<yden Tsutsui ‘16 burst onto the stage this season as he batted .462—the sixth-highest figure among all NCAA players (Division I, II, and III)—and ranked among conference leaders in nearly all statistical categories. His breakout season resulted in the outfielder being selected as the MIAC Rookie-of-the-Year. He was also the only first-year voted to the 27-player All-MIAC squad.
Tsutsui becomes the first Knight chosen as the conference’s Rookie-of-the-Year, an award voted upon by the league coaches at the end of the season. He not only paced the MIAC in batting by more than 50 points, but he also led the conference in hits (66) and total bases (91). He finished third with a .494 on-base percentage and fifth with a .636 slugging percentage, with both figures ranking among the top 50 nationally.
His 39 RBI ranked fourth in the MIAC, and the Knights’ rookie added 41 runs (third), 12 doubles (sixth), three home runs, and 10 stolen bases (seventh) to rank among the league leaders in most offensive categories. Tsutsui also had 20 multi-hit games.
His stellar rookie performance did not go unnoticed, as he also picked up MIAC Player-of-the-Week and D3baseball.com national Team-of-the-Week distinction during the season.
Junior Kevin Johnson ‘14 was named to the 2013 MIAC All-Defensive Team. This was the fourth-straight season that the MIAC coaches selected an All-Defensive squad. This group included 10 players, one at each defensive position and two pitchers. Honorees were chosen for their arm strength and range, as well as defensive statistics from the conference season.
Johnson closed the campaign with a 2-2 record and 4.05 ERA. He was the first Knight to be named to the D3baseball.com national team-of-the-week. In his first career outing as a starting pitcher, Johnson pitched the first 5.0 innings of a combined no hitter in the season opener versus Crown College. When he wasn’t pitching, Johnson was in the lineup at one of the middle infield positions.
As part of a conference-wide sportsmanship initiative, the MIAC also announced the seventh annual All-MIAC Sportsmanship team for baseball, with senior catcher Adam Zweber ‘13representing the Knights on the select list of student-athletes. Members of the All-MIAC Sportsmanship team are selected by their coaches and teammates as individuals who demonstrate ideals of positive sportsmanship both on and off the field of competition.