MARSHALL, Texas – It was a stellar baseball career for East Texas Baptist University's Sayers Collins from 2020 through 2024, as he has been named to the D3baseball.com 50th Anniversary First Team. D3baseball.com voted five starting pitchers onto the First Team and 20 overall for four teams.
Joining Collins on the D3baseball.com 50th Anniversary First Team as starting pitchers are Marietta College's Matt DeSalvo (1999-02), Eastern Connecticut State's Ryan Dipietro (2003-05), Linfield University's Chris Haddeland (2012-15), and Chapman University's Brian Rauh (2010-12). There are 17 student-athletes chosen on the First Team and 71 players in total in four teams.
Posting a standout career at ETBU, Collins went 40-7 in five years with a 2.24 ERA, 416 strikeouts, 43 games started in 60 appearances, and 317.2 innings pitched. In 2024, he went 12-1 with a 1.23 ERA and was named the ABCA and Perfect Game National Pitcher of the Year.
He won six All-American awards, combined, from D3Baseball.com and the ABCA, four All-Region Pitcher of the Year awards, and holds the ASC record for most Player of the Week awards and nine over ETBU records.
ETBU won its first ASC Tournament championship in 2023, then made a run to the NCAA Division III National Championship Tournament, finishing third with 42 wins. They won two NCAA Regional Tournaments in 2023 and 2024 and hosted two Super Regional Tournaments, winning in 2023. From 2021 to 2024, they won 143 games.
Below are Collins' awards at ETBU during his time as a pitcher.
2024 Awards
ABCA National Pitcher of the Year
Perfect Game National Pitcher of the Year
SABR Metroplex College Division Player 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 1st Team (SP)
ASC Pitcher of the Year
All-ASC 1st Team (SP)
ASC All-Tournament
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
2023 Awards
SABR Metroplex College Division Player of the Year
ABCA All-American 1st Team (SP)
D3Baseball.com All-American 2nd Team (SP)
D3Baseball.com Region 10 Pitcher of the Year
D3Baseball.com All-Region 1st Team (SP)
ABCA All-Region 1st Team (SP)
ASC Pitcher of the Year
All-ASC First Team
2022 Awards
D3Baseball.com All-American 3rd Team (SP)
ABCA All-American 2nd Team (SP)
ASC Pitcher of the Year
ASC Blue Bracket MVP
ASC Blue Bracket All-Tournament Team
All-ASC First Team
D3Baseball.com All-Region 1st Team (SP)
D3baseball.com Team of the Week (twice)
ABCA Region Co-Pitcher of the Year
ABCA All-Region 1st Team (SP)
NCBWA National Pitcher of the Month (Feb.)
NCBWA National Pitcher of the Week (May 11)
2021 Awards
ASC Gold Bracket All-Tournament Team
All-ASC First Team
D3Baseball.com All-Region First Team
ABCA All-Region 3rd Team
