Westrick Honored for Elite Defense

ABCA Region All-Defensive Team Release

The College of Wooster's Eli Westrick was part of the inaugural American Baseball Coaches Association NCAA Div. III Region All-Defensive Team, which was announced by the coaching organization on Thursday afternoon.

Westrick, the Region 7 second baseman on the list, was as reliable as they come defensively this spring. The junior sported a .983 fielding percentage with just three errors in 181 total chances. Not much got by or down around Westrick, who displayed plenty of range in every direction. Westrick's defense was headlined by an ability to get to numerous shallow fly balls well into the outfield or down the line in foul territory, evidenced in part by 92 putouts to just 86 assists as a middle infielder. He was part of 19 double plays on the year.

The D3baseball.com All-American averaged nearly five fielding chances per game this spring. He had eight games with at least seven fielding chances, headlined by 10 against Wabash College in the North Coast Athletic Conference regular season finale. Westrick did not make a miscue in those eight games, and he ended the year on a 13-game error-free streak, during which he had 79 fielding chances.

In addition to his All-America honor, Westrick was a consensus ABCA/Rawlings and D3baseball.com all-region performer this spring, and he was a first-team All-NCAC selection after batting .418 (71-for-170) with 39 runs, 26 RBI, 23 walks, 14 doubles, four triples, three home runs, and a near-.500 on-base percentage.

ABCA Region All-Defensive Team members were eligible for the ABCA/Rawlings Gold Glove Award, which was announced on June 21. Wheaton College's (Massachusetts) Mike Maher was the Div. III Gold Glove winner for second basemen.