Rauh headlines All-Independent team, 10 Panthers honored
ORANGE, Calif. – Chapman University standout sophomore RHP Brian Rauh earned All-Independent Pitcher of the Year honors for the second year in a row along with nine other Panthers who were named to the All-Independents baseball team as selected by the Association of Division III Independents. A total of seven Chapman players were named to the first team, including seniors RHP Jordan Sigman, IF Tyler Hadzinsky and C Adam Kordich.
Rauh has made a big impact in his first two years in a Panther uniform. The Lake Forest, Calif. native has been named Pitcher of the Year twice now after posting a 10-0 record with a 1.88 ERA this season. The sophomore currently leads all of Division III with 124 strikeouts and opposing batters hit just .186 against him.
Chapman's all-time winningest pitcher, Sigman also earned first team honors for the third straight year. The right-hander went 7-2 with a career-low 2.82 ERA and 52 strikeouts in 13 starts for the Panthers.
Five other position players were named to the first team, led by seniors Hadzinsky and Kordich. Hadzinsky was named to the All-Independents team for the third straight year after leading the team in steals (10), ranking second in batting average (.328), and tied for third in RBI (23). Kordich received the honor for a second time, batting .307 and leading the team in RBI (32) and was third on the team in slugging percentage (.436).
Sophomore 3B Tyler Surnbrock's own display of power landed him on the All-Independent first team. Surnbrock led the Panthers in home runs (5) and slugging percentage (.512).
Additionally, freshmen OF Adam Velez and 1B Mark Saatzer earned hardware as rookies. Velez led the team in batting average (.333), ranked third in on-base percentage (.395) and fourth in slugging percentage (.419). Meanwhile, Saatzer batted .320 and ranked second on the team in RBI (28).
Sophomore OFs James Parr and Charlie Piro earned second team honors, producing almost mirrored numbers as Chapman's corner outfielders. Piro (.286, 27 runs, 11 extra-base hits, 17 RBI) earned the award for the first time in his career, while it's the second such honor for Parr (.285, 27 runs, 17 extra-base hits, 23 RBI).
The third piece of Chapman's starting rotation, sophomore RHP Christian Maietta also received a nod on the second team. Maietta won four of his last five decisions and posted a 2.88 ERA after earning the Panthers' No. 3 starter spot in mid March.
The Association of Division III Independents consists of 13 Division III independent institutions that have joined together to recognize student-athletes at independent institutions, and to provide exempted postseason championship competition. The Association recognizes outstanding athletic achievements of its student-athletes on a weekly, monthly and annual basis. The Association provides statistical services for its members in seven sports.
by Doug Aiken & Robert Flicker
Sports Information Director & Sports Information Intern