Texas & Louisiana, USA (Aug. 17, 2021) — It is with great pleasure that the Texas Collegiate League recognizes the top ballplayers of the season in the TCL Postseason Awards for their commitment to the league and the sport of baseball, both on- and off-the-field.

The San Antonio Flying Chanclas, having won the league championship last week, officially became the TCL Team of the Year, posting a previously-unseen 32-7 record of domination. Head coach John McLaren was not far behind as the Manager of the Year.

However, it was the Acadiana Cane Cutters’ Ethan Lege who claimed the top solo prize of the season. Lege, as the TCL Player of the Year, made his mark on the turf diamond unlike any other in 2021, batting .364 with 52 hits, 36 runs and nine stolen bases. The infielder became so unstoppable at the plate that it took opposing pitchers eight games before finally striking him out for the first time. The Abbeville, La. native cemented his seat on the throne with a .983 on-base plus slugging percentage and a .964 fielding percentage.

Brazos Valley’s Carson Atwood and Alec Martinez of the Flying Chanclas both established such superiority on the mound that the duo shared the title of Co-Pitchers of the Year. Atwood pitched for 39.2 innings across 10 games while Martinez threw 47.1 frames through nine games. The pair finished the summer with final ERAs of 1.59 and 1.71, respectively, and totaled a combined 90 strikeouts. As a duo, Atwood and Martinez hold a 12-2 overall record on the season.

Other pitchers on this year’s All-TCL Team roster include Acadiana’s John Mancuso, Amarillo’s Steven Ordorica, Brazos Valley’s Isaac Crabb, San Antonio’s Kolby Lunsford and Victoria’s Kamron Snodgrass. The five relief men pitched a combined 177.1 innings for a total of 59 mound appearances. Lunsford led the squad in strikeouts, with 52, to boost the bullpen to an astounding 159 at-the-plate retirements on the season. Crabb’s 1.87 ERA marked the lowest average seen on the rotation, but the others were close behind, finishing the season with an 18-7 final record. Crabb was the sole undefeated man on the mound for the postseason team.

On the other end of the battery, the Bombers’ Ryan Snell fought his way to the top to become the newest catcher for the All-TCL Team. Snell maintained a .986 fielding percentage, racking up 198 putouts and 13 assists. The catcher finished the season with 26 hits, 11 drawn walks and 15 RBIs. Also at home plate, Enrique Porchas of the Amarillo Sod Squad enjoyed a bombastic summer en route to earning the designated hitter position for the All-TCL Team. Porches batted a solid .285 average, snagging 11 multi-bag hits (nine doubles, one triple and one home run) along the way. In the end, the designated hitter racked up 16 runs and 14 RBIs as his team’s offensive powerhouse.

The All-TCL Team infield acts as quite possibly the most lock-down set of position players in Texas Collegiate League. San Antonio’s Ryan Flores held down the fort at first base, backed up by Victoria’s Cody Cleveland at second. Acadiana’s Jack Schell and Baton Rouge’s Reagan Paulina filled in the remaining gaps at shortstop and third base, respectively. The four men put together 75 runs and 76 RBIs to boost their incredible batting averages, with Schell leading the way at .431. Other notable statistics from the group of infielder’s include Cleveland’s mere six strikeouts across 114 plate appearances and Flores’s 25 drawn walks.

Finally, the outfielders in the league were so successful that four young men managed to secure places on the All-TCL Team, a step away from the usual three seen in baseball. The Sod Squad’s Samuel Tormos, the Bombers’ Grayson Tatrow, the Flying Chanclas’ Ian Bailey and the Generals’ Steven Rivas each helped carry their respective teams on their backs. This group was especially successful offensively, with each member notching at least one home run for a grand total of 18 between the group; they also totalled 35 doubles and six triples. Bailey led the back with 31 RBIs and 35 runs, but Rivas dominated the statistical averages with a .524 on-base percentage and a .926 slugging average. 

The Texas Collegiate League takes great pride in the athletes it represents and is confident that the aforementioned young men will use their time in the conference to evolve as better ball players moving forward.

For more information on the 2021 TCL season, please visit www.texascollegiateleague.com. To stay up-to-date on all league developments, follow the TCL on Twitter: @TCLBaseball.

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