STATE COLLEGE, Pa.; May 30, 2000 -- Five members of Penn State's NCAA Baseball regional-winning squad were selected to the All-Tournament Team at the Upper Montclair, N.J. event, led by freshman pitcher Kevin Damiano, selected the Most Outstanding Player.

Playing in their first NCAA Tournament since 1976, the Nittany Lions have advanced their farthest in the event since earning their last College World Series berth in 1973. Last weekend, No. 3 seed Penn State lost to 16th-ranked North Carolina Friday and then won four straight games, including a doubleheader sweep of the No. 2 seeded Tar Heels on Sunday, to remain one of 16 teams in the hunt for the National Championship.

Joining Domiano (Mount Airy, Md.) on the All-Tournament team were: first team All-American outfielder Michael Campo (Absecon, N.J), who owns the nation's longest hitting streak at 41 games, outfielder Zack Smithlin (Fair Lawn, N.J.), junior pitcher Pete Yodis (Buckingham, Pa.), and sophomore designated hitter Brian Bishop (Reading, Pa.).

Damiano came up with a huge performance in Sunday's sweep of North Carolina. He pitched the final 3 1/3 innings, allowing only one hit in earning the win in the Lions' 6-5 victory in Sunday's first win. The former South Carroll HS standout then earned his first collegiate start and pitched 5 2/3 innings, allowing five hits and two runs to pick up the victory in the 10-3 conquest, Penn State's biggest victory in many years. In 18 appearances this year, Damiano is 3-2 with a 3.18 earned run average in 28 1/3 innings.

Campo was selected a first team All-American by Collegiate Baseball on Friday, the first Nittany Lion so honored since 1976 and only the fourth in program history. A senior, Campo was 8 of 20 in the NCAA Regional, with two doubles, on home run and three RBI from his lead off position. The 2000 Big Ten Player of the Year, he has started all 62 games and his .439 average is fourth in the nation. The former St. Augustine Prep standout has 111 hits in 253 at-bats, with 24 doubles, 48 RBI and 83 runs scored.

A redshirt freshman, Smithlin posted a team-high six RBI during the regional. He also made one of the weekend's biggest plays by catching up to a long fly ball in the ninth inning against Rutgers, making the catch on the warning track and firing the ball to second baseman Eric Spadt, who then threw to catcher Chris Netwall to gun down a Rutgers player attempting to score from second base. The play ended the game, giving the Lions a 6-5 win. For the season, the former Fair Lawn HS standout has started 61 of 62 games and is batting .316.

Yodis threw a complete game, six-hitter in Penn State's 3-1 win over Army on Saturday. The Lions' No. 1 starter, the former Central Bucks East standout has 18 starts and is 7-3 with a 3.70 ERA in 112 innings.

Bishop, who played at Governor Mifflin HS, was 4 of 10 in the NCAA regional to earn a spot. For the season, he has played in 34 games, with 12 starts, and is batting .344 with 22 hits in 64 at-bats and 10 runs.

Coach Joe Hindelang's Penn State squad (45-17), ranked No. 18 in the latest Collegiate Baseball poll, will travel to Austin, Texas, for a best-of-three game series against the University of Texas (44-19) in the NCAA Super Regional. The winner advances to the NCAA College World Series, held June 9-17 in Omaha, Neb. Game times are 7 p.m. CDT on Friday and Saturday. Sunday's game three, if necessary, is slated for 2 p.m. CDT.

Penn State is making its 19th appearance in the 54 years of the NCAA Baseball Championship. The Lions' first appearance came in 1949 and Penn State was a regular in the event over the next 27 years, including consecutive bids from 1970-76. The Lions have made five visits to the College World Series, most recently in 1973, finishing second in 1957. Penn State's overall record in NCAA play is 33-32.

Penn State's NCAA Baseball Super Regional games at Texas this weekend will be broadcast by WMAJ Radio (1450 AM) in the Centre Region. The contests also will be available on the Internet at the Penn State Athletics website.