Matson, Gomez earn PSUAC Awards

NEW KENSINGTON, Pa. - Penn State New Kensington baseball senior Reise Matson (Kittaning, Pa./Armstrong) was named to the Penn State University Athletic Conference all-conference first team following a stellar season. Sophomore Mario Gomez (Hasbrouck Heights, N.J./Hasbrouck Heights) was selected as the John Fritz Sportsmanship Award winner.

Matson is the first New Kensington baseball player to garner a spot on the first team since the program was re-established in 2016-17. He earned his place after being among the top performers in the PSUAC this season. In addition to being 13th in batting average with a .378, he ranks 2nd in doubles with 10, 5th in RBIs with 26, 6th in hits with 34, 6th in walks with 17, 8th in on-base percentage with a .491, and 9th in total bases with 47. Matson helped the team to its strongest season, including its best finish in spring training. For his efforts in Myrtle Beach, S.C., Matson was named the PSUAC Player of the Week.

Gomez was honored with the Fritz Sportsmanship Award after serving his team as captain this season and setting a standard for the young team. The Fritz Award is given to student-athletes that set an example of sportsmanship and the Penn State Values. Gomez is a sophomore shortstop who is currently undecided in his major.

New Kensington, coached by Matt Sprinkle, finished the season with a 7-24 overall record, a six-game improvement from its previous campaign.