keado, Hudson Valley Community College
Brian Wolf, Erie Community College
Chris Page, Genesee Community College
Aaron Hallett, Finger Lakes Community College
Zack Eason, Finger Lakes Community College
Second Team
Scott Robinson, Hudson Valley Community College
Frank Jagoda, Jamestown Community College
Ryan Langdon, Erie Community College
Mark Diller, Broome Community College
Keith Hendricks, Herkimer County Community College
Kahya Khatari, Fulton-Montgomery Community College
Mike Guillod, Hudson Valley Community College
Luis Castillo, Jefferson Community College
Justin Shannon, Hudson Valley Community College
Garrett Duross, Mohawk Valley Community College
Osiris Mender, Fulton-Montgomery Community College
PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Rich Guillod, Hudson Valley Community College
CO-COACHES OF THE YEAR: Anthony Barone (Jamestown CC) and Matt Clingersmith (Niagara CC)