MARSHALL, Texas – Continuing the dominance of post season awards, the East Texas Baptist University baseball team landed three players on the ABCA (American Baseball Coaches Association) West All-Region team.
Isaiah Alvarenga,
Jake Miller, and
Sayers Collins earned another All-Region award for their 2021 season. On top of that, Alvarenga gained his third "Pitcher of the Year" award as the co-winner for the West Region.
The three players selected tie the most received in one season by ETBU from 2016 when Tyler Bates, Conner Combs, and Dynas Doud were all first team members. In four of the last five years, excluding 2020, ETBU has landed at least one player on the ABCA All-Region first team. This is the second time an ETBU player has earned a pitcher or player of the year award as Casey Combs was the player of the year in 2019.
Earning first team is Alvarenga as a pitcher (So., Grapevine, TX). This is his third "Pitcher of the Year" award (ASC, D3baseball.com) and second straight All-Region first team award (D3baseball.com). The All-ASC first team selection was a member of the ASC Red Bracket All-Tournament Team finishing the year with a 2.08 ERA and 9-3 record. He pitched eight complete games leading the team with 78 strikeouts in 82.1 innings pitched.
Miller (Jr., N. Richland Hills, TX) also earns his second All-Region award being named to the second team at short stop. He was an All-ASC first team selection and batted .308 leading the team in total bases (102), RBI (39), home runs (15), and slugging percentage (.699).
Collins (So., Frisco, TX) gains another All-Region award as a pitcher on the third team. He was second on the team in ERA (2.66) with a 6-2 record in 15 appearances. He recorded one save in 40.2 innings pitched with 68 strikeouts as batters only hit .171 against him. He was also an All-ASC first team selection and on the ASC Gold Bracket All-Tournament team.
ETBU finished the year as the ASC Tournament runners-up with 29 wins and were the #2 overall seed in the ASC Tournament. They won the ASC Red Bracket Tournament Championship and finished #7 in the final West Regional Rankings.
