SAN ANTONIO – UTSA baseball standouts Zachary Griggs and Jonathan Tapia have been selected to the 2020 Texas Collegiate League All-Star Team, in a voting of the league coaches and announced on Monday.
Griggs, a native of Castroville, Texas, stood out for the Brazos Valley Bombers. Brazos Valley claimed the TCL crown with a 22-11 record, claiming a three-game series to open the playoffs and won the title with a one-game win over the Tulsa Drillers. Griggs was a workhorse for the Bombers throughout the summer, appearing in 11 games with one start. He tossed 19.1 innings, allowing just nine hits and striking out a team-leading 30 with seven walks. Griggs, who worked five shutout innings with seven punchouts in his lone start of the summer, finished with a 1.39 ERA.
Griggs appeared in one game during the shortened 2020 season, not allowing a hit in 2.1 innings, fanning three in relief. He worked in 18 games in relief in 2019, fanning 13 in 10.2 innings.
Tapia, a product of San Antonio's O'Connor High School, played in 20 games during the summer, hitting .313 (21-for-67) with four doubles, seven RBI and 15 stolen bases to rank second in the circuit. He drew 13 walks and finished with a league-leading .489 on-base percentage and a .862 OPS.
During the 2020 season, Tapia played in 15 of 17 games with 14 starts, hitting .255 (13-for-51) with two doubles, one homer and five RBI, stealing four bases. In 2019, Tapia collected 29 hits with five doubles, one triple, two homers and 13 RBI, stealing eight bases and owning a .356 on-base percentage.
Guajardo shines with San Antonio Flying Chanclas
UTSA senior righty Arturo Guajardo shined as a relief ace for the hometown San Antonio Flying Chanclas during the TCL summer.
Guajardo, a native of Laredo, Texas, appeared in 10 games with the Flying Chanclas, fanning 30 in 18.1 innings with just 10 hits allowed, sporting a 1.96 ERA. He didn't allow a run in seven of his 10 outings, working more than an inning in six appearances. He shined in three-inning outings in relief twice, including retiring nine of the 10 hitters he faced with five strikeouts vs. the Round Rock Hairy Men on July 10.
Guajardo was joined on the Flying Chanclas for 12 games by infielder Leyton Barry. Barry, a native of Houston, hit .279 (12-for-43) with a double, homer and seven RBI.
Barber pushes Hutchinson to NBC World Series berth
UTSA senior infielder Taylor Barber had a strong summer with the Hutchinson [Kan.] Monarchs in the Sunflower Collegiate League, earning all-star honors and pushing the team into the NBC World Series.
Barber hit .306 (37-for-121) during a 31-game summer, with seven doubles, one triple, three homers and 17 RBI. He stole 20 bases and owned a .432 on-base and .455 slugging percentage.
The Monarchs finished the Sunflower Collegiate League schedule with a 22-6 record to tie for first place. Hutchinson placed third in the NBC World Series, won by the Santa Barbara [Calif.] Foresters.
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