St. Thomas Aquinas is coming off a 39-win season in which they captured the 2018 East Coast Conference Championship in a 3-2 thrilling victory over Molloy. They reached the NCAA East Regional Championship–even winning their first two games–before ultimately having their season ended by Southern New Hampshire by the score of 6-0.
It is no surprise that four of their players that were key cogs in that success are now playing professional baseball.
Giovanni Dingcong (Daly City, CA) and Joey Pena (Brooklyn, NY) were both drafted by the Oakland Athletics, while RHPs Frankie Moscatielll (Rocky Point, NY) and Chris Pennell (Mamaroneck, NY) were both signed by the Rockland Boulders, who they share their stadium with.
All four of these player participated in our Axcess Invitational back in May.
Dingcong hit a massive HR in that game to right-center field, as he has done routinely since entering college back in 2015. He had another monster season–.356 AVG, .459 OBP, .702 SLG, 15 HR, 55 RBI with 21 SB and 48 RBI.
Pena had two hits in that game, as he usually did over the previous four years. He owns the STAC program records for hits in a career. This season he batted .366 with 37 RBI and 50 runs scored. He also smacked 26 extra-base hits, stole 37 bases, drawing 45 walks while striking out only 14 times for an OBP of .498.
Moscatiello fired two scoreless innings in the game, overpowering Division-I hitters who were left wondering how he could possibly have slipped through the cracks to a Division-II program in upstate NY? He basically re-named the ECC Pitcher of the Week Award after him, winning several times through out the season. He compiled a record of 9-3 with an ERA of 2.69 with one save over 80 IP with 78 K. He formed a dynamic duo with Ward Melville grad Chris Cepeda, who will return for his redshirt-senior season next year.
Undoubtedly the most unheralded player of that group was Pennell. The 6’0″ RHP was rock-solid all season, culminating in a 13-K complete game shutout against New Haven in the Regionals to send the Spartans into the championship against SNHU. Pennell was lights-out in the Axcess Invitational, hitting 90 MPH and showing his pinpoint command. For the season, he compiled a 7-1 record with an outstanding 1.73 ERA over 41.2 IP with 48 K, even adding 3 saves and allowing only 26 hits.
It was certainly a special season for the Spartans, who nearly made it back to the Div-II College World Series in Cary, NC once again. Nevertheless, 39 wins and four players sent into pro ball is certainly nothing to scoff at. They will once again be locked and loaded for the 2019 season.
Additionally, here is the updated list of participants from the 2018 Axcess Invitational that went on to professional baseball.
Drafted:
Bobby Honeyman, Stony Brook (Round 29, Seattle Mariners)
Aaron Pinto, Stony Brook (Round 24, Cleveland Indians)
Giovanni Dingcong, St. Thomas Aquinas (Round 30, Oakland Athletics)
Joey Pena, St. Thomas Aquinas (Round 33, Oakland Athletics)
Pro Contract:
Chris Weiss, Hofstra
Frankie Moscatiello, St. Thomas Aquinas
Chris Pennell, St. Thomas Aquinas
Nick Garland, Central Connecticut
