University of Southern Indiana senior leftfielder Drake McNamara (Mt. Vernon, Indiana) was named the American Baseball Coaches Association Midwest Region Player of the Year. McNamara is the third Screaming Eagle to earn the region player of the year honor from the ABCA and the second of the year for the senior.
Kevin Brown and Darin Mastroianni were the first Eagles to be named region player of the year by the ABCA, earning the award in 1993 and 2007, respectively.
McNamara, who also was named first-team All-Midwest Region as an outfielder for the third time this month, has had a record-setting season for the Eagles in 2018. The senior outfielder leads the team with a .390 batting average and singles-season records of 79 RBIs and 17 home runs.
In addition to the single-season record for home runs and RBIs, the 2018 GLVC Player of the Year and NCBWA All-Midwest Region Player of the Year also has set the USI career-record for home runs (33) and is closing on the career-marks for total bases (404) and RBIs (182).
Named to the second-team All-Midwest Region was senior utility player Nick Gobert (Jasper, Indiana) and junior catcher Logan Brown (Mt. Vernon, Indiana). Gobert, who has seen action this year at first base, third base, left field, and on the mound, follows McNamara in the batting column with a .361 average, 54 RBIs, two home runs, and a team-high 26 doubles.
A two-time All-Midwest Region honoree this spring, Gobert is 5-3 on the mound with a 4.37 ERA in 15 appearances and four starts. He has two saves and has struck out 43 batters in 47.1 innings of work.
Brown was named second-team for the third time in the last two weeks. The first-team All-GLVC East selection is hitting .344 with 40 RBIs and four home runs. Brown is hitting .441 during the 2018 post-season with three runs scored, four doubles, and nine RBIs.
The Screaming Eagles start NCAA Division II Baseball Championship action this weekend. Opponents and start times are still to be determined. The Division II Baseball Championship is May 26-June 2 in Cary, North Carolina.
