Peter Jay (Shelton, Conn./Shelton) of the University of New Haven baseball team has been selected as one of 11 national finalists for the Josh Willingham Award. The honor will be presented for the first time to the Most Valuable Player in Division II, as decided by College Baseball Lineup and D2BaseballNews.com, at the conclusion of the 2013 NCAA Division II College World Series on June 1.
The Chargers’ closer for his final two seasons at New Haven, Jay finished the 2013 season at 3-1 with 14 saves and a 0.26 earned run average in 34.1 innings of work. The right-hander ceded just one earned run and held opposing batters to a .115 average with a 0.47 WHIP and 38 strikeouts compared to just three walks. Jay’s 14 saves mark a New Haven single-season record and came in just 15 opportunities. The lone loss on his 3-1 record came via two unearned runs, while two of his wins were three-inning shutout performances in a pair of Chargers’ extra-inning victories. He was a Second Team All-Northeast-10 and Second Team Daktronics All-East Region selection.
Jay became even more valuable in the postseason. In four appearances between the Northeast-10 Championship and NCAA East Region Championship, he fired eight scoreless innings. Jay went 1-0 with two saves in the playoffs, allowing just one hit and one walk while striking out eight batters en route to a .040 batting average against and a 0.25 WHIP. He was the Most Valuable Player of the Northeast-10 Championship as the Chargers claimed their first-ever conference crown.
Jay joins Franklin Pierce right-hander and Northeast-10 Pitcher of the Year Trevor Graham as the lone representatives of the NE-10 and the east region on the list of 11 finalists for the inaugural Josh Willingham Award.
The Chargers finished the spring at the NCAA Division II East Region Championship with an overall record of 34-16. New Haven’s 34 wins are the third-most in program history, two shy of the 36 victories accumulated by the 1989 team that finished as a National Finalist. In addition to winning their first-ever Northeast-10 Championship in five seasons as a member of the conference, the Chargers won an NCAA regional game for the first time since 2003. This was New Haven’s 28th NCAA regional appearance and 33rd national postseason trip overall.
2013 Josh Willingham Award Finalists
|
NAME |
YR |
POS |
SCHOOL |
|
Matt Borgschulte |
Sr. |
OF |
Drury |
|
Brannon Easterling |
Jr. |
RHP |
St. Edward's |
|
Trevor Graham |
Jr. |
RHP |
Franklin Pierce |
|
David Harris |
Sr. |
SS |
Southern Arkansas |
|
Peter Jay |
Sr. |
RHP |
New Haven |
|
Fico Kondla |
Jr. |
1B |
Coker |
|
Pat Kregeloh |
Jr. |
UTL |
Shippensburg |
|
Adam Pendleton |
Sr. |
C |
Tampa |
|
Jordan Peterson |
So. |
RHP |
St. Joseph's |
|
Taylor Taska |
Jr. |
UTL |
Texas A&M Kingsville |
|
Zambron, Brad |
Sr. |
LHP |
Grand Valley State |
