SAINT PETER, Minn. – The 2022 ABCA/Rawlings and D3baseball.com regional awards were released Tuesday and three Gustavus baseball players received recognition. Jack Hanson (Sr., Minnetonka) highlighted the honors by being named ABCA/Rawlings Region 9 Position Player of the Year and the D3baseball.com Region 9 Player of the Year. Ethan Mocchi (Sr., Champlin) was named Second Team All-Region by both ABCA/Rawlings and D3baseball.com, while Bryce Novak (Jr., Cleveland) was named Second Team by D3baseball.com and Third Team by ABCA/Rawlings.
Hanson is the first Gustie to receive a regional player of the year award since Tony Konicek was named NCBWA Midwest Region Position Player of the Year in 2007. Making his second consecutive appearance on the D3baseball.com All-Region Team (Second Team in 2021), Hanson was also named MIAC Player of the Year after winning the “triple crown” in the MIAC when including all games played this season, leading the league in batting average (.491), runs batted in (57), and home runs (14). Hanson also led the MIAC in overall plate appearances (195), at-bats (167), runs (59), hits (82), total bases (143), on-base percentage (.544), slugging percentage (.856), total chances (315), and putouts (298). In conference games only, Hanson led the league in runs (26), hits (37), batting average (.507), on-base percentage (.565), and slugging percentage (.932). Hanson also made his mark in the Gustavus record books, setting the single season records for hits (82), RBIs (57), runs (59), and tied the home run record of 14. After starting all 42 games at first base this season, Hanson had 26 multiple-hit games, including six four-hit games, and 17 multiple-RBI games. His .491 batting average and 82 hits were both third best in NCAA Division III, while his 143 total bases ranked fourth. Hanson’s .856 slugging percentage was ninth highest in the country.
Mocchi makes his first appearance on the D3baseball.com All-Region Team after being the top catcher in the MIAC. Mocchi ranked in the conference’s top-10 in multiple statistical categories, including a .380 batting average (9th) with 37 runs (8th), 60 hits (3rd), 13 doubles (4th), eight home runs (4th), 99 total bases (5th), .627 slugging percentage (5th), and eight runners caught stealing (4th). Starting 29 games at catcher, Mocchi made 178 putouts with 21 assists and six errors for a .971 fielding percentage. Mocchi ended his collegiate career as one of the best players in Gustavus baseball history, ranking 16th in career batting average (.340), ninth in at-bats (486), ninth in hits (165), fifth in doubles (39), eighth in home runs (13), and third in RBIs (114).
One year removed from earning D3baseball.com Third Team All-America honors, Novak returns to the All-Region Team after starting 35 games in center field and 39 games in the leadoff spot. Novak hit .403 (5th/MIAC) with 47 runs (3rd), 60 hits (3rd), five triples (3rd), five home runs (11th), 32 RBI (11th), 92 total bases (7th), a .467 on-base percentage (6th), and .617 slugging percentage (7th). Novak had 17 multiple-hit games and had the longest hitting streak of the season at 13 games. He also reached base in 25 consecutive games. In the field, Novak made 82 putouts with four errors for a .953 fielding percentage.
The D3baseball.com All-America Team will be released Wednesday morning.