GREENSBORO, N.C. --- Outfielder Kyle Schroedle and shortstop Seth Betts were named to the Rawlings Midwest First Team All-Region Team this week by the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) after both players had career seasons with the Storm. Also making the cut was Storm ace Eric Newman, who the ABCA placed on their All-Region Third Team.
Kyle Schroedle spent the season chasing the NCAA Division III Home Run Title and held the lead for multiple days along the way, and ending fourth when their season finished in the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) Playoffs. Schroedle's mark of 17 home runs shatters the old single-season Crown record of four in a season, and his new single-season slugging percentage is over 300 points above the previous mark set by Dalton Wintersole. The UMAC Named the Redding, California native to their All-Conference First Team, the first of such honors in his career.
Seth Betts, the team's captain, had a remarkable season and now has set nearly all Storm records that Schroedle didn't break. After his impressive season, the UMAC named him Player of the Year, the first award of the type in program history. Betts was named to D3baseball.com's All-Region First Team, and Schroedle was named to their Third Team.
Eric Newman is the first pitcher in Crown Baseball history to be named to an All-Region team after an impressive season for the ace. Now the career leader for Crown in ERA and wins, he set the single-season records for strikeouts and wins this season. Newman's season, which included shutting down conference playoff teams Northwestern, St. Scholastica, and Bethany Lutheran, could have easily ended the year with more wins if run production followed his starts.
Newman and Betts are now competing in the historic Northwoods League, which has produced MLB talents such as Chris Sale, Max Scherzer, Pete Alonso, and Curtis Granderson. Betts plays for the Rochester Honkers, and Newman plays for the Madison Mallards.
The Storm will get back to work next spring, with all players eligible to return due to a waiver issued by the NCAA related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
