Delaware Tech baseball players receive all-region honors
Delaware Technical Community College’s baseball team finished as runner-up in the 2023 National Junior College Athletic Association Region 19 Division II Baseball Championship Tournament and qualified for the 2023 NJCAA Division II Northeast District Baseball Championship Tournament.
Six of the team’s top performers from the 2023 season recently received NJCAA All-Region honors — sophomore pitcher Zach Hart was named NJCAA Region 19 Pitcher of the Year and earned first-team honors, while sophomore shortstop Hunter Rauch also received first-team honors. Sophomore outfielders Kory Pritchard and Will Turner, sophomore designated hitter Matt Rodriguez, and freshman catcher Mason Morris all received second-team honors.
In his second season at Delaware Tech, Hart remained the team’s ace, taking the ball in a lot of big games and finishing with a 7-1 record with 77 strikeouts and a 3.71 ERA.
“Zach has been the ace of our pitching staff since he stepped foot on campus," said head coach Stu Madden. "He wants the ball in big games, is as consistent as can be, and continues to get better. He has only lost one game since his sophomore year of high school. As a program, we would not be in the position we've been in the past two seasons without his pitching and the flat-out dominance he has shown at times."
Cape Henlopen High School grad Rauch had a solid freshman season, but made his sophomore year spectacular. He finished with 72 hits, 35 RBIs, and a .385 batting average. He also stole 37 bases. In May he became the second-fastest player in at least the program’s past 10 seasons to record 100 career hits.
"Hunter has become a quiet leader for our team," Madden said. "He provides a combination of being the most physically talented player, but also having a quiet confidence with an ability to never let his emotions get too high or low. He has been a big part of our success. I look forward to what the future holds for Hunter as a student-athlete beyond his time with us here at Delaware Tech."
After serving as a reserve player during his freshman season, Pritchard played in the most games (52) of anyone in 2023 and finished the year with 79 hits, 37 RBIs, and a team-best .391 batting average, while stealing 20 bases. His 79 hits are the most in a single season in at least the program’s past 10 years.
Rodriguez, in his third season due to receiving an extra year of eligibility from the COVID-19 pandemic, rounded out his Delaware Tech career by eclipsing 100 career hits and 100 career RBIs, just the second player to do so in the past 10 seasons. For 2023, Rodriguez finished with 45 hits, 50 RBIs, six home runs, and a .315 batting average while playing first base.
Turner had a monster second season for Delaware Tech while playing multiple outfield positions. He appeared in 50 games and recorded 62 hits, 49 RBIs, five home runs, and a .363 batting average.
Morris, the lone consistent freshman starter throughout the season, started his collegiate career in style. He had 50 hits, 52 RBIs and led the team in home runs with 11. He batted .365 as well.
As a team, Delaware Tech finished with a 33-21 record.
