Story courtesy of Texas Lutheran University Sports Information
APPLETON, Wis. -- Texas Lutheran University, an NCAA Division III Baseball World Series participant for the first time, tied a school record for most baseball All-Americans awarded in a single season when Nathan Malinovsky, Riley Schaefer, Dylan Drgac and Tyler Cauley received ABCA/Rawlings All-America recognition Thursday evening.
The four Bulldogs were given the news of their ABCA/Rawlings All-America honors during the opening ceremony of the NCAA Division III Baseball Championship, set to begin Friday at Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium. TLU begins the national championship round at 7:45 p.m. against Wooster (Ohio).
The four playing All-Americans in a single year ties the Bulldogs with the 1986 Texas Lutheran squad that had four. The four players from 1986 were: Bill Block, Larry Lawrence, DeJuan Oakes, and Mark Wieczorek.
Malinovsky was named to the ABCA/Rawlings First Team. Schaefer and Drgac picked up Second Team honors, and Cauley appeared on the Third Team.
For Malinovsky, it was his second First Team All-America honor of the season. The redshirt junior was already a First Team choice by D3baseball.com.
Schaefer's Second Team honor goes with his First Team award from D3baseball.com.
Drgac is an All-American for the first time after not receiving a spot on the D3baseball.com team. Drgac joined Schaefer on the Second Team.
Cauley received his second Third Team All-America award of the year - with ABCA/Rawlings and D3baseball.com placing Cauley on the same team.
Malinovsky, the ABCA West Region Pitcher of the Year and the D3baseball.com West Region Pitcher of the Year, is 11-1 this year with a 1.34 ERA. He has thrown 100-2/3 innings and collected five complete games and two saves. He has struck out 98, walked 39 and limited opponents to a .191 batting average.
The 2016 D3baseball.com National Rookie of the Year and a 2016 All-American, Malinovsky is third nationally this year in victories. He also ranks 13th in strikeouts, 14th in ERA, and 19th in complete games. Malinovsky is 26-8 as a Bulldog. The TLU career record for wins is 32.
Malinovsky won SCAC Pitcher of the Year honors in 2016 and 2018.
Schaefer, the SCAC Player of the Year and the D3baseball.com West Region Player of the Year, added another playing All-America honor to his Academic All-America award of 2017. Schaefer is a strong candidate for Academic All-America again this year.
The NCAA Elite 90 award winner, Schaefer currently leads all of NCAA Division III in hits, with 86. He tied the TLU school record for single-season hits during last week's Spokane, Wash. Regional. Schaefer currently shares the hits record with TLU Hall of Famer Aaron Merhoff, who set the record in 1999.
This year, Schaefer is fourth nationally in total bases (130), seventh in runs (60), 31st in batting average (.434), and 38th in runs per game (1.28). Schaefer also has 20 stolen bases and an on-base percentage of .480.
Drgac, a senior right-hander, boasts an 11-1 record, putting him in a tie for third in the NCAA DIII. He holds a 2.69 ERA.
Drgac has pitched a team-high 113-2/3 innings, and he has struck out 108 and posted a save (in the SCAC Championship clincher). He has walked just 28.
Drgac's 108 strikeouts this year rank seventh nationally and sixth all-time in SCAC history for a single season.
Cauley, a sophomore outfielder, nearly won the triple crown in the SCAC this year. He led the SCAC in home runs and in RBI and is in the top five in batting average.
Cauley is ranked 27th nationally in slugging percentage (.706) and 26th in home runs (10). He is 10th nationally in RBI (60) and 46th in hits (68). Cauley is hitting .384, and he also has 17 doubles, five triples, and 20 walks. His on-base percentage is .447.
