Four Panthers earn All-Region, Rauh named top pitcher

ORANGE, Calif. - For the second consecutive year, Chapman University sophomore RHP Brian Rauh has been named the NCAA Division III West Region Pitcher of the Year, headlining four Panther baseball players named to the All-West Region team by the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA).

Senior C Adam Kordich was named to the ABCA All-West Region second team, while seniors IF Tyler Hadzinsky and RHP Jordan Sigman were each named to the third team.

Rauh was the West Region champs' lone first team representative, and deservedly so after posting an 11-0 record for the second year in a row. The sophomore led all of Division III with 133 strikeouts and ranked 13th in hits allowed per nine innings (5.7) and 27th in earned run average (1.74). He may have pitched his best baseball at the end of the year, tossing back-to-back shutouts against Redlands and Texas-Tyler in May as part of 23 consecutive scoreless innings.

Chapman's leader in home runs, RBI and on-base percentage, Kordich earned the honor for the first time in his career. The senior backstop and cleanup hitter was named to the second team after he slammed six home runs and drove in 38 while batting .303 this season. Additionally, he slugged .457 and led the Panthers with a .433 OBP. Yet he may have made his biggest impact on a young pitching staff in his first year as full-time catcher, helping the Panthers to a 2.96 team ERA and throwing out 22 basestealers.

Sigman earned All-Region honors for the second time in his career and leaves Chapman as the school's Division III career wins leader at 35-15 overall. The right-hander ranked second for the Panthers with an 8-3 record and 62 strikeouts in 91 2/3 innings. He also set a career-low with a 3.34 ERA and opponents batted just .257 against him in 2011.

Also earning regional honors for the first time in his career was Hadzinsky, who led the Chapman offense with a .331 average and 16 stolen bases. The three-time Academic All-District selection had nine doubles and 30 RBI for the Division III runner's up. As the pivot man in the Chapman infield, he second baseman turned 25 double plays and posted a .962 fielding percentage.

by Doug Aiken
Sports Information Director