11 members of the Marshalltown Community College Baseball team have been named to the NJCAA Division I All-Region XI team, tying the school record for most postseason honors in a single season. The Tigers had two first-team picks, seven second-team selections and two members of the honorable mention team.
Sophomores Kolton Gonnerman (Centerville, IA/Centerville) and Logan Holtz (Urbana, IA/Center Point-Urbana) were named to the first-team after leading the Tigers to a program-record 34 wins in 2016 and a spot in the Region XI Championship game. Both players earned All-Region XI honors as freshman in 2015.
Gonnerman, a right-handed pitcher, finished the season with an 8-1 record on the mound, tying a program-record for single season wins. The sophomore ranked second in the Iowa Community College Athletic Conference (ICCAC) with eight wins and 63 strikeouts while his 2.74 earned run average ranked third. Gonnerman earned honorable mention honors as a freshman.
Holtz powered the MCC offense on the year, ranking second on the team with a .382 batting average and led the Tigers with nine home runs, 51 runs scored, 12 stolen bases, and 30 extra base hits. The sophomore's 41 RBI also ranked second. After posting 71 hits as a sophomore, Holtz finished his career tied for fourth-most in program history with 121 hits.
The Tigers filled up the second-team all-league roster with seven selections. Sophomore Bennett Lopez (Dorado, Puerto Rico/PRBA) was named to the second-team for the second-straight year while fellow infielders Luis Duran (Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic/Centro de Estudio Espaillat) and Enmanuel Lopez (Santiago, Dominican Republic/Prepara) joined Bennett Lopez. Outfielder Diogen Ceballos (La Vega, Dominican Republic/Liceo la Romana), catcher Hunter Embray (Bussey, IA/Twin Cedars), and pitchers Juan Carlos Gonzalez (Piedra Blanca, Dominican Republic/Salome Urena de Henrriquez) and JD Barr (South Sioux City, NE/Bishop Heelan Catholic) rounded out the all-league second-team picks.
Bennett Lopez posted a .306 batting average as a sophomore and recorded three home runs to go along with 10 stolen bases and 41 runs scored. Lopez posted a .956 fielding percentage, making just nine errors in 203 total chances. Lopez finished his career tied with Holtz for fourth-most hits in program history at 121.
The Tigers' top-hitter on the year was Enmanuel Lopez who posted a .418 batting average which ranked third in the ICCAC. Lopez becomes the first Tiger to eclipse the .400 threshold since Scotty Ethell posted a .426 batting average in 2008. Lopez's 76 hits on the season tied the school record for most hits in a season, joining former Tiger Ben Lott (2012). Lopez also led the team with 46 RBI and ranked second with eight home runs.
Duran posted the team's fourth-highest batting average, recording a .340 clip as the team's primary third baseman. Duran recorded 18 games with at least two hits and posted 21 extra base hits on the year. Duran started 55 of the team's 56 games in 2016, recording a team-high 194 at bats.
Ceballos proved to be an exceptional two-way player for the Tigers, displaying a solid bat while shutting down opposing teams from the mound. The freshman ranked third on the team with a .353 batting average and seven home runs. Ceballos made six started on the mound and posted a 3-3 record along with two saves in 42 innings pitched while striking out 38 batters.
Behind the plate, Embray led the league with 13 runners thrown out and posted a .985 fielding percentage in 395 total chances. The sophomore connected on six home runs for the Tigers and drove in 25 runs on the year.
The Tigers' contained one of the best pitching staffs in the league this year, and along with Gonnerman, Gonzalez was just as feared on the mound. The freshman joined Gonnerman with a program-record eight wins on the year while striking out a conference-best 76 batters, also a school-record. Gonzalez led the team with a 2.66 earned run average, the second-lowest number in the league.
JD Barr led the way for the Tigers out of the bullpen, setting a single season saves record with nine. The freshman emerged down the stretch for the Tigers, recording six of his saves in a span of seven appearances. Barr's nine saves were tied for ninth-most in the nation this year.
Sophomore Bryan Ventura (Carolina, Puerto Rico/Continental) and freshman Joel Rosauer (Elk Run Heights, IA/Waterloo East) capped off the postseason honors for the Tigers with honorable mention accolades.
Ventura collected 48 hits as a sophomore, including five home runs and 13 doubles. Ventura also stole nine bases while playing in 53 games as the Tigers' primary centerfielder.
Rosauer excelled during conference play for the Tigers, posting a .308 batting average against league foes. Rosauer finished the season with a .315 batting average while driving in 28 runs and scoring 24 more.
The Tigers' 11 all-region selections tie the 2011 team for most all-conference picks in school history.
