Temple University Athletics
All-Big 5 Team Announced; Lustrino Voted Rookie of the Year
6.7.12 | Baseball
Nikorak and Elko also get recognized
PHILADELPHIA – Temple Baseball's redshirt senior Steve Nikorak (Stroudsburg, Pa./Stroudsburg) and freshman Nick Lustrino (Spring Lake, N.J./Manasquan) were named to the 2012 All-Philadelphia Big 5 Baseball Team, as voted on by the city's head coaches and sports information offices. It was announced on Thursday. In addition to Lustrino's spot on the all-city team, he was elected as the Big 5's Rookie of the Year. In the same release, redshirt junior Matt Elko (Parsippany, N.J./Parsippany) as he was named a member of the Philadelphia Big 5 Academic Team.
Lustrino, the city's Rookie of the Year, started 49 games at short stop during his freshman campaign, in which he batted .291 with 16 RBI and fielded .954. The native of Spring Lake, N.J. had 19 multi-hit games and recorded the most hits (53) in a Temple rookie season since Byron McKoy (2008-11), who is the program's all-time hits leader .
Just a day after being taken in the 32nd round (981 overall) by the Chicago White Sox, Nikorak was elected as the All-Big 5 Team's third baseman after another season in which he was an offensive catalyst for the Owls. Temple's hot corner was recently tabbed to the Atlantic 10 Conference's First Team.
Nikorak was one of two players to start all 53 games for the Cherry & White in which he put up numbers that led the team in several offensive categories including hits (62), doubles (14), home runs (7), runs scored 46) and RBIs (42). The Stroudsburg, Pa. resident began the season by reaching base in each of the first 30 games. With his Temple career now in the books, Nikorak leaves with the program record for doubles in a career with 65. In a game against Central Connecticut on March 9, he had a breakout game in which he had four extra-base hits, including three doubles and a triple. The Owls' third baseman also is tied for fourth place all-time in program history with 228 hits and tied for seventh all-time in school history with 182 games started.
Elko, an engineering major, is a member of the Big 5 Academic Team after posting a 3.14 grade point average. In addition to is hard work in the classroom, Elko started 47 games at first base. On May 14, he was named the Big 5 and the Atlantic 10's Player of the Week after going 8-for-12 in the three-game series at St. Bonaventure. On the final day of the regular season, he smashed his first collegiate home run on the final day of the season against Rhode Island. For the year, the Parsippany, N.J. native batted .282, drove in 32 runs and pounded out 49 hits, including 10 doubles and a team-high four triples. Guarding first base, he fielded a percentage of .938 and had a team-most 404 putouts.
Originally formed in 2006 as the Philadelphia Diamond Five before taking on its current moniker in 2007, Philadelphia Big 5 Baseball was founded with the goal of increasing the exposure of college baseball in the Philadelphia area. Big 5 Baseball selects a Player and Pitcher of the Week throughout the season, as well as the All-Big 5 Team and awards at the end of the season. Voting for all weekly and postseason honors is conducted among the head coaches and sports information offices of the five Division I baseball programs in the Philadelphia area: La Salle, Penn, Saint Joseph's, Temple, and Villanova.
Complete 2012 Philadelphia Big 5 Baseball Team
Name School Pos. Hometown AVG HR RBI
Brian O'Keefe Saint Joseph's C Albany, N.Y. .250 2 18
Kevin Taylor Saint Joseph's 1B Catonsville, Md. .251 8 32
Tyler Sciacca Villanova 2B Staten Island, N.Y. .359 1 39
Nick Lustrino Temple SS Spring Lake, N.J. .291 0 16
Steve Nikorak Temple 3B Stroudsburg, Pa. .302 7 42
Kevin Wager Villanova 3B Holden, Mo. .350 0 47
Ryan Deitrich Penn OF Spring City, Pa. .350 4 22
George Smith, Jr. La Salle OF Mt. Airy, Md. .291 2 26
Greg Zebrack Penn OF Northridge, Calif. .343 7 28
Matt Fleishman Villanova DH East Northport, N.Y. .320 5 42
Name School Pos. Hometown ERA W-L K
Kevin Christy La Salle SP Hatfield, Pa. 2.95 2-5 85
Kyle Mullen Saint Joseph's SP Berwyn, Pa. 3.07 6-4 90
Vince Voiro Penn SP Cherry Hill, N.J. 2.45 5-3 59
Pat Young Villanova SP The Woodlands, Texas 4.39 6-5 61
Pat Christensen La Salle RP La Jolla, Calif. 2.66 4-3 9 SV
Player of the Year: Tyler Sciacca, Villanova
Pitcher of the Year: Kyle Mullen, Saint Joseph's
Rookie of the Year: Nick Lustrino, Temple
Student-Athlete of the Year: Pat Christensen, La Salle
Coach of the Year: Fritz Hamburg, Saint Joseph's
Team of the Year: Saint Joseph's
2012 PHILADELPHIA BIG 5 ACADEMIC TEAM
Name School Major GPA AVG HR RBI
Matt Elko Temple Engineering 3.14 .282 1 32
Greg Zebrack Penn Communication 3.27 .343 7 28
Name School Major GPA ERA W-L K
Pat Christensen La Salle Business 3.60 2.66 4-3 9 SVS
Kyle Mullen Saint Joseph's Food Marketing 3.11 3.07 6-4 90
Matt Meurer Villanova Mechanical 3.76 4.11 3-2 27
Engineering
Lustrino, the city's Rookie of the Year, started 49 games at short stop during his freshman campaign, in which he batted .291 with 16 RBI and fielded .954. The native of Spring Lake, N.J. had 19 multi-hit games and recorded the most hits (53) in a Temple rookie season since Byron McKoy (2008-11), who is the program's all-time hits leader .
Just a day after being taken in the 32nd round (981 overall) by the Chicago White Sox, Nikorak was elected as the All-Big 5 Team's third baseman after another season in which he was an offensive catalyst for the Owls. Temple's hot corner was recently tabbed to the Atlantic 10 Conference's First Team.
Nikorak was one of two players to start all 53 games for the Cherry & White in which he put up numbers that led the team in several offensive categories including hits (62), doubles (14), home runs (7), runs scored 46) and RBIs (42). The Stroudsburg, Pa. resident began the season by reaching base in each of the first 30 games. With his Temple career now in the books, Nikorak leaves with the program record for doubles in a career with 65. In a game against Central Connecticut on March 9, he had a breakout game in which he had four extra-base hits, including three doubles and a triple. The Owls' third baseman also is tied for fourth place all-time in program history with 228 hits and tied for seventh all-time in school history with 182 games started.
Elko, an engineering major, is a member of the Big 5 Academic Team after posting a 3.14 grade point average. In addition to is hard work in the classroom, Elko started 47 games at first base. On May 14, he was named the Big 5 and the Atlantic 10's Player of the Week after going 8-for-12 in the three-game series at St. Bonaventure. On the final day of the regular season, he smashed his first collegiate home run on the final day of the season against Rhode Island. For the year, the Parsippany, N.J. native batted .282, drove in 32 runs and pounded out 49 hits, including 10 doubles and a team-high four triples. Guarding first base, he fielded a percentage of .938 and had a team-most 404 putouts.
Originally formed in 2006 as the Philadelphia Diamond Five before taking on its current moniker in 2007, Philadelphia Big 5 Baseball was founded with the goal of increasing the exposure of college baseball in the Philadelphia area. Big 5 Baseball selects a Player and Pitcher of the Week throughout the season, as well as the All-Big 5 Team and awards at the end of the season. Voting for all weekly and postseason honors is conducted among the head coaches and sports information offices of the five Division I baseball programs in the Philadelphia area: La Salle, Penn, Saint Joseph's, Temple, and Villanova.
Complete 2012 Philadelphia Big 5 Baseball Team
Name School Pos. Hometown AVG HR RBI
Brian O'Keefe Saint Joseph's C Albany, N.Y. .250 2 18
Kevin Taylor Saint Joseph's 1B Catonsville, Md. .251 8 32
Tyler Sciacca Villanova 2B Staten Island, N.Y. .359 1 39
Nick Lustrino Temple SS Spring Lake, N.J. .291 0 16
Steve Nikorak Temple 3B Stroudsburg, Pa. .302 7 42
Kevin Wager Villanova 3B Holden, Mo. .350 0 47
Ryan Deitrich Penn OF Spring City, Pa. .350 4 22
George Smith, Jr. La Salle OF Mt. Airy, Md. .291 2 26
Greg Zebrack Penn OF Northridge, Calif. .343 7 28
Matt Fleishman Villanova DH East Northport, N.Y. .320 5 42
Name School Pos. Hometown ERA W-L K
Kevin Christy La Salle SP Hatfield, Pa. 2.95 2-5 85
Kyle Mullen Saint Joseph's SP Berwyn, Pa. 3.07 6-4 90
Vince Voiro Penn SP Cherry Hill, N.J. 2.45 5-3 59
Pat Young Villanova SP The Woodlands, Texas 4.39 6-5 61
Pat Christensen La Salle RP La Jolla, Calif. 2.66 4-3 9 SV
Player of the Year: Tyler Sciacca, Villanova
Pitcher of the Year: Kyle Mullen, Saint Joseph's
Rookie of the Year: Nick Lustrino, Temple
Student-Athlete of the Year: Pat Christensen, La Salle
Coach of the Year: Fritz Hamburg, Saint Joseph's
Team of the Year: Saint Joseph's
2012 PHILADELPHIA BIG 5 ACADEMIC TEAM
Name School Major GPA AVG HR RBI
Matt Elko Temple Engineering 3.14 .282 1 32
Greg Zebrack Penn Communication 3.27 .343 7 28
Name School Major GPA ERA W-L K
Pat Christensen La Salle Business 3.60 2.66 4-3 9 SVS
Kyle Mullen Saint Joseph's Food Marketing 3.11 3.07 6-4 90
Matt Meurer Villanova Mechanical 3.76 4.11 3-2 27
Engineering
Temple Men's Basketball 2025-26 All Access | Game 12 at Davidson 12.18.2025
Sunday, December 21
Ep. 29: Last Episode of First Semester from David & Amelia
Wednesday, December 17
MBB Press Conference vs. Saint Francis (Adam Fisher)
Sunday, December 14
MBB Press Conference vs. Saint Francis (Derrian Ford & Gavin Griffiths)
Sunday, December 14
