MARSHALL, Minn. --- Tusculum College's Placido Torres has been named the 2016 NCAA Division II Conference Commissioner's National Baseball Pitcher of the Year. Earlier this week, Torres was also tabbed the DII National Pitcher of the Year by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA)

The D2CCA All-America and All-Region baseball teams, which are selected by CoSIDA members from schools playing Division II, were first established in 2007. This is the first year in which the program is solely sponsored by the Division II Conference Commissioners Association.

Torres becomes the first player in program history to earn National Pitcher of the Year laurels. He was also named to the D2CCA and NCBWA All-America first team, becoming the 21st baseball All-American in Tusculum history and the sixth Pioneer pitcher to garner All-America recognition.

Torres joins former Pioneers on the D2CCA All-America list including: Maikol Gonzalez (2007, 2008), Kevin Hammons (2007), Christian Rosa (2008), Cody Coffman (2012), Aaron Guinn (2012) and Craig Goodman (2012).

Torres, a senior left-hander from North Brunswick, New Jersey, has been a consensus DII Southeast Region Pitcher of the Year honoree, receiving the recognition from the NCBWA, American Baseball Coaches Association and the Division II Conference Commissioner's Association. He was also named the 2015-16 Tusculum College Male Athlete of the Year.

Torres is a national finalist for the Brett Tomko Award, recognizing the DII National Pitcher of the Year by D2BaseballNews.com

Torres has accounted for the best season ever by a Tusculum hurler as he owns a perfect 11-0 record in his 14 starts where he pitched seven complete games, including a TC-single-season record four shutouts.
His 11 wins tied for second-most in a TC season and are the most by a Pioneer hurler during the NCAA Division II era (1999-present).

His 0.70 earned run average is best in the nation and is a new program and conference record. He leads all three NCAA divisions with a school single-season record 162 strikeouts. His seasonal strikeout total is the second most in SAC history and the 10th most in NCAA II history. He threw a school record 116 innings this season where he allowed 24 walks and limited the opposition to a .154 batting average. He also leads NCAA II in fewest hits allowed per nine innings pitched (4.73).

Earlier this season, the two-time All-SAC first team selection recorded a school single-game record 17 strikeouts against Stillman. He has posted 12 or more strikeouts on eight occasions this year, including 15 strikeouts in a one-hit shutout over Wingate, earning him national pitcher of the week honors by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA). Torres has been named SAC Pitcher of the Week six times and NCBWA Southeast Region Pitcher of the Week on four occasions.

Torres pitched a pair of complete game victories in his two postseason starts this year. He tossed a four-hit shutout in Tusculum's SAC Tournament opener against Lincoln Memorial, earning him a spot on the SAC All-Tournament Team. He followed that with last Saturday's nine-inning complete game victory over 15th-ranked Belmont Abbey in an elimination contest of the NCAA II Southeast Regional in Columbus, Georgia. In that game, he allowed a run on seven hits, with two walks and a dozen strikeouts.

During his two-year Tusculum career, he amassed a sterling 20-3 record in his 31 mound appearances with a 1.43 ERA which is the lowest ever by a Pioneer pitcher. In his 27 career starts, he has pitched eight complete games, including a program-record five shutouts. His 272 career strikeouts are a new TC record and are the sixth-most in the SAC record book. His 201.1 career innings pitched are sixth in program history, while his 20 wins are fifth-most by a Pioneer.

- TC -

2016 D2CCA/NCAA Division II Baseball All-America Team
Ron Lenz National Player of the Year: Alex Wojciechowski, Minnesota Duluth
Ron Lenz National Pitcher of the Year: Placido Torres, Tusculum

First Team
C - John Silviano, Lynn
1B - Alex Wojciechowski, Minnesota-Duluth
2B - Dylan Cook, Georgia College
3B - Kyle Comer, Minnesota-Duluth
SS - Alex DeGoti, Barry
OF - Patrick O'Donnell, Augustana
OF - Luke Ortel, Hillsdale
OF - Ryan Snyder, Quincy
DH - Zach Moon, USC Aiken
UT - (non-pitcher) Jon Kamies, Central Oklahoma
UT - (pitcher) Reese Gregory, St. Cloud State
SP - Guillaume Blanchette, Lubbock Christian
SP - Brandon Miller, Millersville
SP - Brandyn Sittinger, Ashland
SP - Placido Torres, Tusculum
RP - Matt Williams, Grand Valley State

Second Team
C - Mitch Stotlzfus Jr. Millersville
1B - Mike McClellan Sr. Columbus State
2B - Jimmy Heck, Minnesota Duluth
3B - Jay Jabs, Franklin Pierce
SS - Ryan Ihle, Columbus State
OF - Jordan Godman, CSU-Pueblo
OF - Will Robertson, Delta State
OF - Corey Wood, Arkansas-Monticello
DH - Jesse Rall, Missouri Southern State
UT - (non-pitcher) Colby Lusignan, Lander
UT - (pitcher) Nate Olinger, Colorado School of Mines
SP - Anthony Matarazzo, Franklin Pierce
SP - JR McDermott, Colorado Mesa
SP - Colin McKee, Mercyhurst
SP - Dylan Stowell, California Baptist
RP - Tanner Bird, Franklin Pierce

Third Team
C - Will Albertson, Catawba College
1B - J.D. Arrowood, St. Edward's
2B - Fernando Garza, Philadelphia
3B - Stephen Lohr, California Baptist
SS - Tre Porter, Shepherd
OF - Robert Bennie, East Stroudsburg
OF - Shane Billings, Wingate
OF - Zach Daly, Lander
DH - Brandon Gomez, Nova Southeastern
UT - (non-pitcher) Rudy Navarro, Cal State East Bay
UT - (pitcher) Jason Polgano, Felician
SP - Tim Viehoff, Southern New Hampshire
SP - Matt Kostalos, St. Thomas Aquinas
SP - Sheldon Miks, St. Cloud State
SP - Bryce Zak, Angelo State
RP - Brandon White, Lander

Honorable Mention
Catcher: David Gauntt, Washburn; 1B: Dan Stoltzfus, Millersville; 2B: Laz Rivera, Tampa; 3B: Blake Edwards, Columbus State; SS: Paxton DeLaGarza, Angelo State; OF: Tyler Bugner, Newman; Casey Scoggins, Tampa; DH: Chris Miller, Seton Hill; UT (non-pitcher): J.P. Sorma, Ashland; UT (pitcher): Chris McDonald, Hillsdale; Starting Pitchers: Matt Festa, East Stroudsburg; Tre Hobbs, Delta State; Michael Koval, Cal Poly Pomona; Collin Sherrod, St. Edward's; Relief Pitcher: Devin Raftery, Nova Southeastern