Clark’s Browne earns ABCA/Rawlings All-America honors

Clark College right-handed pitcher Derek Browne has been selected to the American Baseball Coaches Association/Rawlings All-America team, as announced Thursday by the organization.

Browne was awarded first-team All-America for the Pacific Association Division, which is comprised of schools in the Northwest Athletic Conference and California Community College Athletic Association. The sophomore out of Maple Valley, Wash., is the only relief pitcher honored among the 12-player first team and one of three relievers selected among the three All-America teams within the Pacific Association.

This marks the first All-America honoree for a Clark baseball player since pitcher Travis Eckert earned second-team honors in 2014.

Browne, a first-team NWAC South and all-NWAC honoree, posted a 1.26 earned-run average over 28 2/3 innings of relief and 12.3-to-1 strikeout to walk ratio. But as Clark head baseball coach Mark Magdaleno eluted to, “it doesn’t tell you about his competitive greatness. Magdaleno raved about Browne’s ultra-competitive manner as a reliever.

“Every thing is on the line,” Magdaleno said. “He never gets the opportunity to come in and pitch with a lead or pitch with a cushion. Every pitch is a pitch he has to focus on and has to execute.”

“He’s was willing to compete even not when he has good stuff.”

Browne has signed a letter of intent to continue playing baseball at NAIA Bellevue University (Neb.) next year.