Eric Nothstein and Nick Ciszak named to USCAA All-American squad

DuBois, Pa. - On Sunday, May 16, sophomore Eric Nothstein (Palmerton, Pa.) and freshman Nick Ciszak (Kunkletown, Pa.) received All-American honors from the United States Collegiate Athletic Association. Nothstein as Hazleton's top arm and Ciszak as the top bat in the lineup were both named honorable mention All-Americans amongst a highly competitive field of ball players. The duo helped propel Hazleton to the post season for the first time in five seasons with 7-7 record during the PSUAC regular season. 

Eric Nothstein - Pitcher/1B/OF (Palmerton, Pa.)

In his first season at Hazleton, Nothstein immediately stood out as one of the top arms in the conference. The sophomore transfer student was called upon for four starts along with three relief appearances in the Covid-shortened season resulting in 26.2 innings of work from the mound. Nothstein went on to earn a record of 3-2 for the year and finish fifth in the PSUAC in strikeouts despite the lack of a lengthy playoff run. His 35 strikeouts from the hill ranked him second in the PSUAC with 11.81 strikeouts per nine innings pitched and he allowed just 16 hits to opposing hitters, the fewest of any pitcher in the PSUAC who threw more than 20 innings of work. 

Nick Ciszak - 3B (Kunkletown, Pa.) 

Newcomer Nick Ciszak's combination of speed and power proved to be a valuable weapon for the Hazleton offense in 2021. Ciszak played in all 17 of Hazleton's contests this season and the freshman led the Lions with a .418 batting average, adding five extra-base hits that including two doubles, two home runs and a triple. The freshman tied for the top spot on the roster with 10 runs batted in and ranked second on the team with eight stolen bases. From April 9 to April 23, Ciszak ripped through PSUAC pitching, notching an eight game hit streak including three, multi-hit games and went on to hit safely in 11 of the team's final 12 games of the season.