Wouters leads Region IX post-season baseball awards

McCook Community College sophomore Cory Wouters has been named the Region IX Player of the Year as the region has announced post-season awards which includes six MCC players.

In addition to Wouters gaining top honors he was also named First-Team Designated hitter while freshman outfielder Dalton Berg was named All-Region IX second team. Sophomore outfielder Nathan Hutchison received honorable mention and was named to the Gold Glove Team. Freshmen pitchers Aviv Bobrov, Landon Molloy and Tait Anderson all received honorable mention.

Wouters, 6-2 sophomore from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, played first base, DH and pitcher and won the Region IX triple crown with a .437 batting average, 21 home runs and 96 RBIs. He appeared in 57 games, scored 57 runs, had 90 hits in 206 at bats, 20 doubles, two triples, 43 extra base hits. He reached base 50.4 percent of his plate appearances and slugged .859. He finished the regular season with the third-most RBIs in the nation, and tied for eighth most home runs among players from 159 NJCAA D1 schools.

For his career, Wouters batted .427 in 109 games with 32 doubles, 30 home runs and 140 RBIs in 379 at bats. He appeared in 20 games as a pitcher with a 7-10 record, a 7.57 ERA and 120 strikeouts in 82 innings pitched. This year, he went 4-3 on the mound in nine appearances and struck out 51 hitters in 40.2 innings pitched with 11.29 strikeouts per nine innings.

Wouters was named Region IX Player of the week three times during the season, winning it in Weeks 4, 10 and 14.

Hutchison, 5-11 sophomore from Riverton, Wyo., played in 56 games and led the team with 65 runs scored, a .305 batting average with 19 doubles, four triples, six home runs and 50 RBIs. He drew a team-best 46 walks with a .402 on-base average and a .474 slugging average. He led the team with 10 stolen bases. Hutchison earned a gold glove in centerfield with 93 total chances, 91 putouts, one assist and just one error. He finished the year with a .989 fielding percentage.

Berg, 6-0 freshman from Frederick, Colo., hit .305 in 56 games with 15 doubles, nine home runs and 50 RBIs with a .457 on-base mark and a .554 slugging average.

Bobrov, 5-11 right hander from Shekhanya, Israel) appeared in 13 games, starting 12 of them with a 6-5 record, an ERA of 5.98, three complete games and 71 strikeouts in 58.2 innings. He was fifth among all pitchers in Region IX in strikeouts and was a three-time winner of the region’s pitcher of the week, capturing it in weeks 7, 12 and 13.

Molloy, 6-2 right-hander from Parker, Colo., captured pitcher of the week awards Weeks 6 and 9. He appeared in 13 games, starting nine with a 6-4 record and a 5.23 ERA which was fifth best in the region. He struck out 53 hitters in 63.2 innings.

Anderson, the 6-4 left-hander from Auckland, New Zealand, appeared in 13 games, starting five with a 1-2 record and two saves and a team best 3.18 ERA. He fanned 34 hitters in 39.2 innings pitched.

First Team All-Region IX

Cory Wouters, Designated Hitter, McCook

Garrett White, Southeast CC, starting pitcher

Ondrej Vank, Northeastern JC, starting pitcher

Clayden Brandon, Western Nebraska, starting pitcher

Brayden Stork, Northeastern JC, relief pitcher

Max Valerio, Northeastern JC, catcher

Eduardo Cardenas, Lamar, First Base

Vaughn Wilson, Western Nebraska, Second Base

Dylan Salcido, Otero, Shortstop

Brayden Stufft, Northeastern JC, Third Base

Keenan Oxford, Lamar, Outfield

Tanner Peerey, Northeastern JC, Outfield

Ryan Ray, Otero, Outfield

Player of the Year: Cory Wouters, DH, McCook

Pitcher of the Year: Ondrej Vank, Northeastern JC

Freshman Player of the Year: Jack Hogan, Southeast CC

Defensive Player of the Year: Cody Zrust, Southeast CC

Other MCC Honors

Region IX Second Team: Dalton Berg, Outfield

Region IX Honorable Mention: Nate Hutchison, Outfield

Region IX Honorable Mention: Tait Anderson, Pitcher

Region IX Honorable Mention: Aviv Bobrov, Pitcher

Region IX Honorable Mention: Landon Molloy, Pitcher

Region IX Gold Glove Team: Nate Hutchison, Outfield

For all the latest information about MCC baseball including schedule and schedule changes, livestream links, statistics, rosters, photos and more please visit the MCC Athletics website, www.mccindians.com