Clarksville, Ark.-Four University of the Ozarks baseball players were named to the American Southwest Conference All-East Division Team, the ASC office announced Tuesday.
Senior centerfielder Chris Driedric and junior second baseman Nick Brill were named to the ASC All-East Division Second Team. Junior shortstop Mitchell Powers and junior pitcher Ian Bryan earned ASC All-East Division Honorable Mention.
Brill, a 6-foot, 195-pound native of Siloam Springs, led the team in RBI (28), total bases (66), home runs (4) and hit by pitch (10). He tied for the team-lead in hits (46), while finishing second in batting (.331) and doubles (8), and third in runs (25) and slugging percentage (.475). Brill led the team in multiple-hit games (14) and tied for the team-lead in multiple-RBI games (7). Brill capped his breakout season by hitting safely in 30 games. He scored two runs six different times. On March 17, he went 3-for-4 with three RBI against East Texas Baptist. He posted a four-RBI game against Mississippi College when he homered and went 2-for-5. During a six-game stretch in April, he had two hits in five of those contests.
Driedric, a 5-foot-11, 170-pound native of Little Rock, led the team in at-bats (157) and runs (27), while tying for the team-lead in hits (46), doubles (9) and triples (1). The left-handed hitter finished with a .293 batting average, seventh-highest on the team, and recorded 11 multiple-hit games. He scored runs in 23 of 39 games. Against Centenary College March 24, he went a perfect 5-for-5 with two runs and in his final collegiate game, he went 3-for-7 with two doubles and two RBI. He posted a .977 fielding percentage and went two seasons without an error. Driedric received Honorable Mention All-Conference honors as a sophomore. At Ozarks, he ranks sixth in career games played (145), fifth in at-bats (515), tenth in hits (149), sixth in triples (4), third in sacrifice hits (15), eighth in stolen bases (18) and fifth in fielding percentage (.984).
Powers, a 6-foot-1, 195-pound native of North Little Rock, ranked among the ASC’s top-10 in walks
(5th-26) and on-base percentage (10th-.464), while owning the team’s highest batting average (.336). He tied for the team-lead in doubles (9), triples (1) and stolen bases (7). He finished second on the team in home runs (3), runs (26), RBI (24), slugging percentage (.500) and third in total bases (61), hits (41) and sacrifice hits (3). He had eight multiple-hit games, seven multiple-RBI games and finished the season on a 10-game hit streak. Powers homered, doubled and drove in three runs against Hendrix College February 21. He also worked 7.0 innings on the mound and finished with a 1-2 record. Following his junior season, Powers ranks among the program’s top-10 in slugging percentage (10th-.500), doubles (4th-30), triples (5th-3) and total bases (10th-203). He also earned All-Conference honors his freshman and sophomore season.
Bryan, 5-foot-8, 180-pound native of North Little Rock, led the team in appearances (14), saves (2) and ERA (3.23). The right-hander tossed 30.2 innings in relief and finished with a 2-1 record. He fanned 19 during the season and did not allow a hit in three appearances. He worked 3.2 scoreless innings against Centenary College and struck out four to receive his first win of the season. He later fashioned back-to-back saves against Louisiana College and Central Baptist to secure wins. Bryan also started 12 games at third base.
Topics: Athletics