Burlin adds second all-region nod
INDIANOLA, Iowa - The postseason honors continue to roll in for Simpson standout Austin Burlin, who was named to the 2016 American Baseball Coaches Association/Rawlings All-Central Region Second Team earlier this week.
A senior outfielder from Chariton, Iowa, Burlin was also a First Team All-Iowa Conference performer and a Third Team D3baseball.com All-Central Region pick.
He becomes the first player in Simpson history to earn all-region honors from both the ABCA and D3baseball.com.
Burlin hit .383 with six home runs and 32 RBIs in 2016, all team-highs. He tied a school record with 18 doubles, good for third in the IIAC. He also ranked in the top five in the league in batting average, slugging, on-base percentage, runs scored and total bases. He began the season on a 25-game hitting streak, a mark that totaled 30 games dating back to the 2015 season.
A career .283 hitter through his junior season, Burlin flirted with becoming the first Storm player to hit .400 since 2010.
Westminster's Deion Hughes was named the Central Region Player of the Year and Webster head coach Jack Bensinger was recognized as the Coach of the Year.
2016 ABCA/Rawlings NCAA Division III All-Region Teams
The ABCA All-Region teams are voted on by members of the American Baseball Coaches Association and the process is led by the ABCA NCAA Div. III All-America Committee.
The ABCA All-America team was first recognized in 1949 and now includes nine divisions: NCAA Divisions I, II and III, NAIA, NJCAA Divisions I, II and III, Pacific Association Division, and high school. ABCA/Rawlings Gold Glove teams were first recognized in 2007.
The ABCA, founded in 1945, is the primary professional organization for baseball coaches at the amateur level. Its over 8,200 members represent all 50 states and 23 countries. Since its initial meeting of 27 college baseball coaches in June 1945, Association membership has broadened to include eight divisions: NCAA Division I, II and III, NAIA, NJCAA, Pacific Association Division, High School and Youth. The 73rd annual ABCA Convention will be held Jan. 5-8, 2017 in Anaheim, California.
