Top-Ranked Tampa Headlines Daktronics Baseball All-South Region
TAMPA, Fla. - The University of Tampa's top-ranked baseball team saw Stephen Dezzi and Preston Packrall named Daktronics South Region Player & Pitcher of the Year accolades while garnering eight All-South Region selections in total, as announced on Wednesday. A total of 32 student-athletes earned Daktronics South Region recognition with the Sunshine State Conference commanding 23 selections and the Gulf South Conference picking up nine accolades.
A junior out of Sarasota, Fla., Dezzi boasted a team-high .380 batting average, four triples, 47 runs scored, 42 runs batted in and 103 total bases with 12 doubles and seven home runs. The Spartans utility player led the SSC in runs, triples, while ranking in the top-five for home runs, RBIs, total bases, on-base percentage (.464) and slugging (.630).
A senior from Tampa, Fla., Packrall was named the SSC Pitcher of the Year after leading the conference with seven victories in league play and was a perfect 9-0 overall on the season. He led all SSC starting pitchers with a 1.63 earned run average while adding two shutouts and 40 strikeouts with just 11 walks in 66.1 innings of work. Opponents managed just a .216 batting average against him.
Joining Dezzi (DH) and Packrall (SP) on the first team were: C Sal Giardina (Lynn), 1B Fran Whitten (Saint Leo), 2B Matthew Fears (Valdosta State), SS Mike Reed (Valdosta State), 3B Tyler Ding (Tampa), OF Sheehan Planas-Arteaga (Barry), Michael Danner (Tampa), OF Dex Herrington (Delta State), UT Alex DeBellis (Lynn), UT Pitcher Matt Hendricks (Rollins), SP Jordan DeLorenzo (West Florida), SP David Heintz (Tampa), SP Michael Manley (Delta State) and RP Bill Mendek (Lynn).
The second team was comprised of: C Nick Tindall (Tampa), DH Bryant Hayman (Valdosta State), 1B Trey Vavra (Florida Southern), 2B Orlando Rivera (Tampa), SS Alvin Swoope (Nova Southeastern), 3B Dylan Harris (Saint Leo), OF Jordan Chovanec (Delta State), OF Keith Curcio (Florida Southern), OF Austin Southall (West Florida ), UT Nick Perez (Saint Leo), UT Pitcher Alex Fernandez (Nova Southeastern), SP Jed Vandernaald (Lynn), SP Jimmy Gutowski (Eckerd), SP Drew Eiland (Alabama-Huntsville), SP Trey Oest (Tampa) and RP Kevin McNorton (Tampa).
The D2SIDA All-America and All-Region baseball teams are sponsored by Daktronics, Inc., an acknowledged world leader in scoring, timing and programmable display systems for virtually every sport at every level of competition. The teams are voted on by the members of D2SIDA, NCAA Division II Sports Information Directors Association.
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Daktronics First Team All-South Region
C - Sal Giardina, Jr., Lynn
DH - Stephen Dezzi, Tampa
1B - Fran Whitten, Saint Leo
2B - Matthew Fears, Valdosta State
SS - Mike Reed, Valdosta State
3B - Tyler Ding, Tampa
OF - Sheehan Planas-Arteaga, Barry
OF - Michael Danner, Tampa
OF - Dex Herrington, Delta State
UT (Non-Pitcher) - Alex DeBellis, Lynn
UT (Pitcher) - Matt Hendricks, Rollins
SP - Preston Packrall, Tampa
SP - Jordan DeLorenzo, West Florida
SP - David Heintz, Tampa
SP - Michael Manley, Delta State
RP - Bill Mendek, Lynn
Daktronics South Region Player of the Year - Stephen Dezzi, Tampa
Daktronics South Region Pitcher of the Year - Preston Packrall, Tampa
Daktronics Second Team All-South Region
C - Nick Tindall, Tampa
DH - Bryant Hayman, Valdosta State
1B - Trey Vavra, Florida Southern
2B - Orlando Rivera, Tampa
SS - Alvin Swoope, Nova Southeastern
3B - Dylan Harris, Saint Leo
OF - Jordan Chovanec, Delta State
OF - Keith Curcio, Florida Southern
OF - Austin Southall, West Florida
UT (Non-Pitcher) - Nick Perez, Saint Leo
UT (Pitcher) - Alex Fernandez, Nova Southeastern
SP - Jed Vandernaald, Lynn
SP - Jimmy Gutowski, Eckerd
SP - Drew Eiland, Alabama-Huntsville
SP - Trey Oest, Tampa
RP - Kevin McNorton, Tampa