Tino Martinez 2016 National Player of the Year Finalists (May 23, 2016)

University of Minnesota Duluth senior first baseman Alex Wojciechowski has been named a finalist for the D2 Baseball News 2016 Tino Martinez Award for the National Player of the Year announced Monday. The annual honor is named after the former University of Tampa Spartan, Olympian and MLB All-Star, Tino Martinez.

The slugger from Coon Rapids, Minnesota has already earned the honors of Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Player of the Year and Central Region Player of the Year from both the NCBWA and D2CCA. Among the finalists, Wojciechowski has the best batting average (.458), the most runs scored (86), the most RBIs (101), the highest slugging percentage (1.009), and the most total bases (218) during the regular season. He also led the NCAA in home runs this season with 33, and he posted the second-most hits (99) among finalists.

The winner of the 2016 Tino Martinez Award will be named Monday, June 6th following the Division II World Series which will held in Cary, N.C.

About Tino Martinez
The Tino Martinez Award is named after the former University of Tampa Spartan, United States Olympian, first round draft pick and MLB All-Star, Tino Martinez. Martinez was a three-time All-American and still holds a number of UT records including career home runs (54), career slugging percentage (.736), career on base percentage (.494), single season batting average (.452) and single season slugging percentage (.957).

While he wore a Spartan uniform Tampa advanced to their first NCAA Division II National Championships (1986 and '87) and won their first of twelve SSC Championships ('87). Martinez was elected to the College Baseball Hall of Fame in 2013. Current LSU head coach Paul Mainieri has been quoted as stating Martinez was, "the best player I've ever coached against".

Previous Tino Martinez Award Winners
Last season, the Tino Martinez Award went to Seton Hill Griffin Nick Sell. Sell led the Griffins and the PSAC in runs scored (65), hits (83) and runs batted in (92).  Nick also led the Griffins with a .444 batting average and 28 home runs, a new Seton Hill single season record.  He has also added 18 doubles, 4 triples and 10 stolen bases.  Nick has also set new Seton Hill career records in home runs, hits, doubles and RBI. Sell led Division II in RBIs and was second in slugging percentage (1.032) and home runs. He was also second in total bases with 193.

2015 – Nick Sell, Seton Hill Griffins
2014 – Austin Kaiser, Colorado Mesa Mavericks
2013 – Harmen Sidhu, Sonoma State Seawolves
2012 – Nathan Minnich, Shepherd Rams
2011 – Chase Larsson, Cameron Aggies
2010 – Bryan Fogle, Erskine Flying Fleet