Giusti, Scherrman Named ABCA All-Defensive Team-Region Nine
GREENSBORO, N.C.- Third baseman Connor Giusti (Sr./Hoffman Estates, Ill.) and shortstop Matt Scherrman (Sr./Wheaton, Ill.) of the UW-Oshkosh baseball team were both named to the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) All-Defensive Team-Region Nine on Thursday.
Giusti, who was a two-year starter for the Titans, started at third base in all 40 of UWO's contests this season. On the field, he had a .966 fielding percentage with 16 putouts and five double plays with only three errors. He finished the year at the plate with 49 hits in 147 at bats for a .333 batting average. His slugging percentage sat at .463 after the final game and was tied for third in the WIAC with four sacrifice flies.
This season, Scherrman led the conference with five sacrifice flies and was second in hits (67), RBI (54) and doubles (17). The shortstop was a four-year starter for the Titans, starting in all 40 of the Titans' games this season. He recorded a .953 fielding percentage with 100 assists this season for first on the Titans and third in the conference including 16 double plays. He was assigned only eight errors. At the plate, he also led the team with a .427 batting average and .720 slugging percentage. His 5-5 batting performance against UW-Eau Claire on April 8 with 3 RBI was a career-best.
Scherrman has already earned a pile of awards this season, including All-WIAC First Team and All-Region Nine and All-America Third Team honors in both the ABCA and D3baseball.com announcements.
Giusti and Scherrman helped the team to a 25-15 (15-9 WIAC) record and a fourth-place finish in the league standings. As the four seed in the WIAC tournament, UWO placed third, defeating host UW-Stevens Point before falling to UW-La Crosse and UW-Whitewater.
The rest of the Region Nine All-Defensive Team infield includes first baseman Mason Coyle from Saint Mary's University (Minn.), second baseman Owen Dauk from Saint John's University (Minn.). The outfield consists of Tegan Bock from Buena Vista College (Iowa), Andy Gravdahl from Concordia-Moorhead (Minn.) and Creighton Kreshel from Coe College (Iowa). The Region Nine pitcher is Davis Pasco from Loras College (Iowa) and the catcher is Ryan Norton from UW-Whitewater.
Founded in 1945, the American Baseball Coaches Association is the primary professional organization for baseball coaches at the amateur level. Its over 15,000 members represent all 50 states and 40 countries. Since its initial meeting of 27 college baseball coaches in June 1945, Association membership has broadened to include nine divisions: NCAA Division I, II and III, NAIA, NJCAA, Pacific Association Division, High School, Youth and Travel.