IOWA FALLS, IOWA -- Sophomore Jose Valentin was named to the All-Region 1st Team and four of his Panther teammates also earned All-Region recognition for the 2023 baseball season.  Valentin is the catcher on the 1st team after leading the Panthers in nearly all offensive categories this spring.  Freshman Tanner Short is the Designated Hitter on the All-Region 2nd Team.  Ellworth placed pitchers Derihan Suero and Will Johnson, both sophomores, and infielder Sergio Natera, also a soph, on the Honorable Mention list.

Valentin, a 2-year starter for ECC, improved his statistics in almost every area from his freshman campaign.  This season, the native of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, batted .417 to lead the Panthers.  He also topped ECC in hits (68), doubles (18), home runs (13), RBIs (49), total bases (127), slugging percentage (.779), and on-base percentage (.487) while starting all 47 games.  For his ECC career, Valentin compiled a .360 batting average with 94 RBIs, 118 hits, 20 homers and 28 doubles.

Short, from Des Moines, enjoyed a solid first season of college baseball.  He had a .363 batting average while playing in all 47 ECC games.  Short led the Panthers with his 171 at-bats and 46 runs scored.  He slugged 12 home runs, 12 doubles and 4 triples among his 62 hits.  He also knocked in 44 runs, had a .426 on-base percentage and a .690 slugging percentage while stealing 14 bases in 16 attempts. 

After seeing action in 24 games as a freshman, Natera also played in every ECC game this season.  He batted .310 with 13 doubles and 5 homers.  Natera, from Torreon, Mexico, was 2nd on the team with 42 runs scored, collected 49 hits and drove in 34 runs.  He also drew 23 walks for a .414 on-base percentage.

Suero, like Valentin a native of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, led Ellsworth pitchers with his 4 wins in 2023.  He was 4-2 with a 5.15 ERA in nine starts and one relief appearance.  Suero,  struck out 46 in his team-leading 50 2/3 innings and had 2 complete game victories.

Johnson pitched in 13 games, all but one of them out of the bullpen.  The Ankeny, Iowa, native saved 3 games and had a 1-1 record and a 2.13 ERA.  In 25 1/3 innings, the right-hander fanned 38 batters and allowed only 17 hits.