WASHINGTON, D.C. – Eric Santaella added another regional honor to his sophomore season, as the Pace University Baseball right-hander earned Division II Conference Commissioners Association (D2CCA) Second Team All-East Region recognition.
The honor marks Santaella's latest postseason recognition after a strong spring at the front of the Setters rotation. The Poughkeepsie, N.Y. native also earned First Team All-Northeast 10 Conference honors this season after leading Pace on the mound and giving the Blue and Gold quality starts throughout conference play.
Santaella finished the year with a 4-3 record, one save, and a 2.77 ERA across 65.0 innings. He struck out 59 batters while allowing just 20 earned runs and 15 walks over 12 appearances. He also held opponents to 54 hits and helped Pace go 8-4 in games in which he appeared.
The sophomore delivered several of his best outings against strong regional competition. Santaella tossed a complete-game win against Saint Michael's College on March 15, allowing one run and striking out seven in a 10-1 Pace victory. He followed later in the season with seven innings of two-run ball and seven strikeouts at American International College before turning in one of his sharpest starts of the year at Assumption University, where he allowed one run and struck out eight across seven innings in an 8-1 win.
Santaella also made an impact during the postseason, earning the win in Pace's 7-6 Northeast 10 Championship first-round victory at Saint Anselm College. He worked eight innings and struck out six in the matchup, helping the Setters advance in the conference tournament.
The D2CCA All-East Region honor continues a strong start to Santaella's collegiate career. As a freshman, he was named the NE10 Southwest Division Rookie Pitcher of the Year, and he followed that campaign by becoming one of the top arms in the East Region as a sophomore.
Through two seasons with Pace, Santaella has established himself as a key piece of the Setters pitching staff and one of the region's standout young pitchers.
