GREENSBORO, N.C. --- Tusculum College's Placido Torres has been named the 2016 NCAA Division II National Pitcher of the Year by the American Baseball Coaches Association.

Torres has swept the three national pitcher of the year awards by the ABCA, National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association and the Division II Conference Commissioners Association (selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America). He is a national finalist for the Brett Tomko Award, which recognizes the DII National Pitcher of the Year by D2BaseballNews.com, which will be announced next month.

Torres is the first player in program history to earn national pitcher of the year laurels. He is the 21st baseball All-American in Tusculum history and the sixth Pioneer pitcher to garner All-America recognition.

Torres joins former Pioneers on the ABCA All-America list including: Guy O'Connell (2003), Greg Stotser (2006), Carlos Rivera (2007), Maikol Gonzalez (2008), Alexi Colon (2012) and Craig Goodman (2012).

Torres, a senior left-hander from North Brunswick, New Jersey, is also a consensus DII Southeast Region Pitcher of the Year honoree, receiving the recognition from the NCBWA, ABCA and D2CCA. He was also named the 2015-16 Tusculum College Male Athlete of the Year.

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 NCAA II (4th for all NCAA divisions) 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 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.

Tusculum finished the year with a 38-18 overall record, including wins in five of its last seven games. The Pioneers captured a share of the SAC Tournament title for the program's fourth league postseason crown. TC earned the program its seventh NCAA II Tournament appearance, which are the second most of any SAC member. The Pioneers have accounted for 16 consecutive winning seasons, including 14 straight 30-win campaigns.

TC posted a 2-2 record at the NCAA II Southeast Regional to claim third place honors. The Pioneers lost its opening game 2-1 to 19th-ranked USC Aiken before bouncing back with wins over Belmont Abbey (7-1) and Mount Olive (3-2) before falling to USC Aiken again in the elimination bracket final.

- TC -

2016 ABCA/Rawlings NCAA II All-America Team
First Team
C - John Silviano, Lynn
1B - Alex Wojciechowski, Minnesota-Duluth
2B - Dylan Cook, Georgia College
3B - Stephen Lohr, California Baptist
SS - Evan Rogers, Mars Hill
INF - J.D. Arrowood, St. Edward's
OF - Patrick O'Donnell, Augustana
OF - Luke Ortel, Hillsdale
OF - Ryan Snyder, Quincy
OF - Corey Wood, Arkansas-Monticello
DH - Reese Gregory, St. Cloud State
P - Placido Torres, Tusculum
P - Brandon Miller, Millersville
P - Guillaume Blanchette, Lubbock Christian
P - Colin McKee, Mercyhurst
RP - Matt Williams, Grand Valley State

Second Team
C - Will Albertson, Catawba
1B - Troy Sieber, Saint Leo
2B - Fernando Garza, Philadelphia
3B - Kyle Comer, Minnesota-Duluth
SS - Alexander DeGoti, Barry
INF - Mike McClellan, Columbus State
OF - Jordan Godman, Colorado State Pueblo
OF - Shane Billings, Wingate
OF - Robert Bennie, East Stroudsburg
OF - Will Robertson, Delta State
DH - Tyler Walters, Slippery Rock
P - Matt Kostalos, St. Thomas Aquinas
P - Dylan Stowell, California Baptist
P - Matt Festa, East Stroudsburg
P - Brandyn Sittinger, Ashland
RP - Devin Raftery, Nova Southeastern

Third Team
C - Mitch Stolzfus, Millersville
1B - Zac Heide, Seton Hill
2B - Jimmy Heck, Minnesota-Duluth
2B - Hunter McFall, Lubbock Christian
3B - Jay Jabs, Franklin Pierce
SS - Tanner Morache, Dixie State
SS - Tre Porter, Shepherd
INF - Ben Holland, Lee
OF - Tyler Bugner, Newman
OF - Lucas Raley, Lake Erie
OF - Chas McCormick, Millersville
OF - Landon Eason, Central Oklahoma
DH - Brandon Gomez, Nova Southeastern
P - Michael Koval, Cal Poly Pomona
P - Paul Covelle, Franklin Pierce
P - Sheldon Miks, St. Cloud State
P - Bryce Zak, Angelo State
P - Dalton Moats, Delta State
P - Tre Hobbs, Delta State
RP - Tanner Bird, Franklin Pierce

National Player of the Year: Alex Wojciechowski, Sr., 1B, Minnesota-Duluth
National Position Player of the Year: Alex Wojciechowski, Sr., 1B, Minnesota-Duluth
National Pitcher of the Year: Placido Torres, Sr., Tusculum