2010 ALL-NJAC RELEASE
ROB GONZALEZ PHOTO GALLERY
PITMAN, NJ (www.NJCUGothicKnights.com)...New Jersey City University sophomore ROB GONZALEZ (Brick, NJ/Brick Memorial), the first player in program history to achieve two 60-hit seasons, has been honored for his catalyst abilities at the top of the Gothic Knights lineup, as he was voted Second Team All-New Jersey Athletic Conference by the league's head coaches.
Gonzalez played and started all 37 games for NJCU (13-24) as the team's leadoff hitter, batting .387 with 60 hits in 155 at bats while stealing 21 bases in 27 attempts. The 5-foot-11 left-handed batting Gonzalez scored 39 runs and added 19 RBIs with four doubles and two triples for 68 total bases. He walked 11 times and was hit by one pitch for a .431 on-base percentage with a .439 slugging rate and six sacrifice hits. He posted a .932 fielding percentage with just nine errors in 133 chances, and struck out only 10 times all year. He led NJCU in hits, steals and at bats and ranked second in runs scored and batting average.
In addition to being the only player in school history with two 60-hit seasons—and owner of two of the three 60-hit campaigns ever recorded at NJCU—his accomplished the feat in consecutive seasons. On April 10 in a loss at The College of New Jersey, he notched his 100th hit in only his 64th career game, becoming the fourth fastest player in school history to reach the milestone. Meanwhile, his 122 career hits are the most by a player after two years in the program's annals.
Gonzalez tied for the team lead with 21 multiple-hit games and strung together an 11-game hitting streak during the season. A versatile player for NJCU, he started 25 games at second base and 11 in left field (one as designated hitter). He had a .918 fielding percentage at second and was perfect in 23 chances defensively in the outfield.
First-year head coach JONATHAN THOMAS was pleased with the performance of his All-NJAC second baseman. “The back-to-back 60-hit seasons are impressive and setting a record like that is extraordinary. Rob set the table at the top of our lineup all year and that's one of the reasons why we were among the leaders in a lot of offensive categories this season.”
In the NJAC individual standings at the end of the regular season (May 1), Gonzalez was among the league leaders in several major offensive categories. He led the league in steal attempts and was tied for the NJAC lead in steals. He ranked third in total hits, tied for third in sacrifice bunts, fifth in hits per game (1.62), tied for fifth in at bats, tied for sixth in runs, tied for ninth in average versus lefties (.444), 11th in total plate appearances and runners advanced (15), 12th in batting average and average with runners in scoring position (.436), 16th in average versus righties (.375), 23rd in percentage advancing runners, and 24th in total bases.
Over the exhausting 18-game NJAC schedule, Gonzalez was second in at bats (78), tied for second in steal attempts (10) and average versus lefties (.636), fourth in hits (30), tied for sixth in steals (6), 15th in batting average (.385), tied for 15th in average with runners in scoring position (.429), 21st in on-base percentage (.435) and percentage advancing runners (.576), and 24th in average with the bases empty (.408).
“Rob's versatility was a key,” Thomas added. “Even though he's an infielder by trade, his ability to play both infield and outfield helped us immensely, because that versatility gave us options with adding other players to the lineup without losing his bat or his spark. He played exceptionally at second base and well in the outfield.”
In two full seasons (77 games, 77 starts), Gonzalez is batting .370 with 122 hits in 330 at bats with 84 runs, 38 RBIs, nine doubles and two triples. He has 41 steals in 49 attempts and 27 walks for a career on-base percentage of .419. Gonzalez will enter his junior campaign ranking 12th in school history in steals, and 14th in runs and total hits while listing just 29th in at bats, demonstrating why he is one of the most productive players the program has ever seen.
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