Josh Stidham

2012 ABCA All-Mideast Region Team
2012 D3baseball.com All-Mideast Region Team

Josh Stidham of The College of Wooster was selected to two All-Mideast Region Teams, one coordinated by the American Baseball Coaches Association and the other by D3baseball.com, with teammates Eddie Reese and Johnathan Ray joining him, one on each team. Stidham and Reese were third-team picks after a vote by the coaches and Stidham collected second-team status from D3baseball.com, followed by Ray on the third team.

Stidham, previously awarded as the North Coast Athletic Conference Pitcher of the Year, was Wooster's ace throughout 2012, producing a 7-3 record, 2.61 ERA, and 56 strikeouts in 72.1 innings. The senior right-hander's most memorable stretch saw him play a key role in leading the Fighting Scots to the NCAC championship. First, he helped Wooster qualify for the tourney with a quality start and a relief win during a four-game series with Allegheny College (April 29-May 1), then followed with another quality start and relief win in the NCAC Tournament (May 3-5), both versus DePauw University, tallying a 1.40 ERA and 19.1 innings over the busy seven days.

Reese, a sophomore who started 30 games at short before moving to second base during the postseason, served as the Scots' top offensive player in his first year as a regular starter, leading the squad in average (.369), runs scored (37), doubles (11), and RBI (34). Batting primarily out of the No. 3 hole, he added seven homers, five of which came during a six-game tear (March 23-31) that saw him bat .538 (14-for-26) with 13 RBI. Reese, who also stole 10 bases on the season, repeatedly came through with clutch hits, upping his average to .452 when there were two outs (19-for-42).

Ray, the left fielder, was the team leader in batting average for much of the spring before being overtaken by Reese. The junior finished at a .364 clip to go with nine doubles, six home runs, and 31 RBI, while drawing 20 walks as part of a .449 on-base percentage as he led Wooster in the latter two categories. After the spring break trip, Ray reached base successfully 29 consecutive games (March 27-May 5) and recorded 11 multi-hit games during that stretch which saw his average rise from .306 to as high as .407.

The Scots capped 2012 with a 27-18 record, as they bounced back from being 11-11 at one point to winning the NCAC championship, and thus qualifying for the NCAA Div. III Championship field.