ITHACA, N.Y. -- Ithaca College baseball pitcher John Prendergast was named Empire 8 Pitcher of the Year head coach George Valesente earned Empire 8 Coach of the Year honors, and a total of 11 players earned all-conference recognition Friday with the announcement of the 2014 Empire 8 All-Conference Baseball Teams and award recipients.
 
Prendergast, a junior, earned his third career all-conference selection. He was a second-team pick as a freshman and the conference's Rookie of the Year, honorable mention last year, and now adds first-team honors and Pitcher of the Year awards to his impressive resume. Prendergast is 9-0 on the season with a 1.78 earned-run average. He has thrown three complete games and has allowed just five walks this season against 56 strikeouts. He ranks fifth in the NCAA in strikeout-walk ratio and with 27 career wins stands just four wins away from tying the Ithaca record in career pitching victories.
 
Valesente earned his 10th career Empire 8 Coach of the Year award. Ithaca completed Empire 8 play with a 10-2 record against conference opponents and stands at 26-9 overall. The Bombers are ranked in both national polls and stand second in the New York Region by the NCAA Regional Rankings Committee.
 
Below is a complete list of honorees. Further details will be available later this evening.
 
FIRST-TEAM HONORS
 
John Prendergast - P
Jimmy Wagner - RP
Tim Henry - 2B
John Stanley - OF
Luke Stark - OF
 
SECOND-TEAM HONORS
 
Cooper Belyea - C
Colby Gee - 1B
Stephen Yanchus - SS
Zach Cole - UTIL
 
HONORABLE MENTION
 
Matt Connolly - 3B
Benji Parkes - P

EMPIRE 8 SPORTSMAN OF THE YEAR TEAM

Luke Stark - OF