by Matt Plante
Vice President

Here are the highlights from Week #11 in college baseball at the D2/D3, NAIA and JUCO level by our Top Tier Alums:

Top Tier Alumni Player of the Week:

Jimmy Burnette, LHP, Saint Leo (D2)

Burnette finished off the regular season with a bang as he threw possibly the best of the game of the year for the Lions. Burnette earned a win in his start vs. Barry where he went a complete game 7 innings giving up only 1 earned run off only 4 hits and 1 walk while striking out 8. Burnette ended up winning SSC Pitcher of the Week honors for his efforts. Saint Leo split with Barry and finished the season 9-18 overall on the year that was a trying one as they had to deal with a lot of COVID cancellations this year. Burnette finished the year 3-5 with a 5.80 ERA with 53 strikeouts in 45 innings of work.

Best of the Rest in College Baseball (D2/D3/NAIA/JUCO)

Joel Sarver, RHP, Northwest Florida State (JUCO)

Sarver earned his 1st collegiate win as he got the start in the Playoffs of the District 8 Gulf District Championships vs. Florida Southwestern State. Sarver didn't just throw well, he went a complete game 9 inning shutout giving up only 1 hit and 3 walks while striking out 4. Northwest Florida State moved onto the Semi-Finals after that win but lost to Santa Fe College to finish the season 32-17 overall. Sarver finished the year off with a 4.45 ERA with 22 strikeouts in 30.1 innings of work.

Nick Villasenor, LHP, Saint Francis (NAIA)

Villasenor picked up a win in his start in the playoffs for the CCAC Championships. Villasenor threw a gem versus Trinity International going 7 innings giving up 0 runs off only 3 hits and 0 walks while striking out 7. Saint Francis lost to Olivet Nazarene in the elimination game and finished the year 24-20 overall. Villasenor finished the year 5-3 with one save, a 3.75 ERA with 57 strikeouts in 60 innings of work.

Brock Bevil, RHP, Benedictine (D3)

Bevil made one relief appearance this past weekend vs. Aurora where he tossed 3 scoreless innings giving up only 3 hits and 2 walks while striking out 2. Benedictine split with Aurora and finished the regular season 27-11 overall. Benedictine will play IIT in the 1st round of the NACC Tournament this week.

Anthony Rios, C, Lewis (D2)

Rios went 3 for 9, hitting .333 this past weekend for the Flyers as they split with UIndy to finish the regular season 23-16 overall. Lewis takes on #4 ranked team in the nation University of Illinois-Springfield in the 1st round of the GLVC Tournament this week.

TJ Byrd, OF, Young Harris (D2)

Byrd went 2 for 5 with 2 RBI's in their last game of the Peach Belt Conference Tournament vs. the 25th ranked team in the nation North Georgia. Young Harris lost 2 of 3 to North Georgia and finished the season 23-18 overall. Byrd finished the year hitting .303 with 4 doubles, 3 homers and 22 RBI's.

Brian Lyle, INF, University of Chicago (D3)

Lyle went 8 for 24 this past week, hitting .333 with a homer and 5 RBI's. University of Chicago had a really good week beating Ripon twice and sweeping St. Norbert to move to 18-7 overall on the year.

Connor Blake, INF/RHP, Illinois Institute of Technology (D3)

Blake got it done up to bat again this past week and on the mound as well for IIT. Blake went 5 for 15, hitting .333 with 2 homers and 4 RBI's. He also got a win on the mound tossing 6 innings giving up only 2 runs off 4 hits and 1 walk while striking out 9. IIT won 3 of 4 games vs. Dominican this past weekend and improved to 18-8 overall on the year. Blake is hitting .396 on the year with 11 doubles, 7 homers and 29 RBI's.

Michael Ellingsen, RHP, UW-LaCrosse (D3)

Ellingsen made one relief appearance this past weekend vs. UW-Eau Claire tossing 2 scoreless innings off only 1 hit and 1 walk while striking out 2. UW-LaCrosse beat UW-Eau Claire 5 times this past week to improve to 26-10 overall on the year.

Austin Divello, RHP, Coe (D3)

Divello made one relief appearance this past weekend vs. Wartburg where he tossed 3 innings giving up only 1 run off only 1 hit. Coe swept Wartburg and improved to 29-4 overall on the year. Divello is 1-0 with 4 saves, an ERA of 2.53 with 15 strikeouts in 21.1 innings of work this year.

Jimmy Carey, INF, St. Charles CC (JUCO)

Carey went 3 for 6 with 2 RBI's this past weekend as St. Charles won both games vs. St. Louis CC in the Region 16 Sub-Regional Championship to move onto to play Jefferson CC next. St. Charles is 20-19 overall on the year and Carey is hitting .352 with 4 doubles and 20 RBI's on the year.

Brendan Holloway, OF, Oakton (JUCO)

Holloway went 3 for 10, hitting .300 this past week as Oakton beat Bryant & Stratton twice and lost to Triton and College of DuPage to move to 27-17 overall on the year. Holloway is hitting .303 with 3 doubles, 14 RBI's and 10 stolen bases on the year.

Johnny Hernandez, C, Blackhawk (JUCO)

Hernandez collected 5 hits this past week with 2 homers with 8 RBI's as Blackhawk beat Morton and Kankakee twice a piece and swept Highland to move to 40-10 overall on the year. Hernandez is .239 with 9 homers and 34 RBI's on the year.

Eric Lundell, RHP, Concordia-St. Paul (D2)

Lundell earned a win in relief vs. Winona State as he tossed 2 innings giving up 0 earned runs off 0 hits and 1 walk whiles striking out 1. Lundell took a loss later in the week in relief to Sioux Falls and didn't throw as well in that appearance. Concordia-St. Paul finished the season 15-23 overall and Lundell finished 4-1.

Brenden Heiss, RHP, Southeastern (NAIA)

Heiss made one relief appearance in the Sun Conference Tournament going 1 inning in the Championship vs. USCB giving up 0 runs off 0 hits. Southeastern won the Sun Conference Tournament and earned the automatic bid into the NAIA Regionals. Southeastern went 47-7 on the year and are ranked 2nd in the nation. Heiss has a 1.00 ERA, is 2-0 with one save with 28 strikeouts in 18 innings of work this year.

Colin Summerhill, C/OF, Triton (JUCO)

Summerhill went 3 for 5 with a double this past weekend as Triton beat Heartland and Oakton to move to 23-12 overall on the year. Triton will play Kishwaukee and South Suburban in the 1st round of the Region IV Tournament this week. Summerhill is hitting .452 on the year with 14 doubles, 3 triples, 8 homers and 39 RBI's.

Angel Sandoval, RHP, Saint Francis

Sandoval earned a no-decision for his efforts in the opening round of the CCAC Tournament vs. Indiana University-South Bend where he went 6 innings giving up 2 earned runs off only 2 hits and 6 walks while striking out 2. St. Francis had a decent run in the tournament but lost to Olivet Nazarene in an elimination game and finished 24-20 overall on the year. Sandoval finished 3-6 with a 3.98 ERA in 52 innings of work.

Mitch Owens, 1B, Augustana (D3)

Owens collected 4 hits with an RBI this past week as Augustana beat Illinois Wesleyan and took 2 of 3 from Carroll. Augustana is now 29-7 overall on the year, and Owens is leading the team in most offensive categories as he is hitting .341 with 13 doubles, 2 homers and 26 RBI's.

Andrew Padilla, RHP, Webster (D3)

Padilla made one relief appearance vs. Iowa Wesleyan this past weekend going 1 inning giving up 0 runs off 0 hits while striking out 1. Webster swept Iowa Wesleyan and improved to 30-6 overall on the year. Webster is ranked 5th in the nation right now and take on Eureka this week in the 1st round of the SLIAC Tournament.

Khyle Radcliffe, OF, Allen County (JUCO)

Radcliffe collected 3 hits this past week with a RBI as Allen County beat Labette twice and swept Highland to improve to 31-17 overall on the year. Allen County will play Colby in the Region 6 Sub-Regional this week.

Dave Navarro, C, Illinois Institute of Technology (D3)

Navarro went 2 for 6 with 3 RBI's this past weekend vs. Dominican. IIT took 3 of 4 games and improved to 18-8 overall on the year. Navarro is hitting .288 with 6 doubles, a homer and 18 RBI's.

Robert Chayka, OF, Kentucky Wesleyan (D2)

Chayka collected 3 hits this past weekend with a double and 2 RBI's. Kentucky Wesleyan lost 3 of 4 to Tiffin and are 22-14 overall. They will play Tiffin again this week in the 1st round of the Great Midwest Athletic Conference Tournament.

Will Wirt, C, Truman State

Wirt went 2 for 5 in two games this past weekend but Truman State lost 3 of 4 to Missouri S&T to finish the year 7-33 overall. Wirt finished the year hitting .250.

Jack Lochner, OF, Lindenwood (D2)

Lochner went 1 for 5 with 2 RBI's in his one start in the outfield this past weekend. Lindenwood is the 13th ranked team in the nation and swept Missouri Saint Louis to improve to 29-7 overall on the year. They will face Missouri S&T in the 1st round of the GLVC tournament this week.

Elias Kuhns, OF, Union (D3)

Kuhns went 2 for 6 with and RBI as Union swept Bard over the weekend to improve to 11-7 overall on the year.

Max Engstrom, LHP, Indiana Wesleyan (NAIA)

Engstrom didn't throw at all in the Crossroads League Tournament this past week but his team went undefeated and won the conference tournament are will be headed to the NAIA Regionals soon. Indiana Wesleyan is 43-12 overall and Engstrom has a 3.92 ERA with 24 strikeouts in 20.2 innings of work on the year.