Mercer’s Brady named NJCAA DII Pitcher of the Year

WEST WINDSOR » Dennis Brady keeps racking up awards.

For the third time in four years, a Mercer County Community College baseball player has been selected as the National Junior College Athletic Association Division II Pitcher of the Year, with Brady earning the recognition last week.

Last year Andrew DiPiazza — also a member of the 2017 Viking squad — received the honor. In 2014 Heath Fillmyer, currently a member of the AA minor league affiliate of the Oakland Athletics, received the award.

“Our program is very proud of Denny Brady, and all of our players who have distinguished themselves on the national level,” said MCCC coach Kevin Kerins. “Denny was a tremendous worker, and the bigger the game the better he pitched. Denny was tremendous in helping us get to the World Series and giving our program the chance to play for the national championship.”

Brady caps off a memorable sophomore season which includes honors as a First-Team NJCAA All-American and selection in the seventh round of the Major League Baseball Draft by the Los Angeles Angels He was the Region 19 Pitcher of the Year, First Team Garden State Athletic Conference, First Team All-Region 19, and was named the NJCAA Division II Pitcher of the Week in March. He was named the Pitcher of the Tournament for the Division II NJCAA World Series.

Brady led all pitchers in the nation with a 0.96 ERA to go along with his 11 wins and 118 strikeouts in 84.1 innings. Brady had one of the best strikeout/ walk ratios of all-time for NJCAA baseball at 11.8, walking just 10 batters this season.

In addition to his individual statistics, Brady was a key contributor to an historic season for MCCC baseball. The Vikings baseball team concluded a 2017 season that included several firsts, including first back-toback trips to the NJCAA Division II World Series, first appearance in the national championship game, first time to repeat as Region 19 and Northeast District champions, and a school record 80 home runs. The team ended the season as national runner up, falling to Kankakee Community College in the championship game.

COURTESY OF MCCC Pitcher Dennis Brady, named the NJCAA national Pitcher of the Year, led the nation in ERA, and was second in wins and third in strikeouts. He was named NJCAA World Series Pitcher of the Tournament, an NJCAA Division II All-American, and was selected in...