Apaches first baseman Vega wins DIII Player of the Year
Charlotte, NC - Miguel Vega of Tyler (TX) has been named the 2021 NJCAA DIII Baseball Player of the Year, presented by the Marines.
Vega took the nation by storm this season with his incredible power-hitting ability. He led the nation in both home runs (21) and RBI (70) this season. Vega broke the single-season school record for home runs when he hit his 15th home run of the season. The sophomore finished the season with a .389 AVG, along with a .462 OBP and a .805 SLG.
"Miggy", as called by head coach Doug Wren, helped the Apaches to a 44-16 regular season. He was the heart of the lineup with his power-hitting contributing heavily to their success during the regular season. He was awarded the NJCAA DIII Baseball Player of the Week on May 12th, after hitting for a .579 AVG and four home runs, which broke the school single-season record, that week. Vega will be most remembered for his performance during the 2021 NJCAA DIII Baseball World Series.
The Apaches entered the World Series as an at-large selection and the No. 2 seed. Vega entered the World Series with a bang, going 2-3 from the plate with a towering 4th inning home run. Tyler won its first three games to advance to the championship game. In the bottom of the 8th inning of the national championship game, down one run and with two outs, Vega stepped up to the plate and delivered the go-ahead home run to left field to help secure the championship for the Apaches. Vega was awarded the MVP of the NJCAA DIII World Series Tournament.
Miguel Vega has committed to play baseball at Northwestern State University where he will continue his collegiate career.
Tyler head baseball coach Doug Wren on Vega
- "Miggy had an unbelievable finish to an outstanding junior college career. We'll remember what he did this postseason for many years to come! Most definitely deserving of this award!"
2020-21 Statistics
- .389 AVG
- .462 OBP
- 21 HR
- 70 RBI
- 14 doubles
- 74 Hits
2020-21 Accomplishments
- 2021 NJCAA DIII World Series National Champion
- 2021 NJCAA DIII World Series Most Valuable Player
- 2021 NJCAA DIII Baseball First Team All-America
- Led nation in home runs with 21
- Led nation in RBI with 70
