By Steve Stone for MSNsportsNET.com
December 3, 2009

	Vince Belnome

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. - Former West Virginia University baseball player Vince Belnome is one of 10 players named to the Topps Short Season/Rookie All-Star Team.

Belnome, a notable second baseman/designated hitter for the Mountaineers from 2007-09, enjoyed a solid first season with the Short-A Eugene Emeralds of the Northwest League. In 65 games, he batted .297 with 10 home runs, 44 RBIs, 16 doubles and a team-leading 53 runs scored. The Coatesville, Pa., native led the league with 52 walks and finished in the top three in the league in home runs, runs scored and on-base percentage (.431).

For his efforts, the 28th round San Diego Padres selection was named to the 2009 NWL All-Star Team. He was promoted to the Class-A Fort Wayne Tincaps and excelled at the next level, compiling seven RBIs in nine playoff games while batting .500 in 32 regular-season at-bats. Belnome’s late-season play helped guide the Tincaps to their first Midwest League championship in the franchise’s 17-year history.

In his final season at West Virginia in 2009, Belnome set the school’s single-season RBIs mark with 84, breaking former great Mark Landers’ record of 81 in 1994. He went on to have his best year at WVU, hitting .418 with nine home runs, 20 doubles and 66 runs scored. Belnome finished the season No. 3 nationally with 1.53 RBIs per game, sixth in RBIs and 13th with a .519 on-base percentage.

The College Baseball Insider All-American is among the school’s all-time leaders in several offensive categories in just three seasons. He is second to current Mountaineer Jedd Gyorko with a .388 career batting average, tied for second with 174 RBIs, fourth in career walks (93), sixth in doubles (51), multi-hit games (68) and runs scored (164), tied for eighth with 70 extra base hits and ninth with 216 base hits.

Belnome also produced the best single-game offensive performance in school history on May 10, 2009, when he went 6-for-6 with two home runs, nine RBIs and four runs scored to help WVU defeat Cincinnati, 18-3. He was named to the College Baseball Foundation’s National All-Star Lineup the following week.