Baseball's Wenstrom Named Region 3 Player of the Year
CONTACT: Adam Sopris, a.sopris@hvcc.edu, 518-629-7898
FOR RELEASE: Immediate, Monday, May 21, 2018
Hudson Valley Community College baseball student-athlete Jackson Wenstrom (Mandan, North Dakota/Mandan) was named the NJCAA Region 3 Player of the Year as voted on by the Region 3 coaches. Wenstrom also earned All-Glove Team honors and was named the Region 3 Defensive Player of the Year for his overall dominate season with the Vikings.
The NJCAA Region 3 Division III baseball coaches voted Wenstrom and Salvatore Pezzolla (East Greenbush/La Salle) to the First-Team All-Region honors in recognition of their tremendous play in 2018. Wenstrom was also recognized as the Mountain Valley Conference Player of the Year and received All-Conference honors from the conference coaches.
Wenstrom finished the regular season with a .475 batting average, which was second best in Region 3, and led the region with 54 RBIs and 13 home runs, falling just shy of the Region 3 Triple Crown in his first season with the Vikings. He was one of four Region 3 student-athletes to record 60 or more putouts and post a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage this year.
Jackson put up historic numbers at the plate. He finished first in the region in slugging, total bases, doubles and hits. He also finished inside the top-5 with 52 runs scored and a .546 on-base percentage. Wenstrom posted a .934 slugging percentage with 114 total bases, 15 doubles and 58 hits. Jackson finished the year with 20 multi-hit games, including seven games with three hits or more. He was held hitless in only six games this season and struck out 17 times in 122 at-bats.
“The key with Jackson is he is a better person than he is a ball player. The work ethic and discipline that he possesses has carried him to an unforgettable season, said Vikings head coach Jabin Weaver. “Being able to watch him do what he has done this season is something special.”
Pezzolla earned All-Region honors following a great season at third base for the Vikings. He finished the regular season with a .383 batting average, .464 on-base percentage and slugged .617. Sal was second on the Vikings with 36 hits (12 extra base hits) and added seven doubles, five home runs and 29 RBIs.
“Sal is a great hitter and has produced in huge spots for us this year, said coach Weaver. “Sal is the guy that seems to always be able step up when his teammates are struggling and when we need him the most. There isn’t a moment that is too big for Sal.”
The Vikings finished the 2018 season with a 25-14 record and earned a postseason berth into the NJCAA Regional Tournament for the second straight season. Hudson Valley put together a pair of six game win streaks this season behind consistent pitching and the powerful offense they had this year under first-year head coach Jabin Weaver.