2023 All-RMAC Baseball Teams

GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. – Colorado School of Mines graduate student Kevin Zapanta was named the 2023 RMAC Baseball Pitcher of the Year on Wednesday morning as four total Orediggers earned recognition from the conference.
 
Jackson Woolwine brought home a superlative award for the Mines baseball team as well, earning RMAC Freshman of the Year. Zapanta also added First-Team All-RMAC to his resume. I-Ly Hsue and Danny McDermott claimed Honorable Mention All-RMAC distinction. It marks the second straight year an Oredigger has won RMAC Pitcher of the Year after Tyler Blomster earned the honor in 2022. For Zapanta, it's the first superlative award of his career and first selection to the RMAC's top team. Other superlative awards included RMAC Co-Players of the Year in Colorado Mesa's Harrison Rodgers and Julian Boyd along with MSU Denver's Tanner Garner. Liam Hohenstein of CMU earned RMAC Freshman Pitcher of the Year. Mavericks' skipper Chris Hanks claimed RMAC Coach of the Year.
 
Zapanta was named the best pitcher in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference thanks to a season resume including 73 strikeouts compared to 16 walks across 60.0 innings of work which fueled a 3.45 ERA. Overall, the Denver, Colo., native finished the regular season with a 3-4 record in 11 starts including two complete games and help on one shutout. He was named RMAC Pitcher of the Week and NCBWA Regional Pitcher of the Week earlier this month after striking out 13 batters against MSU Denver. In the conference, Zapanta enters the postseason ranked #1 in ERA among qualifying pitchers while sitting #2 in strikeouts, #3 in fewest walks allowed and #6 in opposing batting average. His 73 strikeouts in 2023 rank #7 on the program's single-season list. Zapanta is also #7 in all-time strikeouts at Mines with 181.
 
Woolwine earned honors as the top freshman position player after an inaugural regular season featuring 53 runs on 63 hits with 15 doubles and two home runs while hitting .377 with 38 RBI. The redshirt freshman also walked 28 times and stole seven bases while starting all 45 games in center field and batting leadoff in 44 of 45 games. The Boulder, Colo., native was named RMAC Player of the Week on April 4. His 28 walks rank #8 in the conference and five sacrifice flies are #7 in the league. His 53 runs are tied for #12 on the program's all-time, single-season list and his walks are ninth most by any Oredigger in a season ever.
 
Honorable Mention All-RMAC nods for Hsue and McDermott mark the first such awards of their respective careers. Hsue finished the 2023 regular season batting .328 with 38 runs and 22 RBI on 43 hits including nine doubles, one triple, and four home runs as Mines' starting shortstop. McDermott post a .336 average at the plate which fueled 34 runs and 32 RBI on 43 hits including eight doubles, three triples, and six home runs. He has also surged on Mines' all-time lists in home runs, RBI, and walks. The Aurora, Colo., native is now #7 in career home runs, #12 in career RBI and #3 in career walks.
 
Zapanta, Woolwine, Hsue, and McDermott lead Mines into its 2023 RMAC Baseball Tournament opener on Wednesday at 3 p.m. against third-seeded Regis in Grand Junction, Colo. Live stats and free video on the RMAC Network will be offered at www.minesathletics.com.
 
Fans can follow Mines baseball on Twitter at @OrediggersBSB. They can also follow all of Mines Athletics on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at @MinesAthletics, and online at www.minesathletics.com.