Flowers first team All-OCCAC

Five Owens Comminity College baseball players, including sophomore infielder Andrew Flowers (Cardinal Stritch) have been named to the All-Ohio Community College Athletic Conference first and second team.

Flowers is batting .311 (42 for 135) with 37 runs, 10 doubles, two triples, two home runs, 37 RBIs, nine stolen bases and a .420 on-base percentage and .459 slugging percentage.

Other Owens players named to the 2021 AII-OCCAC first team include center fielder Gavin Starcher (Norwak St. Paul) and outfielder Shea Hendrixson (Centerville)

Named second team selections are pitcher Justin Studenka (Maumee) and outfielder Owen Gast (Toledo Christian).

Also contributing to the team are freshman catcher Brendan Cannon (Clay), freshman left-handed pitcher Allen Laytart (Genoa), freshman outfielder Skylar Mays (Clay), freshman pitcher Ty Szymczak (Clay) sophomore catcher Joey Peternal (Stritch), and freshman infielder Sam Witt (Genoa).

Witt is batting .299 (35 for 117) with 25 runs, seven doubles, two triples, one HR, 24 RBIs, one SB, a .388 OBP and .419 slugging. Peternal is hitting .286 (16 for 56) with six runs, two doubles, one triple, one HR, 14 RBIs, a .333 OBP and .411 slugging. Mays is batting .357 (15 for 42) with one double, two HR, 11 RBIs, four SB, .429 OBP and .524 slugging. 

On the mound, Laytart has appeared in six games, started three, and is 2-1 with 18 strikeouts, eight walks, and allowed 20 hits and 10 earned runs in 18.2 innings for a 4.82 ERA. Szymczak has appeared in five games, all in relief, and is 2-1 with nine strikeouts, five walks and has allowed nine hits and four earned runs in 10.1 innings for a 3.48 ERA.

The Express baseball team (34-13) is headed to the NJCAA Division Ill World Series after winning the Region XII Championship after sweeping Delta College 7-6 and 4-1 and then beating Oakton Community College 11-10 in game two of the Great Lakes District Championship on Fri. May 21 after wtnning the championship opener 13-3.

“I’m so proud of this team,” said Owens coach John Parisho. “They find different ways to win games each day. This team is full of quality individuals that want to be part of something much bigger than themselves. I think that has a lot to do with the position we are in and a chance to win the national championship. Couldn’t be happier for the guys and seeing their hard work paying off,”

Owens has made two previous appearances in the College World Series with the last trip coming in 1996. This year’s CWS is scheduled for May 29-June 3 at Pioneer Park in Greeneville, Tennessee.