Harvester Bees Collect 5 All-America Honors
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Dallas College Eastfield pitcher Benjamin Sheppard was named a First Team All-American by the National Junior College Athletic Association Division III Baseball Committee. He is one of five Harvester Bees who earned All-America honors.
Third baseman Sebastian Palma was named Second Team All-American. First baseman Jorge Herrera, outfielder Michael Caputo and designated hitter Erik Aguirre were Third Team All-America selections.
A freshman left-hander from Forney, Texas, Sheppard went 11-2 with a 2.65 earned run average and 43 strikeouts in 74.2 innings pitched. He made 18 appearances, starting 10 games. Sheppard led the nation in victories. He matched his season high with five strikeouts in eight scoreless innings of a win over Dallas College Cedar Valley. Sheppard pitched one complete game, allowing one run, eight hits and four walks and five punchouts in seven innings of an 11-1 run-rule victory over Dallas College North Lake.
A freshman from Dallas, Palma batted .426 with 17 doubles, four triples, six home runs, 61 runs batted in, six stolen bases, a .716 slugging percentage and .514 on-base percentage. His 61 RBI was tied for 16th in the country. He had three or more hits in eight games, with a season-high five in a win over North Central Texas College. Palma drove in a season-high six run in a seven-inning run-rule victory over Trinidad State College when he also homered. He had a season-long 17-game hitting streak from March 27-May 1.
A sophomore from Mesquite, Texas, Herrera hit .341 with 22 doubles, five home runs, 73 RBI, nine stolen bases, a .517 slugging percentage and .456 on-base percentage. His 22 doubles and his 73 RBI both ranked tied for third in the country. He homered twice in a win over Cedar Valley. That was one of four games he drove in five runs. Herrera had a season-long 27-game hitting streak from Feb. 7-April 2.
A sophomore outfielder from Leander, Texas, Caputo batted .408 with 21 doubles, four triples, six home runs, 51 RBI, 29 stolen bases, a .636 slugging percentage and .529 on-base percentage. He ranked third in the nation in hits with 84. He was fifth in walks (47) and seventh in doubles (21) and total bases (131). Caputo had three or more hits in 11 games, with a season-high four in the NJCAA Division III South Central District semifinal win over Dallas College Brookhaven. He had a season-long eight-game hitting streak from March 7-22.
A freshman from Pasadena, Texas, Aguirre hit .419 with 12 doubles, three triples, three home runs, 34 RBI, 10 stolen bases, a .618 slugging percentage and .518 on-base percentage. He had three hits in five games, and drove in a season-high four runs in a win at Cedar Valley. Aguirre had a season-long nine-game hitting streak from March 10-27.
All five Harvester Bees were First Team All-DAC selections.