KENOSHA, Wis. — The National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association named Marietta College junior
Brian Gasser (New Philadelphia/Indian Valley) its NCAA Division III Pitcher of the Year Thursday (June 2). Senior center fielder
John Snyder (Altoona, Pa./Altoona) also represented the national champion Etta Express as the NCBWA Mideast Region Position Player of the Year.
Marietta, under the direction of eighth-year Head Coach Brian Brewer, captured the program’s record fifth national title with an 18-5 victory over Chapman University May 31 in Grand Chute, Wis. The Etta Express finished with a nation's best 47-4 record. It was Brewer's second championship as the Pioneers also won the crown in 2006. The first three national championships were won under legendary coach Don Schaly in 1981, 1983 and 1986.
Gasser was also voted the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) Co-Player of the Year, D3baseball.com Pitcher of the Year, NCBWA Mideast Region Pitcher of the Year, ABCA Mideast Region Pitcher of the Year and Kent Tekulve Ohio Athletic Conference Pitcher of the Year this season. He led the nation with 14 wins in 15 decisions while ranked fourth with a 1.06 ERA and 14th with 89 strikeouts. Gasser, who also ranked sixth in hits allowed per nine innings (5.31), gave up just 11 earned runs on 55 hits in 15 games, all starts, over 93 1/3 innings.
Snyder earned ABCA and D3Baseball.com All-America, ABCA Mideast Region Player of the Year and Jack Rafeld OAC Player of the Year honors in 2011. Snyder, who led the nation with 86 hits in 190 at-bats, also ranked fourth with 63 RBI, ninth with 21 doubles, 12th with a .453 batting average and 32nd with 51 runs scored. Snyder's 21 doubles tied him for second on Marietta's single-season list and gave him 48 for his career, which tied for fifth all-time.