BRADFORD, Pa. – Dalton Renn, Jay Clinger and Ryan Boyer of the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford baseball team have been named Top Division III Players to Watch for 2018 by Collegiate Baseball Magazine.
The Arizona-based publication named Renn No. 12 on the national third baseman watch list, Clinger No. 10 on the national second baseman watch list and Boyer No. 13 on the national pitchers watch list.
"This is great to see, the culmination of four years for Jay and Dalton and three for Ryan," Head Coach Zach Foster said. "They are what Division III baseball is all about: managing your academics, social life and being the best at your sport.nThis is well deserved for each of them."
Renn was named to the All-Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference Third-Team in 2016 and 2017. The Hallam, Pa., native led the Panthers in RBIs (42), slugging percentage (.594), doubles (16), triples (three), total bases (82) and at-bats (138). He also knocked four home runs and hit .348, both totals finishing second-best on the team. The senior reached base in each of the last 36 games he played in, the longest total and active streak on the team.
Clinger was named to the All-AMCC Third Team in 2016 and 2017. The Edinboro, Pa., native was one of five Panther starters to hit over .300 with a batting average of .336. He had the third-most hits on the team with 46 in 2017, and he knocked 12 doubles -- the second-most on the team. He earned 11 multi-hit games, twice dropping in four hits for the most four-hit games on the team. The senior also scored 29 runs while knocking in 25. Defensively, he held it down up the middle, posting a .904 fielding percentage while earning 73 assists and 69 putouts and turning 27 double plays.
Boyer made 12 appearances on the mound for the Panthers, including 10 starts for a 6-4 record and the most wins on the Panthers' pitching staff. The junior led the team last year with 66.1 total innings and a 3.39 ERA on the bump while also striking out a staff-best 62 opposing hitters. The Bradford, Pa., native's top outing of the season helped the Panthers to a crucial late-season conference win. He went eight innings while striking out seven and allowing no runs to earn the victory at Penn State-Altoona (May 8, 2017).
Collegiate Baseball Magazine -- also known as Collegiate Baseball Newspaper – prides itself on being the "voice of amateur baseball" and has been publishing for over 40 years.
Publishing twice a month from January until June and then once each in September and October, Collegiate Baseball Magazine names many postseason accolades along with polls during the preseason and throughout the year. The Collegiate Baseball poll is college sports' oldest poll.
Pitt-Bradford will begin its season on Feb. 24 in New Market, Va. The first action at home will be March 21 as Thiel comes to town.
