Springfield, Ohio – The North Coast Athletic Conference announced this year's All-NCAC awards on Tuesday afternoon, as the Tiger's junior pitcher Jace Barga earned First Team for his role on the hill for Wittenberg.
The Versailles, Ohio native finished his 2018 campaign with a 4-3 record and 12 appearances on the hill for Wittenberg. Barga completed his NCAC stint with eight appearances and a 4-1 record in conference play. With just over 68 innings pitched on the season, Barga logged a 2.50 ERA with 55 strikeouts overall for the Tigers. Finishing the season atop the NCAC in ERA with 0.70, Barga also led the conference in multiple statistical categories including innings pitched (51.2), complete games (2) and shutouts tossed (2). The left-handed hurler tallied 35 of his 55 strikeouts in NCAC contests, placing him second in the conference strikeout rankings at the end of the season. Barga tossed 13 innings of scoreless ball with back-to-back combined shutout wins against Kenyon and Allegheny.
In his best season in a Tiger uniform, Barga has dropped his career ERA to 4.34 with over 130 innings pitched. By more than doubling his strikeout numbers from his first two seasons in the red and white, Barga currently has a K/9 ratio of 7.03.
"Jace had one of the best years I can remember of any pitcher I have ever coached. The entire season he was our most dependable pitcher, and the numbers he put up inside conference play were unparalleled by any other pitcher in the NCAC," said Head Coach Brian McGee, "Despite being named First Team All-Conference, I'm more proud of him for his commitment to the program and loyalty to the coaches. Anytime a coach implements change, you must have true leaders within the team buying into what you are doing. Jace has proven he fully trusts us, wants to win, and puts the program first. When you do those things it's easier to focus on the team, and it distracts you from selfishness that only gets you into trouble. Jace has the right attitude matched with an incredible feel for pitching and an excellent skill set. He worked hard with Coach Hites and developed a great deal this year. He is a true pitcher, not a thrower, but a pitcher, and a darn good one at that. We are all very proud of him."