(May 6, 2015)

Gents Baseball concludes season as SCAC runner-up

SHREVEPORT, LA — The Centenary baseball team dropped a pair of contests in the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference Championships to finish runner-up to No. 18 Trinity University. The Gents fell 6-4 in the opener and 10-0 in the season finale.

Centenary concludes the 2015 campaign with a 24-17 record, including a 15-3 mark in SCAC play along with the conference regular season championship.

All-Tournament Team

C - Chris Zapata, Centenary
1B - Nick Jewett, Trinity
2B - Colin Serkowski, Trinity
SS - Connor Moore, Trinity
3B - Carter McEachern, Trinity
OF - Christian Sebastien, Centenary
OF - Michael Schimpf, Centenary
OF - Jeremy Wolf, Trinity
DH - Drew Butler, Trinity
DH - Kody Carson, Centenary
SP - Holden Novak, Centenary
SP - Mike Walker, Trinity
RP - Teddy Turner, Trinity

Five players were placed on the All-Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference First Team headlined by head coach Mike Diaz being named SCAC Coach of the Year, catcher Chris Zapata being named SCAC Newcomer of the Year and pitcher Taylor Henry being named Pitcher of the Year.

Diaz grabs his second SCAC Coach of the Year accolade after leading the Gents to the conference regular season title and the top seed in the SCAC Baseball Championships with a 22-15 record, including 15-3 in the league. The fifth-year skipper has amassed 103 wins in his career at Centenary, reaching the 100th at Southwestern in 2-1 decision. He becomes just the fourth coach in program history to total 100 wins. Diaz grabbed his first Coach of the Year laurel in 2013 after leading the Gents to the top seed in the conference tournament.

Henry, who was also named to the All-SCAC First Team, leads the conference in strikeouts (78) and saves (9) and is second in ERA (1.39). The Bossier City, Louisna, native has anchored the backend of the Gents rotation during his senior season. The hurler is fifth in program history in wins (17), including four this season — which is in the top 10 in the conference. Henry holds the career mark for saves (17), is fourth in strikeouts (194) and ninth in innings pitched (207).

Zapata, an All-SCAC Second Team selection, is sixth in the conference in hits (47), eighth in batting average (.346) and ninth in RBI (26). The Saratoaga, California, product becomes the third consecutive Gent to receive the SCAC Newcomer of the Year laurel as Aaron Quintanilla was the 2014 recipient as Paul Arcement claimed the honor in 2013.

Joining Zapata on the second team are second baseman Aaron Quintanilla, outfielder Michael Schimpf and pitcher Holden Novak. Quintanilla, the 2014 SCAC Newcomer of the Year, is tied for seventh in the league in doubles (9) and homeruns (3) and tied for 10th in runs (27) and RBI (24). Schimpf ranks fifth in runs (34) and tied for seventh in hits (46). Novak is tied for tops in the SCAC in wins (7), is fourth in innings pitched (65.0) and 10th in strikeouts per game (6.51).

Centenary's Kody Carson (designated hitter), Kaleb Kirk (pitcher), Jake McFarland (pitcher) and Christian Sebastien (outfielder) received honorable mention consideration.

The annual awards and all-conference team are selected by the conference's seven head coaches.