Four From Brandywine Baseball Receive All-American Awards
DUBOIS, Pa. – Four Penn State Brandywine baseball players earned all-American awards from the United States Collegiate Athletic Association Sunday night. Freshman Tyler Brooks (Oxford, Pa./Oxford) received first team accolades, while sophomore Dan Nearey (Aston, Pa./Sun Valley) was a second team honoree and senior Brian Reynolds (Newtown Square, Pa./Marple Newtown) and junior Tyler Wright (Coatesville, Pa./Coatesville) landed honorable mention laurels.
Brooks, who was named Penn State University Athletic Conference Newcomer of the Year earlier in May, led the USCAA in batting with a .552 average at the plate. He hit safely in 12-of-18 games, recording at least two hits in 11 of those contests.
Brooks topped Brandywine in nearly every offensive category with team-bests in runs scored (17), RBI (20), stolen bases (10) and extra-base hits (13). Two of his team-high four home runs came during Brandywine's six postseason games, including a grand slam Monday night that helped the Lions win their first-ever USCAA World Series game.
Brooks is Brandywine baseball's first-ever freshman to earn first team accolades and fifth overall first team selection.
Nearey tied for the team lead with three victories during six appearances (four starts) on the mound. He ranked seventh nationally by averaging 10.87 strikeouts per nine innings and fanned 31 hitters overall during 25.2 innings pitched.
During three regular-season starts, Nearey went 3-0 against PSUAC competition. He fired a complete-game shutout with a season-high 11 strikeouts in a win over Penn State York on March 26.
Reynolds received honorable mention laurels after earning the third all-conference award of his career from the PSUAC earlier this spring.
In 15 games behind the plate, Reynolds batted .358 with 19 hits in 58 at-bats. He drove in 10 runs, while scoring seven and stealing three bases. Reynolds tallied a trio of three-hit games and six times produced at least two hits in a game, including Tuesday night during his final contest at Brandywine.
During his five-year, 130-game career, Reynolds posted 122 hits and knocked in 70 runs. He added 54 runs scored and 20 stolen bases, while throwing out 32 attempted base stealers from behind the plate.
Wright made a team-high six starts and pitched in nine games overall during his first season with the Lions. He topped the team by throwing 29.2 innings and striking out 45 batters.
Wright led all USCAA pitchers in strikeouts per nine innings (13.65) after tallying three starts with at least eight strikeouts. On April 5, Wright came one strikeout shy of tying a Brandywine single-game record when he fanned 12 Penn State Hazleton batters in a 5-3 Brandywine victory.
Brandywine finished the 2021 season with a 13-8 record and won the PSUAC East Division for the third time in the last four seasons.
