Zack Shannon Wins Tino Martinez Award
Courtesy of Delta State Sports Information
CLEVELAND, Miss. -- Delta State University junior slugger
Zack Shannon has been named the recipient of the 2017 Tino Martinez Award, honoring Division II baseball's Most Outstanding Player.
Shannon, who is the first Statesmen to win the the Martinez Award, transferred to Delta State from Wabash Valley Community College in Mount Carmel, Illinois, and made an immediate impact for the Gulf South Conference stalwart. The 6-foot-3 first baseman mashed 19 home runs while maintaining a seventh-in-the-nation .434 batting average season and topped the national stats with 88 RBIs. Shannon concluded the year in the midst of a 22-game hitting streak and a 51-game reached base streak.
He is also ninth in home runs (19), third in total bases (162) and eighth in slugging percentage (.758). Shannon paced the GSC in batting average, RBIs, RBIs per game, hits, home runs, total bases, slugging percentage and on base percentage. Shannon ranks second in school history in RBIs (88), fourth home runs (19), third in hits (95) and fifth in total bases (166) in a single season.
In addition to being name the Tino Martinez Award winner, Shannon has also earned Gulf South Conference Player of the Year, NCBWA and D2CCA National Player of the Year and First-Team All-American, NCBWA, ABCA and D2CCA South Region Player of the Year, First-Team All-GSC and NCBWA, ABCA, and D2CCA First-Team All-South Region. Shannon was selected the GSC Tournament Most Outstanding Player, NCAA Division II South Region All-Tournament and was a finalist for the C-Spire Dave "Boo" Ferriss Trophy.
Delta State finished the season 45-13 overall record and 25-8 in the GSC. The Statesmen captured the school's 14
th GSC Tournament title, won the NCAA Division II South Region Tournament and made their 12
th NCAA Division II College World Series appearance.
J.D. Osborne of Tampa finished second and Trevor Rucker of Southern Arkansas was third
The other finalists for the award included:
- Nick Beinlich, Belmont Abbey
- Brandon Benson, Georgia College
- Justin Childers, Ohio Dominican
- Ryan Colombo, Drury
- Tyler Curtis, Lynn
- Connor Hoover, North Georgia
- Bligh Madris, Colorado Mesa
- Pablo O'Connor, Azusa Pacific
- David Vinsky, Northwood
About Tino Martinez
The Tino Martinez Award is named after the former University of Tampa Spartan, United States Olympian, first round draft pick and MLB All-Star, Tino Martinez. Martinez was a three-time All-American and still holds a number of UT records including career home runs (54), career slugging percentage (.736), career on base percentage (.494), single season batting average (.452) and single season slugging percentage (.957). While he wore a Spartan uniform Tampa advanced to their first NCAA Division II National Championships (1986 and '87) and won their first of twelve SSC Championships ('87). Martinez was elected to the College Baseball Hall of Fame in 2013. Current LSU head coach Paul Mainieri has been quoted as stating Martinez was, "the best player I've ever coached against".
Previous Tino Martinez Award Winners
2016 - Alex Wojciechowski, Minnesota-Duluth
2015 – Nick Sell, Seton Hill Griffins
2014 – Austin Kaiser, Colorado Mesa Mavericks
2013 – Harmen Sidhu, Sonoma State Seawolves
2012 – Nathan Minnich, Shepherd Rams
2011 – Chase Larsson, Cameron Aggies
2010 – Bryan Fogle, Erskine Flying Fleet