Owens Baseball Trio Earns NJCAA DIII All-American Honors
Following a historic 48-4 campaign, three Owens Community College baseball players have earned 2023 NJCAA Division III All-American honors. The trio of Wilson Stopera, Noah Blank and Breven Deckrosh were named All-Americans after putting together great seasons that helped lead the Express to an OCCAC title and a NJCAA Region XII Division III Championship. Stopera was named a NJCAA Division III Second Team All-American, while Blank and Deckrosh were tabbed as Third Team All-Americans.
Stopera, a Region XII Division III All-Region performer, earned Second Team All-American honors behind a .461 batting average, .566 on-base percentage and a .721 slugging percentage. The impressive slash line led to Stopera posting a team-best five home runs and 77 RBIs, as well as 11 doubles and seven triples. The well-rounded player also stole 18 bases and came around to score 78 times this season.
Blank, a fellow Region XII Division III All-Region Team member, went a perfect 10-0 on the hill in 10 appearances to earn Third Team All-American honors. The sophomore right-handed pitcher posted 76 strikeouts across 56.1 innings pitched (12.14 K/9) while only walking 24 batters. As part of a shutdown season, Blank held the opposition to 14 earned runs over his 10 appearances and only gave up 36 hits throughout the entirety of the 2023 campaign.
Deckrosh, also a Region XII All-Region Team performer, hit .449 to go along with a .541 on-base percentage and .660 slugging percentage as part of a campaign that culminated in Third Team All-American honors. The sophomore outfielder connected on three home runs, 14 doubles and four triples while driving in 65 runs and scoring 58 runs of his own. A two-way player for the Express, Deckrosh recorded 17 strikeouts in 10.2 innings pitched (14.34 K/9) for a 1-0 record this season.
