After a standout season and a key role in leading the Mercer County Community College baseball team to the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division II World Series, Vikings hurler Andrew DiPiazza has been named the Spalding NJCAA DII Baseball Pitcher of the Year.
“We are proud of Andrew and his success this year,” said MCCC head coach Kevin Kerins. “He was the anchor of our rotation, and it was an event every time he got the ball.”
DiPiazza was 12-1 on the season, and a perfect 2-0 in World Series competition, leading the Vikings to the semi-finals. He was named Pitcher of the Tournament and to the All-Tournament Team, and a first team All-American.
The 6-foot-7 right-hander ranked among the top five Division II pitchers in the country with 12 wins, 109 strikeouts, and a 1.50 earned run average. DiPiazza was fifth nationally with 14 starts, 10th in innings pitched with 84, and his 11.7 strikeouts per game was 16th among all Division II pitchers.
This is the second time in three years a Mercer pitcher has received this national honor, the last one being Heath Fillmyer in 2014. Fillmyer is currently a pitcher in the Oakland Athletics farm system.
A native of Bayville, New Jersey, DiPiazza was selected by the San Francisco Giants in the 39th round of the 2016 Major League Baseball Draft, and attracted the interest of several four-year college programs, including Texas A&M and Oklahoma State. DiPiazza plans to return to MCCC next season for his second year of eligibility.
“We are excited to have Andrew back for his sophomore season and we look forward to him continuing to develop into an elite pro prospect,” Kerins said.
