Story courtesy of Texas Lutheran University Sports Information
SEGUIN, Texas - Texas Lutheran University placed three players - center fielder Riley Schaefer, starting pitcher Nathan Malinovsky, and right fielder Tyler Cauley - on the 2018 D3baseball.com All-America Team.
Schaefer and Malinovsky received All-America First Team honors, and Cauley picked up All-America Third Team recognition. Schaefer is a senior. Malinovsky is a redshirt junior, and Cauley is a sophomore.
Schaefer, Malinovsky and Cauley have propelled TLU to its first-ever appearance in the NCAA Division III Baseball World Series in Appleton, Wis.
The Bulldogs (38-9) open the national championship round at 7:45 p.m. Friday against The College of Wooster (Ohio) (40-8).
TLU is the sixth overall seed. Wooster is the third overall seed. The Bulldogs and Scots are in the "Pool B" four-team bracket of the eight-team national tournament.
The Bulldogs' three All-America selections in a single season are the most for TLU Baseball since 1986, when Bill Block, Larry Lawrence, DeJuan Oakes, and Mark Wieczorek were recognized as All-Americans.
Schaefer, the SCAC Player of the Year and the D3baseball.com West Region Player of the Year, added a playing All-America honor to his Academic All-America award of 2017. Schaefer is a strong candidate for Academic All-America again this year.
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.
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.
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.
Cauley hit a two-run home run in the eighth inning of the regional championship victory over Willamette (Ore.). Cauley's homer tied the ball game, which TLU won 6-5 in 10 innings.
