Sam Mann honored at W & amp;J

WASHINGTON, Pa. -- Sam Mann, a junior pitcher and first baseman for the Washington & amp; Jefferson College baseball team from Howland High, was presented with the Paul L. Reardon Award at the W & amp;J Honors Convocation on April 17.
The prestigious Award is named in honor of the former W & amp;J athletic director, and is presented annually to a junior student-athlete who has achieved success in academics, athletics and leadership.
For almost three years, Mann, the son of Debbie and Sam Mann, has been a standout on the field and in the classroom for the Presidents.
As of Sunday, Mann ranked No. 1 in the Presidents' Athletic Conference in earned run average with 1.96, ahead of Justin Schrader of Waynesburg (2.27).
Mann also has a near-perfect 3.9 grade-point average as a major in political science with a minor in history, and is planning to attend law school after graduation in 2007. He has one of the top two GPA averages in the political science department.
Mann, who was valedictorian of his Howland High graduation class, also is a member of the pre-law society, served as a residence hall assistant for the housing department last year, and has been a leader on the baseball team.
"We have only two seniors. Our junior class is pretty much our leadership group," said Mann (6-3, 210), who has helped W & amp;J to a 22-6 record, including a first-place 9-3 mark in the PAC. ) under fourth-year coach Jeff Mountain.
W & amp;J's highest ranking ever
The team also is ranked No. 29 in the latest American Baseball Coaches Association/Rawlings Division III Baseball Top 30 Poll -- the first time in school history that the Presidents cracked the top 30.
Mann also excels on defense with a .994 fielding percentage with just one error in 154 chances, 140 putouts and 13 assists.
"I play first base when I don't pitch," said Mann, who credits his low ERA to making batters hit the ball.
"I think the biggest thing is I throw strikes and go after them. This way, there will be fewer free baserunners with walks, and they will have to hit me to get on base. I can make them earn it."
He has a 2-3 record in 10 appearances, including six starts, with 36 strikeouts and only three walks.
"I'm trying to hit the corners and make them swing at the ball. Our defense is real good, so just use the defense," said Mann, who is batting .278 (22-for-79) with 16 runs, 14 RBIs, three doubles and one homer.
Won PAC weekly honors
Mann recently was named PAC Pitcher of the Week on April 17 by posting one win and one save for the week before.
On April 14, he limited Thiel to two runs on eight hits while striking out five in a 10-2 victory on Friday.
And on April 11, he worked the final inning and fanned two batters in a 2-1 win over Frostburg State.
Last Friday, Mann earned his second win as W & amp;J clinched its third-straight 20-win season by holding off Grove City, 4-3, in a PAC game.
In that contest, he pitched six innings and limited the Wolverines to four hits while striking out four, and he also had two hits and one RBI. His run-scoring single in the eighth provided margin of victory.
With the win, W & amp;J become just the fifth team in school history to reach 20 wins, joining the 1905, 1992, 2004 and 2005 squads.
Led PAC previous seasons
Mann led the PAC the last two years in ERA with 1.45 as a freshman and 2.10 as a sophomore. He was ranked No. 11 in the nation as a freshman.
He helped the Presidents to a 32-15 record in 2005 and a 21-16 mark in 2004.
Also on the W & amp;J team is Greg Barton, a sophomore rightfielder from Girard High; and Justin Lemmo, a freshman infielder from Boardman High.
Barton has played in 18 games with 11 starts and is batting .211 on 8-for-38 with six RBIs.
Barton played a key role in W & amp;J's win over Grove City last Friday when he doubled home a run for a 2-0 lead in the seventh inning, and then stole home on a double steal attempt for a 3-0 advantage.
John Kovach is a sportswriter for The Vindicator. Write him at kovach@vindy.com.