MELBOURNE, Fla. – For the second consecutive awarding year, a player from Nova Southeastern baseball has been named the Sunshine State Conference Freshman of the Year, as officials from the conference office announced Tyler Epstein as the 2021 honoree on Thursday. A second-year freshman for the Sharks, Epstein highlights six conference honors for NSU this season, with Adan Fernandez, JP Williams and Stephen Schissler also receiving recognition for their efforts.
“This group of young men proved to be resilient, mature and a great example to others,” second-year head coach Laz Gutierrez said. “During uncertain and difficult days, they worked hard and were committed to each other on a daily basis. It was showcased on the field of play and in the classroom, as the team earned a historic 3.25 GPA – the highest team GPA in program history. On an individual basis, I would like to congratulate Tyler on a well-deserved honor as Freshman of the Year. JP and Adan were difference-makers and it’s great to see that effort recognized in the league. And to get two young guys in Tyler and Stephen on the defensive team only means great things for our future.”
Coming out of Pembroke Pines and Charles W. Flanagan High School during a challenging time that really saw his freshman campaign split across two seasons, Epstein was a consistent performer all-around. His 2021 season sealed off the award, finishing the regular season with a .360 batting average, tying him for the team lead and seventh in the SSC. Epstein ranked second in the SSC for on-base percentage (.496) and also ranked Top-5 in the league in runs scored (24), and hits (31) – leading the conference and ranking 24th nationally per game as a hit batsman (0.40). In 25 games for the Sharks this year, Epstein registered four doubles, two triples and four home runs, accounting for 22 RBI. He also stole the second-most bases for NSU, going 8-for-10 on the basepath. Epstein is the second consecutive NSU player to be named SSC Freshman of the Year and the fourth overall, following up the 2019 award for Duncan Pastore. In 2020, with only 19 starts before COVID-19 brought the season to an immediate halt, Epstein batted .367 with 29 hits, 16 runs, nine RBI and nine stolen bases. Earlier in the year, Epstein recorded his first SSC Player of the Week honors after hitting .588 (10-for-17) versus Rollins, also being named NCBWA Regional Player of the Week.
Co-leader with Epstein for team-high average and joining him on the All-SSC First Team, junior Adan Fernandez (Miramar, Fla.) batted .360, ranking second in the SSC with 11 home runs, which places him 60th in the NCAA overall and 14th in the nation in homers per game. Fernandez paced the team with an SSC fourth-best 25 RBI, thanks to a league-leading (29th nationally) .802 slugging percentage. On top of the homers, he chipped in six doubles and scored 21 times. Reaching base at an NSU second-best .486 on-base percentage, Fernandez tied for a team-high 16 walks and made the most of the opportunities, stealing bases at a perfect 4-for-4. In the field, he was also perfect on 36 putouts in left field for 1.000 fielding percentage. Fernandez was awarded the final SSC Player of the Week Award after hitting .500 with four home runs in the three-game Florida Southern series last week.
Also appearing on the first team for the Sharks, senior right-handed starting pitcher JP Williams (Melbourne, Fla.) closed out his NSU career with a stalwart season on the mound. Williams led all NSU starters with a 3-0 record and a 3.38 ERA, striking out a team-high (sixth SSC) 44 batters in a team-most 42.2 innings (eighth SSC), while only walking 15 batters with an SSC fifth-best 1.24 WHIP. Williams held opponents to just .236 batting on the year and .240 on his career. In his time at NSU, Williams notched 110 strikeouts and only 29 walks in 103 innings. He’ll take the top spot in NSU’s record books for hits per nine innings (8.1) and second in strikeouts per nine innings (9.6). He finishes his time as a Shark with an 8-3 career record and 3.15 career ERA.
Representing NSU on the inaugural SSC All-Defensive Team, Epstein receives recognition for his efforts after shifting over to shortstop the whole year after the first series. He logged a .950 fielding percentage, recording 62 assists and 34 putouts on the year, making his mark with a part in a team-leading 14 double plays – for which the Sharks rank second in the SSC and 30th nationally per game this season (0.76) with 19 on the year. Also earning his first SSC honors, second-year freshman outfielder Stephen Schissler was also named to the SSC All-Defensive Team. Taking up his slot in center field with 19 starts in 24 games, Schissler was a perfect 1.000 fielding on 68 putouts this season, including some highlight-reel dives that silenced opponent rallies. At the plate, Schissler went .295 with five doubles, four homers, 13 RBI and 14 runs, stealing five bases. Schissler also hails from Pembroke Pines and was Epstein’s teammate in high school as well.
The Sharks finished the season with a 13-12 record and 11-12 mark in SSC play during the second-consecutive COVID-shortened season.
Winning the other top awards for the conference, Vaun Brown from Florida Southern College was named the SSC Player of the Year, Jordan Leasure from University of Tampa earns Pitcher of the Year and the SSC baseball coaches selected Tampa’s Joe Urso as Coach of the Year for the 13th time in his career.
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