Half Dozen Statesmen Honored by Heart
Oskaloosa–Six members of the William Penn baseball team were honored for extraordinary campaigns this season as the all-Heart of America Athletic Conference awards were announced Friday.
Starting pitcher Teddy Natter (Jr., Reno, Nev., Business Management) and outfielder Tanner Bedier (So., Bondurant, Iowa, Business Management) were two of 17 first-team selections, while the trio of first baseman Jarrett Hunt (Sr., Logan, Utah, Digital Communications), second baseman Adrian Garcia (Sr., Ontario, Calif., Sociology), and starting pitcher Chase Stratton (Sr., Clearfield, Utah, Sports Management) joined a crew of 24 on the honorable-mention list. An additional 17 individuals were also recognized on the second team.
The awards are the second for both Hunt and Stratton, while Natter, Bedier, and Garcia are all first-time recipients.
Alex Fisher (Jr., Sydney, Australia, Biology) collected a nod on the Gold Glove team as well for his efforts as WPU’s center fielder.
The group has led William Penn to a 33-17 record (19-12 Heart) and a matchup on Monday with MidAmerica Nazarene in the consolation final of the Heart Championship. A win would give the navy and gold a berth in the NAIA National Championship Opening Round.
Natter currently owns a 9-1 record with a 4.04 Earned Run Average. He has made 11 appearances (all starts) for 62 1/3 innings of work and has struck out 77 while walking 36. Opposing batters hit just .203 against him. The junior has permitted two earned runs or fewer in five outings and has tossed at least five innings in eight games (one complete game).
Natter, who tossed a season-best 14 strikeouts against Jamestown on February 28, is 5-1 with a 3.86 ERA in Heart action.
The junior leads the Heart in hits allowed (47), while being second in opponent batting average and hits allowed per nine innings, fourth in wins, sixth in strikeouts per nine innings (11.1), eighth in strikeouts, and 10th in earned runs allowed (28).
Bedier is currently hitting .397 (60-for-151) with 15 doubles, three triples, and three home runs. The sophomore has 28 RBIs and 40 runs scored, while posting a .596 slugging percentage and a .452 on-base clip. Bedier has also stolen two bases.
The sophomore rattled off a nine-game hitting streak at the end of the year and has managed 21 multi-hit performances this spring. He tallied a pair of four-hit efforts as well.
Amongst Heart hitters, Bedier ranks seventh in doubles, ninth in both triples and triples per game (0.06), and 10th in doubles per game (0.32).
Hunt is topping his squad with a .406 batting average (67-for-165), including 15 doubles, three triples, two home runs, 38 RBIs, and 47 runs scored. The senior’s slugging percentage (.570) and on-base mark (.482) are extremely high. Hunt has walked 20 times and seven bases have been stolen by the first baseman.
Hunt is good for two 10-game hitting streaks (one is current) and has produced 20 games with at least two hits (high of five vs. Culver-Stockton on March 13).
Hunt ranks seventh in the conference in doubles, eighth in hits, ninth in batting average and triples, and 10th in runs.
Garcia is currently the owner of a .271 hitting clip (42-for-155) with six doubles, 18 RBIs, and 38 runs scored. He tops William Penn with 33 walks, while his 13 hit-by-pitches has accounted for a .438 on-base mark (.310 slugging %).
The senior recorded a six-game hitting streak earlier this spring and tallied a season-high three base knocks against Graceland on April 3 (nine multi-hit efforts).
Stratton owns a 7-5 record with a 3.62 ERA in 74 2/3 innings. Over 13 appearances (12 starts), he has posted 82 strikeouts versus 29 walks and only allows batters to hit .260. In 12 starts, the senior has 10 games with at least five strikeouts, headlined by a season-best 12 Ks against Northwestern in a no-hitter. He has gone the distance seven times with two shutouts to his credit.
Stratton ranks in Heart’s top 10 in numerous categories, including being sixth in ERA, innings pitched, and strikeouts, seventh in hits per nine innings (8.7), ninth in wins, opponent batting average, and strikeouts per nine innings (9.9), and 10th in innings pitched per game (5.74).
Fisher has been a magnet in center field, posting a .982 fielding percentage. In 113 total chances, he has recorded 107 putouts and four assists, while committing just two errors. The junior has helped turn two double plays as well.
It was a clean sweep of the league’s top awards for regular season champion Central Methodist. Sergio Macias won the Player of the Year honor, while Nick Merkel was picked as the Pitcher of the Year. Head Coach Nate Breland garnered Coach of the Year laurels from his peers.
