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ASC | Collins Takes Second Straight ASC Male Athlete of the Year Award

MARSHALL, Texas – Earning the highest award from the American Southwest Conference for the second year in a row, East Texas Baptist University’s Sayers Collins is the Male Athlete of the Year. He becomes only the second student-athlete in ASC History to win back-to-back Athlete of the Year awards as Mary Hardin-Baylor’s Robert Moore did the same in 2000-01 and 2001-02. ETBU also becomes the first ASC school to win both the Male and Female Athlete of the Year awards in back-to-back years as Tristen Maddox was given the Female Athlete of the Year award.

2024 Awards
ABCA National Pitcher of the Year 
Perfect Game National Pitcher of the Year 
ABCA All-American 1st team (SP) 
D3baseball.com All-American 1st team (SP) 
ABCA Region 10 Co-Pitcher of the Year (SP) 
D3baseball.com All-Region 1st team (SP) 
ABCA All-Region first team (SP) 
D3baseball.com Team of the Week – (Feb. '24, Mar. '24)
NCBWA Pitcher of the Month (Mar. '24)
NCBWA Pitcher of the Month – honorable mention (Feb. '24)
CBS-19 TV Athlete of the Week (Feb. '24)
D3baseball.com Preseason All-American

This is a huge honor for Sayers and our program. To be considered the best male athlete out of an entire conference for two years in a row is an outstanding accomplishment.
JARED HOOD | ETBU BASEBALL HEAD COACH

Collins gives ETBU four ASC Male Athlete of the Year awards as Conner Combs won the first one in 2015-16 and Casey Combs was given the award in 2018-19. The four awards are third most in ASC history. 

 

It was a banner year for Collins earning two All-American first team awards from the ABCA and D3baseball.com along with being named the Perfect Game and ABCA National Pitcher of the Year. He is the first pitcher from the ASC to be named the National Pitcher of the Year and only second student-athlete to earn the ABCA award for the conference. His 421 career strikeouts is third all-time in NCAA Division III and is an ETBU and ASC record. He also holds the ETBU and ASC records for career wins (41), single season wins (12), single season strikeouts (135), and ASC Pitcher of the Week awards (15).

 

The ABCA and D3baseball.com also voted him All-Region first team, was the ABCA Region 10 Co-Pitcher of the Year, and was a D3baseball.com preseason All-American. Twice, he was named to the D3baseball.com Team of the Week and in March was the NCBWA Pitcher of the Month while making the honorable mention list in February. February also brought him the CBS-19 TV (Tyler) Athlete of the Week award. 

Congratulations to Sayers on a much-deserved honor and being named the ASC Male Athlete of the Year. Sayers has etched his name in the ETBU and ASC record books and has been a dominating presence on the mound during his time as an ETBU Tiger. His commitment to excellence in all facets of his life has been evident for everyone to see throughout his career and we could not be more excited for him and this award.
RYAN ERWIN | VICE PRESIDENT FOR STUDENT ENGAGEMENT AND ATHLETICS

For the year, he went 12-1 with a 1.23 ERA and 92 strikeouts in 88 innings pitched. He combined for a no-hitter with Robert Croft over no. 6 Lynchburg in March and had four shutouts on the year. He posted a season high 11 strikeouts vs. Hardin-Simmons on April 13 as teams only hit .160 against him all season. 

 

His career has given him five All-American awards, earned four All-ASC first-team accolades, been the ASC Pitcher of the Year three times, named the National Pitcher of the Year by two different organizations, and one SABR MetroPlex College Division Player of the Year award. The ABCA has awarded him three Regional Pitcher of the Year awards, two NCBWA National Pitcher of the Month awards, and two ASC Male Athlete of the Year selections.

 

ETBU went 39-10 and won the NCAA Division III Marshall, Texas Regional Tournament and ASC Regular Season Championship. They also hosted the ASC Tournament and the NCAA Division III Marshall, Texas Regional and Super Regional Tournaments. Three different final polls had ETBU in the top 10 reaching as high as no. 2 in the nation in May. 

CAREER AWARDS

  • D3baseball.com All-American 1st team – '24
  • ABCA All-American 1st team – '23, '24
  • D3baseball.com All-American 2nd team – '23
  • ABCA All-American 2nd team – '22
  • D3baseball.com All-American 3rd team – '22
  • D3baseball.com Preseason All-American – '24
  • ASC Male Athlete of the Year – ‘23, ’24
  • ABCA Region Pitcher of the Year – ‘22, ’23, '24
  • ASC Pitcher of the Year – '22, '23, '24
  • All-ASC first team – '21, '22, '23, '24
  • ASC Pitcher of the Week – 15 times
  • ASC All-Tournament Team – '24
  • ASC Blue Bracket Tournament MVP – '22
  • ASC Gold Bracket All-Tournament Team – '21
  • SABR MetroPlex College Division Player of the Year – '23
  • ABCA All-Region first team – '22, '23, '24
  • ABCA All-Region 2nd Team – '21
  • D3baseball.com All-Region 1st team – '23, '24
  • D3baseball.com Team of the Week – (Feb. '24, Mar. '24)
  • NCBWA Pitcher of the Month (Feb. '22, Mar. '24)
  • NCBWA Pitcher of the Month – honorable mention (Feb. '24)
  • NCBWA Pitcher of the Week (May '22)
  • CBS-19 TV Athlete of the Week (Feb. '24)

ETBU/ASC RECORDS

  • ETBU/ASC Strikeouts (421)
  • ETBU/ASC Single Season Strikeouts (135)
  • ETBU/ASC Wins (41)
  • ETBU/ASC Single Season Wins (12)
  • ASC Pitcher of the Week Award (15)

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