MARIETTA, Ohio — The post season honors continue for the Marietta College baseball team as five Pioneers were named to the American Baseball Coaches Association/Rawlings All-Mideast Region team.
Leading the way for the Etta Express was junior pitcher
Sam Mathews (Fairfield, Ohio/Badin) who was named the Co-Pitcher of the Year in the Mideast Region. Joining Mathews on the first team is outfielder
Turner Hill (Marietta, Ohio/Marietta). First baseman
Drew Holderbach (Fairfield, Ohio/Badin), pitcher
Gino Sabatine (Alliance, Ohio/West Branch) and third baseman
Damian Yenzi (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Hills) were all named to the second team.
Mathews appeared in 24 of Marietta's 44 games this spring and posted an 8-3 record with eight saves and a 1.47 earned run average. He moved into second place on the Pioneers' all-time saves list with 17 in his career.
Mathews collected one win and two saves in the NCAA Regional Tournament and currently ranks in the top-10 in NCAA Division III for appearances, saves and fewest walks per nine innings pitched issuing just 0.74 base on balls per nines innings. The right-hander led the Ohio Athletic Conference in earned run average and saves and was second in wins and strikeouts.
Hill settled into the leadoff spot in Marietta's batting order and quickly established himself as one of the top players in the country. The NCAA Division III leader in hits (88) and runs scored (67), Hill hit .449 with 18 doubles, three triples and one home run. He led the OAC in hitting and stolen bases with 30.
Holderbach and Yenzi batted in the middle of the Pioneer lineup and anchored the corners of Marietta's record-setting defense. Holderbach batted .371 with 16 doubles, three triples, five home runs and 55 runs batted in. Yenzi hit .349 with 19 doubles, one triple, two home runs and 33 RBI.
Holderbach led the OAC and ranks among the national leaders in runs batted in. The converted middle infielder played flawless defense this spring committing zero errors in the field. Yenzi fielded .950 at the hot corner as the Etta Express fielded .977 as a team breaking the school single season record of .975 previously held by the 1994 team.
Sabatine, Marietta number one starting pitcher, posted a 9-1 record with a 2.53 earned run average. He led the OAC with 14 starts, nine wins and 78.1 innings pitched. His earned run average was third-best in the conference, and he tied for sixth in strikeouts with 57.
The Etta Express went 38-6 on the season winning the OAC Regular Season and Tournament championships. Marietta made its 43rd appearance in the NCAA Tournament advancing to the Regional finals before falling to Rowan University.
Fans can follow the Etta Express all year long at
pioneers.marietta.edu. You can also follow the Pioneers on Facebook at
facebook.com/MariettaCollege and @MariettaPioneer on Twitter and Instagram.
