NEW YORK - The largest group of Villanova all-conference players in more than 20 years was revealed on Wednesday morning, as five Wildcats were named All-BIG EAST selections in a vote of the league's head coaches. Junior starting pitcher Hunter Schryver (Mechanicsburg, Pa.), senior first baseman Max Beermann (Tampa, Fla.) and junior second baseman Todd Czinege (Overland Park, Kan.) all garnered first team honors, while senior third baseman Kevin Jewitt (West Chester, Pa.) and senior left fielder Adam Goss (Bellaire, Texas) were second team choices.

Czinege and Goss are each repeat All-BIG EAST picks from last season, while this is the third straight year overall that Czinege has earned all-conference recognition. He is only the third player in program history to be a three-time All-BIG EAST selection, joining former Villanova standouts Derek Shunk (2005, 2007, 2008) and Bob McCreary (1986, 1987, 1988) with that distinction. This is the third straight season in which the Wildcats have had multiple players be named to the All-BIG EAST teams, while Schryver is the first Villanova pitcher to be a first team all-conference selection since two-way player Dan Boublis earned the honor in 1998 as a two-way utility player (pitcher/designated hitter).

The only other years in which the Wildcats have had at least five All-BIG EAST honorees were 1993 (eight) and 1995 (five). This is also the first year since 1995 and the sixth time ever that Villanova has had at least three first team selections. Despite the historical perspective of this year's group of all-conference players, Villanova has also done well recently in having its top players be noticed by the other head coaches in the league. Head coach Joe Godri has now had 28 all-conference selections during his career as head coach, including seven first team picks. Czinege is the first player under Godri to be a two-time first team selection.

Schryver had one of the best seasons by a Wildcats pitcher in recent memory. He finished the year with a 2.64 ERA and a .239 opponent batting average in 88 2/3 innings, during which he had as many strikeouts as hits allowed (79). He went 6-4 overall in 15 appearances (14 starts), made 10 quality starts and sported a 1.23 WHIP. Schryver logged at least seven innings in seven of his 14 starts, including going at least six innings in all six of his starts versus BIG EAST opponents.

During a span of seven starts from March 11 through April 22, Schryver put together a dominant streak in which he won five consecutive decisions and was 5-0 with a 1.46 ERA and a 0.96 WHIP in 49.0 innings pitched. Within that stretch, he allowed just 34 hits and 13 walks while racking up 50 strikeouts. The streak culminated with an April 22 start at Seton Hall in which Schryver worked eight scoreless innings and gave up just one hit, a bunt single in the fourth inning.

Schryver saved his best outings for conference play, when he sported a 1.51 ERA, a 1.01 WHIP and a .166 opponent batting average in six starts spanning 41 2/3 innings. He did not allow a home run to 169 batters faced in BIG EAST action, gave up just 24 hits overall and ranked second in the league for conference-only games in both ERA and opponent average. He was also tied for second in league play in wins (3) and strikeouts (32).

Few players in Villanova history have been as durable or produced as consistently has Czinege, who has started all 152 games that the Wildcats have played in his collegiate career. He led the team in six offensive categories in 2016 and finished the year with a .307 batting average, a .395 on-base percentage and a .460 slugging percentage. All were team highs, and Czinege also led the squad with 62 hits, 36 runs batted in and 32 runs scored. He had 18 multi-hit games and 10 multi-RBI games on the year, including five contests with three hits or more.

Czinege put together a streak of 20 consecutive games in which he reached base safely during the 2016 campaign, and his overall numbers stood up against BIG EAST pitching. He batted a team-best .308 in league play and ranked third in the BIG EAST with a .442 on-base percentage in 18 games against conference opponents. Czinege is now a .314 career hitter with 192 hits, 33 doubles, 10 home runs and 103 RBI in 152 career games.

This year marks the first time that Beermann has earned All-BIG EAST honors, and the recognition comes after yet another year in which he was one of the league's top power hitters. He batted .262 with a .336 on-base percentage and a .437 slugging percentage in 2016, while leading Villanova with 13 doubles and seven home runs. He also ranked second on the team with 31 runs scored and 30 RBI, and finished the season with 54 hits. Beermann ranked fourth in the BIG EAST in home runs and tied for fourth in doubles, in addition to ranking ninth in slugging percentage.

Like his teammate on the right side of the infield, Beermann also fared well against BIG EAST pitching. He hit .308 in conference games and ranked third in the league with a .538 slugging percentage that was backed by four doubles, one triple and four home runs. Beermann reached base safely in a career-best 24 straight games from March 26-May 15, with that streak being the longest by a Wildcats hitter in five years.

Beermann is one of only six players in school history to appear in at least 200 games, and he finished his collegiate career ranked third in school history in games played (204), at-bats (736) and doubles (55) in addition to ranking sixth in total bases (331) and 10th in home runs (23). He is one of only four players in school history to have at least 50 career doubles and at least 20 career home runs.

This is the second straight all-conference selection for Goss, whose on-base skills made him a force at the top of the Villanova lineup. He had a .377 on-base percentage and a .397 slugging percentage in 2016 while batting .261 overall. Goss led the team with 33 walks and three triples for the season, ranked second on the squad with 12 doubles and 10 stolen bases, and was third with 30 runs scored and three home runs. His 33 walks were the sixth-most in the BIG EAST and his 12 doubles tied for seventh in the league.

Goss joined Czinege and Beermann as the only hitters on the team to bat over .300 in BIG EAST play. He hit .301 while posting a .420 on-base percentage and a .479 slugging percentage versus conference foes. Goss started all 51 games he played in during the season, including 37 starts in left field and 14 at shortstop. He finished second on the team to Czinege with 15 multi-hit contests. Goss wrapped up his Wildcats career with a .396 on-base percentage and is one of only nine players in school history with at least 100 career walks. He is tied for fifth in the Villanova record book with nine triples and is ninth with 101 walks.

Jewitt was one of three players on the team who started all 52 games this season. He batted .254 overall with a .326 on-base percentage and a .361 slugging percentage while leading the team with 11 stolen bases. Jewitt had 52 hits for the season, including 14 for extra bases. He had nine doubles and matched Goss for third on the team with three home runs. He had 27 runs scored, 22 RBI and drew 21 walks while striking out just 28 times in 230 plate appearances.

Jewitt hit safely in each of the final 11 games of the season, with that hitting streak ranking as the second-longest on the team during the season. He batted .277 with a .346 on-base percentage and just six strikeouts in 52 plate appearances during the streak. Jewitt finished his collegiate career with 198 games played and 710 at-bats, which each rank seventh in school history for a single season.

Villanova has had its players be named to All-BIG EAST teams a total of 66 times, including 33 first team honorees, 21 second team selections, eight third team picks and four All-Rookie team choices. The program has also won 12 major conference awards.

2016 BIG EAST Major Awards and All-Conference Teams

Player of the Year
Andre Jernigan, Xavier

Pitcher of the Year
Thomas Hackimer, St. John's

Freshman of the Year
Josh Shaw, St. John's

Coaching Staff of the Year
Scott Googins, Xavier

All-BIG EAST First Team
SP ââ'¬" Rollie Lacy, Creighton
SP ââ'¬" Simon Mathews, Georgetown
SP ââ'¬" Shane McCarthy, Seton Hall
SP ââ'¬" Hunter Schryver, Villanova
RP ââ'¬" Thomas Hackimer, St. John's
1B ââ'¬" Max Beermann, Villanova
2B ââ'¬" Todd Czinege, Villanova
3B ââ'¬" Rylan Bannon, Xavier
SS ââ'¬" Andre Jernigan, Xavier
C ââ'¬" Daniel Rizzie, Xavier
OF ââ'¬" Daniel Woodrow, Creighton
OF ââ'¬" Michael Donadio, St. John's
OF ââ'¬" Derek Jenkins, Seton Hall
DH ââ'¬" Nate Soria, Xavier

All-BIG EAST Second Team
SP ââ'¬" Jeff Albrecht, Creighton
SP ââ'¬" Matt Smith, Georgetown
SP ââ'¬" Cullen Dana, Seton Hall
SP ââ'¬" Zac Lowther, Xavier
RP ââ'¬" Garett Schilling, Xavier
1B ââ'¬" Joe Gellenbeck, Xavier
2B ââ'¬" Josh Shaw, St. John's
3B ââ'¬" Kevin Jewitt, Villanova
SS ââ'¬" Nicky Lopez, Creighton
C ââ'¬" Chris Marras, Butler
C ââ'¬" Troy Dixon, St. John's
OF ââ'¬" Michael DeRenzi, Georgetown
OF ââ'¬" Zach Weigel, Seton Hall
OF ââ'¬" Adam Goss, Villanova
DH ââ'¬" Jake Kuzbel, Georgetown