Osuna crowned DI Player of the Year
Charlotte, NC – Walters State first baseman Alberto Osuna has been named the 2021 NJCAA Division I Baseball Player of the Year, presented by the Marines.
Osuna earns the top honor after a record-breaking season with the Senators. The freshman finished the 2021 season batting .459 with 25 home runs and leading the nation with 107 RBI. Osuna broke the Walters State program record for the most hits (106) and the most RBI in a single season. During the May 18 game against Andrew, Osuna hit a three-run home run to become the first player in school history to reach triple digits in RBI for a single season.
"The season that Alberto put together for us here this year was truly amazing," said head coach Dave Shelton. "It may have been the best offensive single season that anyone has had at Walters State, and there have been some good ones over the years."
The freshman helped lead Walters State to its best record in program history, finishing the season 61-7 overall. Osuna's efforts helped the Senators claim a Tennessee Community College Athletic Association (TCCAA)/Appalachian District title and earn the school's third straight trip to the NJCAA Division I Baseball World Series in Grand Junction.
The TCCAA Player of the Year helped the Senators win 31 straight games, from February 23-April 3, with a 27-game hitting streak. Osuna batted .550 with 10 doubles, nine homers, and drove in 41 runs during that stretch.
"As impressive as Alberto is on the field, he is equally impressive off the field," said Shelton. "[Osuna] is just a wonderful young man who is an absolute joy to be around on a daily basis. He is the epitome of what a student-athlete should be, carrying a 3.55 GPA while putting in the amount of work that it takes to be that successful in his sport, which will allow him to attend the University of North Carolina next year. We could not be more proud of Alberto and him being named NJCAA Player of the Year."
Osuna committed to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in February 2021 and will continue his academic and collegiate baseball career with the Tar Heels.
Player Profile
- Position: 1B
- Height: 6-1
- Class: Freshman
- Hometown: Mauldin, SC
2021 Statistics
- 68 games played
- 231 at-bats
- 74 runs
- 106 hits
- 20 doubles
- 25 home runs
- 107 RBI
- 39 walks
- 51 strikeouts
- .459 batting average
- .530 on-base percentage
- .870 slugging percentage
2021 Accomplishments
- NJCAA First Team All-American
- 2021 NJCAA DI Baseball ABCA/Rawlings National Position Player of the Year
- TCCAA Player of the Year
- All-TCCAA Baseball East Team
