Four Statesmen Net All-MCC Honorees
William Penn University Athletics
Oskaloosa–A trio of first-team selections paced William Penn as the all-Midwest Collegiate Conference baseball teams were announced today.
First baseman Randall Packard (Sr., Forestville, Calif., Cal State-Monterey), starting pitcher Jorge Quezada (Jr., San Ysidro, Calif., Castle Park HS), and relief pitcher Brad McGuire (Jr., Covina, Calif., Citrus CC) were all named to the league’s first team, while center fielder Stanley Muller (Sr., Tucson, Ariz., Cochise CC) was an honorable mention. The awards are the first for each member in their careers.
A total of 17 players were named to the top squad, while an additional 19 earned honorable mentions.
Packard made an impact in his first and only season in the navy and gold, helping William Penn to a 20-26 record (13-11 MCC). The senior hit .356 with two home runs, 47 RBIs, and 23 runs scored.
The first baseman paced the MCC in RBIs and was tied for third in sacrifice flies (4). A strong fielder, Packard topped the league by fielding 38 double plays, was second with 346 chances, and third with 323 putouts. He had a .988 fielding percentage with just four errors. Packard owned a 14-game hitting streak in the middle of the campaign.
The staff ace, Quezada was a main reason William Penn returned to the MCC Tournament. He was 7-4 with a 2.72 Earned Run Average. The junior worked 86 innings, striking out 89 batters against 16 walks. He also managed seven complete games and three shutouts in addition to two saves out of the bullpen. The right-hander, who limited opponents to a .256 batting average, recorded a no-hitter against Illinois Tech back in March.
Quezada tied for the conference lead with 14 starts, was second in strikeouts, fourth in innings pitched, and fifth in ERA.
McGuire was a workhorse in relief action, working 15 games for a total of 49 1/3 innings. The junior was 1-3 with a 3.28 ERA. He struck out 32 with ten walks.
Muller was the top Statesmen batter, posting a .374 clip at the plate. The senior had 18 RBIs and a team-high 41 runs scored. He was also the best in walks (21) and stolen bases (9).
The center fielder led the MCC in on-base percentage (.477), tied Packard for third in sacrifice flies was fourth in batting average, and fifth in runs. He ended the season with an eight-game hitting streak.
All four made large strides in league play. Muller hit .398, while Packard was right behind him with a .372 clip. Quezada was 5-1 with a 2.45 ERA (51 1/3 innings) and McGuire worked 40 1/3 of his innings against MCC competition.
Michael Mendoza of Iowa Wesleyan was tabbed as the MCC’s Player of the Year, while his teammate Jacob Sanchez received Pitcher of the Year laurels. Coach of the Year accolades were shared by St. Ambrose’s Jim Callahan and Grand View’s Lou Yacinich.
