Story written and posted by Anthony Perry '08, Fisher College Assistant Athletic Director/Sports Information
LAWRENCEVILLE, GA. – The Association of Independent Institutions (A.I.I.) has recently unveiled their 2021 Baseball All-Conference team selections and major award winners. The announcement was released late Saturday night and seven members of the Fisher College Baseball team were chosen for the conference honors.
Freshman Dennis Santiago (Orlando, Fla.) was honored as the A.I.I. Freshman of the Year. The switch-hitting outfielder was outstanding for the Falcons all season long. Santiago finished the season batting .306 over 44 games played. He recorded 38 hits in 124 at-bats while scoring 26 runs and registering eight extra-base hits, including two home runs and 22 runs batted in. Santiago was also chosen as the conference's player of the week back on March 1st.
Head Coach Scott Dulin was tabbed as the conference's Coach of the Year, the first time he has been awarded the A.I.I. Coach of the Year since the college became members of the conference in 2013. The 20th-year leader of the program, Dulin helped navigate the Falcons to a 31-20 overall record and obtain an automatic qualifier to the NAIA Opening Round, a program first.
The Falcons saw two student-athletes selected to the All-Conference team as sophomore John Batista (Lawrence, Mass.) and senior Mitchell Lundholm (Plymouth, Mass.) were chosen as the A.I.I. Outfielder and First Baseman, respectively.
Batista was one of three Fisher Baseball student-athletes to appear and start in all 51 games. As the everyday right-fielder for the majority of the season, Batista led the team offensively with six home runs, 46 RBI and scoring 45 runs while batting .316 on 49 hits in 155 at-bats. He also belted 14 doubles and three triples on the season and accumulating a .455 on-base percentage, working 38 walks and four hit by pitches. Batista was also valuable in the field for the Falcons as he committed just three errors in 93 total chances for a .968 fielding percentage. This is the third consecutive season that Batista has been named to the A.I.I. All-Conference team.
Lundholm, a pre-season NAIA All-American selection, finished his career in the Fisher Blue & White batting .326 as he joins Batista in starting all 51 games on the season. The veteran first baseman totaled a team-high 58 hits with ten doubles, four triples and one home run. Lundholm knocked in 37 RBI while scoring 49 runs as the team's primary three hitter. He accrued a .423 OBP and a .444 slugging percentage in 2021 and registered a .979 fielding percentage. Lundholm has appeared on the A.I.I. All-Conference team in each of the previous three seasons, including being named the conference's co-player of the year in 2019.
Junior Victor Torres (Rochester, N.Y.) and sophomore Reynaldo Vega (Aguada, Puerto Rico) were chosen as the Gold Glove recipients for the conference at shortstop and second base. The duo were electric defensively for the Falcons all season long. Torres recorded a fielding percentage of .956 as he made just eight errors in 183 total chances and turning 23 double-plays as the team's primary short stop over his 49 games played. Vega committed just four errors over his 33 games as the veteran infielder had just 68 total chances and finished with a .941 fielding percentage while helping to turn ten double-plays.
Junior Jordan Gosselin (Rochester, N.H.) was honored with being the Falcons' representative on the Champions of Character team. The veteran outfielder has been the consummate teammate over his career and also shined on the field this season. Gosselin batted .476 over his 30 games played as he hit his way into the starting lineup for the conference tournament and postseason. He accumulated 20 hits in 42 at-bats while scoring 17 runs and belting his first career home run while also knocking in 22 RBI.
For the complete list of the 2021 A.I.I. Baseball All-Conference team and awards, CLICK HERE.