YORK, Pa. - The traditional Capital Athletic Conference baseball powerhouse programs from the University of Mary Washington, Salisbury University and York College of Pa., which have combined to win 23 of the 24 conference titles since conference play began in 1991, combined for 22 of the 25 positions on the CAC's Silver Anniversary Baseball Team. UMW led the way with 10 Silver Anniversary honorees, followed by York with seven and Salisbury with five.

Entering its 25th year of varsity competition, the CAC selected a Silver Anniversary Team in 19 championship sports, primarily based on season-ending conference awards as voted by the conference coaches. Each Silver Anniversary Team will feature 25 former or current standouts. Men's and women's indoor track & field, which became a CAC championship sport in 2012, was combined with men's and women's outdoor track & field. The Silver Anniversary Golf Team has just eight members because the sport was added to the CAC championships list just seven years ago.

The teams will be announced early in the regular-season for its respective sport. Each Silver Anniversary Team honoree will receive a commemorative gift from the conference, and many will be recognized by their institution/alma mater at some time during the academic year.

The University of Mary Washington, a charter member of the CAC, led the conference with 153 current and former student-athletes on the Silver Anniversary Teams, including 40 in men's and women's tennis combined. Salisbury University, which joined the CAC in the 1994-95 athletic season, was second with 122 Silver Anniversary Team honorees. CAC charter members York College of Pa. (60) and St. Mary's College of Md. (35) were next in line for most Silver Anniversa The CAC was organized as a six-team affiliation in 1989 and began championship competition with the winter sports during the 1990-91 season. Membership changes in the last decade ultimately created a 10-team conference that has become one of the strongest in NCAA Division III.

CAC teams have won 18 national team championships, and dozens of other teams have finished in among the top four in NCAA Division III competition.

In 2013-14, the CAC advanced more than 25 teams to post-season competition. Four CAC athletic programs finished among the Top 60 in the final Learfield Cup – the only conference in the Middle Atlantic Region to accomplish that feat. One team won a national championship (Salisbury University women's lacrosse) and three others played in the national championship game. Nineteen CAC teams won at least one game in NCAA Tournament competition and 10 advanced to at least the NCAA Sweet 16.

In the last two years, CAC student-athletes have combined to win six individual national championships at NCAA swimming or track & field competitions. The CAC student-athletes collected a record 11 Capital One Academic All-America awards in 2013-14 as well as an NCAA Post-Graduate Scholarship and the Josten's Award, recognizing a Division III women's basketball player for her achievements on the court, in the classroom and contributions to the community.

In the classroom, the CAC boasts 81 Capital One/CoSIDA Academic All-Americans, including one Academic All-American of the Year award winner, 12 NCAA Post-Graduate Scholarship winners, five NCAA Elite 89 award winners, two Honda year-end award winners and a Josten's Award winner in women's basketball. The CAC also features an annual Academic Honor Roll that recently honored nearly 1,200 students for their academic achievements. Thousands of other student-athletes have received Player of the Year, All-America or All-Region recognition in their respective sports.

Mary Washington, which has won seven CAC championships, including five in the first eight years, was led by Mark Mathews, who earned first-team all-conference recognition in each of the first four years of conference play, and Eric Fitzgerald, who sandwiched four first-team All-CAC awards in a career that started with a Rookie of the Year award in 2004 and the Player of the Year trophy in 2007.

York, which captured three championship trophies under the leadership of current Assistant Dean of Athletics and Recreation Paul Saikia, was led by Travis Gaidos, Matt Day and Ryan Poff. Gaidos was a four-time first-team all-star in addition to winning the 2009 Rookie of the Year and 2010 Player of the Year trophies. Day, YCP's Associate Director of Athletics, and Poff were both three-time first-team all-stars and Player of the Year award winners.

Salisbury, a 12-time CAC team champion, including 11 titles since 2000, is led by a pair of four-time first-team All-CAC honorees who captured the Player of the Year trophy during their senior seasons - Jason Ewing and Mike Celenza.

CAC Baseball Silver Anniversary Team Honorees

Name, Last Year of Competition, Institution
Rob Benedict, 2012, Wesley College
Steve Blankinship, 1995, University of Mary Washington
Chris Brower, 2006, York College of Pa.
Mike Celenza, 2010, Salisbury University
Ben Crowley, 1999, Catholic University of America

Matt Day, 2002, York College of Pa.
Jason Ewing, 2002, Salisbury University
Eric Fitzgerald, 2007, University of Mary Washington
Kevin Foeman, 2006, University of Mary Washington
Travis Gaidos, 2002, York College of Pa.

Jay Glover, 1993, University of Mary Washington
Eric Guyton, 1999, University of Mary Washington
Jeff Hootselle, 1997, University of Mary Washington
Greg Lemon, 2006, Salisbury University
Brian Lillis, 1995, University of Mary Washington

Mark Mathews, 1994, University of Mary Washington
Nathan Payne, 1997, University of Mary Washington
Nick Pegelow, 2006, Salisbury University
Ryan Poff, 2009, York College of Pa.
Don Purcell, 1993, University of Mary Washington

Brendan Reinert, 1997, York College of Pa.
Bill Root, 2013, Salisbury University
Ashley Swope, 2006, York College of Pa.
Jeff Young, 2007, York College of Pa.
Drew Zachary, 2000, Catholic University of America