May 9, 2011
San Antonio – St. Mary’s star closer Sammy Rivas has been tabbed as a semifinalist for the 2011 Tino Martinez Award, which is presented annually to the most outstanding player in NCAA Division II college baseball.
Rivas, a senior from San Antonio, was one of 47 semifinalists announced over the weekend.
Rivas has had a phenomenal season, going most of the year without allowing a single run – earned or unearned – as the fourth-ranked Rattlers’ top closing pitcher. He is 4-0 with 13 saves and a 0.25 ERA, with just one run allowed over 36 innings pitched. He has also maintained an unbelievable 38-8 strikeout-to-walk ratio, and has given up just 22 hits over 28 appearances.
The finalists for the award will be named on May 19, with the winner being announced after the conclusion of the baseball championship, held in Cary, N.C., from May 28-June 4.
The Rattlers (42-8 overall) will resume play Thursday in the Heartland Conference Tournament, when they will play fourth-seeded Texas A&M International at 5 p.m. at V.J. Keefe Field. The tournament will run from Thursday-Saturday.