Baseball Duo Honored by ABCA

NEW LONDON, Conn. – Two members of the Mitchell College baseball team were named to ABCA/Rawlings All-New England teams on Wednesday, as announced by the American Baseball Coaches Association.

Senior Al Jordan Johnson was selected to the all-region second team while junior Tyler Pina landed on the all-region third team. Johnson was a repeat selection (first team in 2015) while Pina earned the distinction for the first time.

The ace of the Mariners pitching staff, Johnson went 7-1 with a 3.17 ERA this season and struck out a career-high 66 batters in 59.2 innings. He earned New England Collegiate Conference first team honors for the second straight year and finished his career as the school's Division III career leader in wins (25) and strikeouts (202).

Pina, a designated hitter, played in all 39 games and batted a career-high .372 with 26 RBI. He led the Mariners in runs scored (35), doubles (12), homers (2) and stolen bases (9) and garnered NECC first team honors. He was also named most valuable player of the 2016 NECC Championship as the Mariners (28-11 overall) won their third straight league title.

The 2016 ABCA/Rawlings NCAA Div. III All-Region teams are voted on by members of the ABCA and the process is led by the ABCA NCAA Div. III All-America Committee. All-Region first-team selections are nominated for ABCA/Rawlings All-America honors.

The ABCA, founded in 1945, is the primary professional organization for baseball coaches at the amateur level. Its 8,200+ members represent all 50 states and 23 countries. Since its initial meeting of 27 college baseball coaches in June 1945, Association membership has broadened to include eight divisions: NCAA Division I, II and III, NAIA, NJCAA, Pacific Association Division, High School and Youth.