Sports News: Spring 2011

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

MORAVIAN’S BRENDAN CLOSE & MIKE ZUBIA NAMED TO RAWLINGS/ABCA ALL-MID-ATLANTIC REGION TEAMS

EWING, NJ --- Junior pitcher Brendan Close (Bethlehem, PA/Freedom HS) of the Moravian College baseball team was named to the First Team All-Mid-Atlantic Region Team as selected by the American Baseball Coaches Association announced Tuesday while senior outfielder Mike Zubia (Bethlehem, PA/Bethlehem Catholic HS) earned a spot on the All-Region Third Team.

By making the first team, Close is eligible to Rawlings/ABCA All-America honors which will be announced on Thursday, May 26th at the championship banquet prior to the start of the 2011 NCAA Division III College World Series in Appleton, Wisconsin.

Close, who was named the 2011 Landmark Conference Pitcher of the Year and to the All-Conference First Team, had a 10-0 record, a 1.00 ERA, four shutouts, 100 strikeouts and just five walks allowed in 80.2 innings, setting school record for wins, shutouts, strikeouts and innings pitched.  Close, who was on the 2009 Landmark All-Conference First Team and the Second Team last season,  has also set the school records with 22 career wins (22-3 overall), seven shutouts and 232 career strikeouts, and he issecond in innings pitched at 202.1 in three seasons while walking just 27 batters.

Zubia, who was also named to the 2011 Landmark All-Conference First Team, was Moravian’s starting right fielder and the top hitter on the team this year.  He hit .397 with 56 hits, 28 runs, 14 doubles, three triples, 16 stolen bases, eight walks and 36 RBIs.  Zubia, who returned for a fifth season this year after missing his sophomore campaign with an injury, also had 72 putouts and two assists this spring.  Zubia had a .319 career average to go with 88 hits, 52 runs, 20 doubles, five triples and 50 RBIs in 103 career games.

Moravian posted a school record 31 wins this season, going 31-9 overall, the first 30-win season in school history.  The Greyhounds were also 17-1 in the Landmark Conference regular season and earned the top seed and hosted the 2011 Landmark Conference Championship Tournament for the second straight year.

To view the full 2011 ABCA All-Mid-Atlantic Region Teams, click here.