WINGATE, N.C. – After leading Pace University Baseball on the mound throughout the spring, sophomore pitcher Eric Santaella was named to the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) All-East Region Second Team.
Santaella earned Second Team honors as a starting pitcher, representing Pace among the top players in the East Region from the Northeast 10 Conference, East Coast Conference, and Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference. The NE10 placed 16 student-athletes across the two All-East Region teams, including seven on the Second Team.
A native of Poughkeepsie, N.Y., Santaella continued to build on a strong start to his collegiate career after being named the NE10 Southwest Division Rookie Pitcher of the Year last season. In his second year with the Blue and Gold, the right-hander posted a 4-3 record with one save and a 2.77 ERA across 65.0 innings of work.
Santaella struck out 59 batters while allowing just 20 earned runs and issuing only 15 walks in 12 appearances. He held opponents to 54 hits and helped Pace go 8-4 in games he appeared in.
The sophomore opened the season with five innings against Point Park University, allowing three hits and no earned runs while striking out four. He followed with five innings of one-run ball in a win at Mercy University before delivering a complete-game victory against Saint Michael's College, striking out seven across seven innings in a 10-1 Pace win.
Santaella continued to give the Setters steady innings throughout Northeast 10 play. He struck out six and allowed no earned runs across six innings at Saint Anselm College on April 4, then followed with seven innings, seven strikeouts and two earned runs in a 12-2 win at American International College on April 11.
His strongest stretch came late in the season. Santaella struck out eight and allowed just one run across seven innings in an 8-1 win at Assumption University on April 25, then earned the win in Pace's 7-6 NE10 Championship First Round victory at Saint Anselm on May 5. In that postseason start, he worked eight innings and struck out six as the Setters advanced in the conference tournament.
The regional honor adds to Santaella's postseason recognition after he also earned First Team All-NE10 honors earlier this spring. Through two seasons with Pace, Santaella has established himself as one of the top young arms in the region and a key piece of the Setters pitching staff.
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