Mares Earns Third All-Region Nod

GREENSBORO, N.C. – The 2022 ABCA/Rawlings NCAA Div. II All-Region Teams and Regional Players of the Year have been announced in all eight regions and St. Mary's senior shortstop Jake Mares was honored on the South Central Region First Team. The teams are voted on by members of the American Baseball Coaches Association and the process is led by the ABCA NCAA Div. II All-America Committee.
 
The Fort Worth, Texas native earns his third All-Region selection in 2022 after also being honored by the NCBWA and D2CCA. This season, Mares led the team with a .363 batting average, drew 35 walks and was 23-for-25 in stolen bases to rank second in the Lone Star Conference. 
 
Mares is the first Rattler to earn ABCA First-Team honors since Zach De La Garza in 2018. That season, Fernando Fernandez-Beltran and Donnie Perez also earned Second Team honors.
 
Haydn McGeary from Colorado Mesa was named to the region's Player of the Year, while Pitcher of the Year honors went to Wesley Gafford from St. Edward's. Nine others from the Lone Star Conference joined Mares on the First Team, while seven were named on the Second Team. 
 
Mares and the rest of the first team will be forwarded on to the All-America ballot, which will be voted on by the ABCA All-America Committee.
 
The ABCA, founded in 1945, is the primary professional organization for baseball coaches at the amateur level. Its over 13,000 members represent all 50 states and 25 countries. Since its initial meeting of 27 college baseball coaches in June 1945, Association membership has broadened to include eight divisions: NCAA Division I, II and III, NAIA, NJCAA, Pacific Association Division, High School and Youth.
 
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