APPLETON, Wis. - As the Marietta College baseball team tries to make program history with back-to-back national championships, the Pioneers' skipper is being recognized by his peers as one of the best young coaches in college baseball.
MC head baseball coach Brian Brewer was named the Ohio Athletic Conference and American Baseball Coaches Association/Rawlings Mideast Region Coach of the Year in voting by his fellow coaches.
Brewer is always quick to deflect the credit. "There is no doubt in my mind that we have the best staff in the country," He says. "Myself and our players are very lucky to have those guys with us."
This is the third time Brewer has been named OAC Coach of the Year in his career following selections in 1998 as the head coach at John Carroll University and 2011. He has claimed the Mideast Region award on three other occasions including 2006, 2007 and 2011.
Brewer guided the Etta Express to a 16-2 OAC record winning the regular season championship and the No. 1 seed in the league tournament.
The Pioneers claimed their 29th OAC Tournament title by going 3-0 with a win over John Carroll and two against Heidelberg. Marietta, making its record 37th NCAA Tournament appearance, did things the hard way in the Mideast Regional. Following a first round win, the Pioneers were knocked into the loser's bracket and had to win fie games in three days to advance to the National Championship.
Under Brewer's calm leadership, the Etta Express marched through the loser's bracket eliminating Washington & Jefferson, Adrian and St. John Fisher. Two straight wins over previously unbeaten Manchester gave Marietta its record 22nd trip to the national finals.
The Regional Championship victory was Brewer's 400th career coaching win. With the Pioneers' opening round win over Whitworth in the World Series, Brewer's career record stands at 401-195-1 in his 13 seasons as a head coach, nine at Marietta and four at John Carroll.
