Five Eagles named to First-Team All-Panhandle Conference
TALLAHASSEE, FL (May 2nd, 2022) – All-Panhandle Conference honors were released Monday, and in total eight TCC student athletes were recognized.
The Eagles took home three of the five individual honors, with Ethan Firoved (Fr., LHP) being named Pitcher of the Year, Grant Harrison (So., RHP) Fireman of the Year (award given to best reliever), and Ethan Krizen (So., C) Defensive Player of the Year.
Firoved finished the regular season with 72.2 innings pitched over 14 appearances and 12 starts. His ERA (2.72) is second-best in the Panhandle Conference, and ninth in NJCAA Region 8. He also finished second in the conference and tied for sixth in Region 8 with 91 strikeouts. His 10 wins are tied for the lead in Region 8, and tied for fourth in all NJCAA Division I. Firoved was also named to the first-team All-Panhandle Conference
Harrison has pitched 29.2 innings across 17 relief appearances, with a 1.52 ERA, 35 strikeouts, and 7 saves. He is tied for the lead in saves in Region 8, and is tied for eighth in all NJCAA Division I.
Krizen was the Eagles' primary catcher, and was Ethan Firoved's battery mate, helping him earn Pitcher of the Year honors. With time split between catcher and first base, Krizen has a .994 fielding percentage, and as the Eagles backstop, caught 14 runners stealing on 27 attempts. Krizen was also named to the first-team All-Panhandle Conference, earning recognition from his defense as well as his offensive prowess. Krizen hit .309 with a .466 on-base percentage and tallied 3 home runs with 21 RBI.
Jayson Zmejkoski (So., INF), Josh Pigozzo (So., OF), and Marcos Dinges (Fr., DH) joined Firoved and Krizen on the first-team All-Panhandle Conference.
Zmejkoski spent the majority of the regular season in the leadoff spot as the Eagles' starting shortstop. His ability to be a table-setter for the Tallahassee offense and showcase his infield range and arm strengths throughout the season earned him a spot on the first team. He led the team in at-bats (175) and runs scored (42). He hit .337 with a .433 on-base percentage. In the middle infield, Zmejkoski was a part of 19 double plays turned.
Pigozzo patrolled center field for Tallahassee throughout the regular season and was a threat in the middle of the lineup. He led the team in a number of offensive categories, including hits (63), doubles (18) triples (5), walks (26), stolen bases (19), batting average (.375), on-base percentage (.471), and slugging percentage (.595). In the outfield, Pigozzo recorded 94 putouts, 9 assists, and 0 errors.
Dinges was named the first-team designated hitter for his offensive contributions in the heart of the Tallahassee lineup. Dinges batted .341 during the regular season, with a .392 on-base percentage and a .547 slugging percentage. He was tied for the team lead in home runs (7) and drove in 38 runs.
Andrew Fernandez (So., UTL) and Justen Crews (Fr., UTL) were both named to the second-team All-Panhandle Conference. Fernandez, who primarily played third and second base, had a .302 batting average and .370 on-base percentage during the regular season. He was tied with Marcos Dingers for the team lead in home runs (7) and led the team with 44 RBI. Crews, who split time between second base and left field, hit .303 with a .365 on-base percentage, and drove in 31 runs. He stole 12 bases during the regular season and was never caught stealing.
The TCC Baseball team finished their regular season with a 6-3 win over Pensacola State College last Wednesday, giving them a 33-16 record (14-10 conf.) entering postseason play. They travel to Ocala, FL this weekend for a best-of-three series against Central Florida, the winner of which will travel to Lakeland, FL the following weekend for the final round of the NJCAA Region 8 Tournament.