Tiffin, Ohio - May 26, 2010 – D3baseball.com announced today its 2010 All-American Team and the nationally ranked Heidelberg University baseball team had three honorees.
Earning D3baseball.com All-American First Team recognition was junior third baseman Willie Brechun (Canton, Ohio / Canton Central Catholic) and sophomore right fielder Ricardo Lizcano (Toledo, Ohio / Roy C. Start). Earning a spot on the third team was junior closer Andy Lowe (Fort Wayne, Ind. / Carroll).
The trio increases Heidelberg’s All-American tally to 11. Brechun and Lizcano join A.J. Schlea (2006) as first team honorees. Ten of the 11 All-Americans have been under the guidance of head coach Matt Palm.
Brechun is picking up his first All-American honor of his career. His All-American selection joins his spot on the Mideast Region First Team and the Ohio Athletic Conference First Team. At the plate, Brechun leads the team with 26 doubles, while sharing the team lead with Lizcano with 88 hits and is second with 65 runs batted in. He has also scored 59 times. At the hot corner, Brechun has a .917 fielding percentage and had helped to turn 11 double plays. His 26 doubles has set a new single season record at Heidelberg and in the OAC.
Lizcano has made a name for himself in just his second season at the Berg. He is picking up his first All-American nod. Earlier today, Lizcano was named the Mideast Region Player of the Year, after landing on the first team on Monday. Lizcano was also named the 2010 OAC Jack Rafeld Player of the Year and was a first team honoree. He has been a mainstay in the starting line up the entire season, spending the majority of his time in right field. At the plate he leads the team in batting average (.456), runs scored (74), home runs (15) and runs batted in (67). He shares team honors with Brechun with 88 hits. In the field, Lizcano owns a .982 fielding percentage in 171 chances.
It is the second straight year that Lowe has been named to the D3baseball.com All-American Team. In total, Lowe is a three-time All-American, twice by D3baseball.com and once by the American Baseball Coaches Association. His All-American status this year is coupled with being tabbed the Mideast Region Co-Pitcher of the Year and a first team all-region selection. In the OAC, Lowe was named the Kent Tekelve Co-Pitcher of the Year, marking the second consecutive year he earned the top award. To go along with his pitcher of the year honor, Lowe was a first time selection. He has recorded 12 saves on the year, topping his own school record he has tied in each of his first two seasons. He owns a 2.47 earned run average to lead the staff. Along the way he has struck out 48 and owns an overall record of 4-1.
Heidelberg stands at 40-6 overall, which ranks second for wins in a single season at the Berg. Next up for the Berg is the Division III World Series. Heidelberg opens up play in Appleton, Wis. against Johns Hopkins University on Friday, May 28. First pitch is slated for 4:30 p.m. central standard time.