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Penn State Berks’ Welk Named Player of the Year

From Penn State Berks

May 24, 2019

For the second year in a row, Toby Welk was named the D3baseball.com All-Mid-Atlantic Region Player of the Year, while also earning All-Region First Team honors. He is the first person in program history to earn All-Region Player of the Year, which he has now done twice. He is also the only member in program history to receive All-Region First Team honors, a feat he has now accomplished three years in a row.

[Click here for the complete list of All-Mid-Atlantic Region selections]

In 2019, Toby Welk did what Toby Welk does, mash the ball with great power and force. He ranks as one of the top hitters in the country after batting .483 (70-for-145) with 17 doubles, five triples, 13 home runs, 58 RBI, and 56 runs scored. Welk leads all of Division III in slugging percentage (.938) and RBI per game (1.49), while ranking second in batting average, third in total bases (136), and fourth in runs scored per game (1.44). He also ranks among the top-10 in the nation for home runs, home runs per game (.33), on-base percentage (.555), and RBI.

He reached base safely with a hit in 34 of 39 contests he played in and has recorded two or more hits on 24 occasions. Welk was walked 23 times this season, eight of which were intentional walks, while striking out only six times. He ranked as the 24th toughest batter to strikeout in the country with an average of 24.2 plate appearances in between strikeouts.

In addition to his success at the plate and on the bases, Welk was a phenomenal fielder. He switched from third base to shortstop in his senior season and the transition was seamless. With a great glove and strong arm, Welk recorded 41 putouts, 114 assists, and was a part of 16 doubles plays. What does not show up in those numbers, were the amount of balls that he fielded in the hole to keep runners from advancing an extra base on a hit to the outfield.

Welk is now in the running for D3baseball.com All-America honors, which will be announced next week. He was a 2018 D3baseball.com All-America First Team selection, marking the first player in program history to receive the prestigious award.

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