May 16, 2007
San Antonio – Eight St. Mary’s University baseball players earned All-Heartland Conference honors, including five that were named to the first team, in a vote by conference coaches, it was announced by the league office recently.
Making the first team for the Rattlers were Michael Brzezinski (So., OF, Helotes), Ray Camacho (Sr., 2B, Converse), Jonathon Cisneros (Fr., 1B, San Antonio), Frank Flores (Jr., RHP, San Antonio) and Tommy Vrzal (Sr., LHP, San Antonio). Earning second team honors were Jason Anderson (Sr., OF, Lancaster, Calif.), Zach Kucera (Jr., RHP, Spring) and Cody Pyle (Sr., C, Spring Branch).
Brzezinski followed up an outstanding freshman season with an even better sophomore campaign. He led the Rattlers and the Heartland Conference in batting for the second straight season with a .408 average, the 10th highest single-season average in school history. His career average of .404 is the fourth highest for a career in school history. He had eight doubles, six triples, eight homeruns, 43 RBI, 64 runs scored and 12 stolen bases this season. His 64 runs scored are the eighth most and his six triples ties for third most in school history for a single season. He also committed just one error in 108 chances in the outfield. The selection was the second straight for Brzezinski.
Camacho had a breakout season for the Rattlers in 2007. A .300 lifetime hitter for the Rattlers, he set career highs in nearly every category. Along the way he was named Heartland Conference Hitter of the Week three times. For the season he was the second leading hitter on the team with a .383 average, 16 doubles, two triples, six homeruns, 60 RBI and 58 runs scored. His 60 RBI is the seventh most for a single season in school history. He set a school single-game record with six hits and seven runs scored against Oklahoma Panhandle State University earlier this season. His seven runs scored also ties for the fifth most in NCAA Division II history.
Cisneros made his mark in his first season with the team. He hit .358 with 12 doubles, two homeruns, 27 RBI and 32 runs scored. He played in 51 games, making starts in 47. He had a team-best 12 game hitting streak at one point in the season. He had 17 multiple hit games, including two games with three base knocks.
Flores gave the Rattlers stability in the bullpen in his first season with the team. He had the second best ERA on the team with a 2.97 in 22 appearances. He went 4-0 with a team-high four saves. His save total ties for the second most for a single season in school history. He was the only relief pitcher picked for first team honors.
The final first team honoree for the Rattlers was Vrzal, one of just four starting pitchers selected to the first team. Vrzal led the team with a 9-1 record and a 3.14 ERA in 14 appearances. He made 13 starts, had five complete games and one shutout. He was named Heartland Conference Pitcher of the Week after tossing his first career no-hitter for the Rattlers against Oklahoma Panhandle State. He threw 80.1 innings on the mound, second most on the squad and struck out 78 batters. Opposing batters hit just .194 against him.
Anderson had his best season as a Rattler in 2007, hitting .336 with nine doubles, four triples, six homeruns, 31 RBI and 35 runs scored. He had 13 multiple-hit games, including seven games with three or more hits. He finished the season strong with hits in his last five games, including his first four-hit game of the season, a 4-of-4 performance with two homeruns against Lincoln University.
Kucera continued to be one of the top starting pitchers in the Heartland Conference again this season, going 9-3 with a 3.90 ERA in 15 games. He started 13 games, had seven complete games and two shutouts. He threw a team-high 87.2 innings, striking out 78. The honor marked the second straight season that Kucera has earned All-Heartland honors.
Pyle finished his Rattler career with his best season to date, despite a late season injury, which ended his career prematurely. He was the Rattlers top power hitter, posting a .339 batting average with nine doubles, 11 homeruns, 48 RBI and 36 runs scored in just 39 games. He was also strong defensively, posting a .977 fielding percentage behind the plate.
The Rattlers finished the 2007 regular season with a 38-16 overall record and a 30-10 mark in Heartland Conference play. St. Mary’s finished the regular season second in the Heartland Conference, just one game behind St. Edward’s, who had a 31-9 HC mark.