Information from the Arizona media relations department contributed to this report:
Three major Arizona contributors — designated hitter Jacob Berry, right-handed pitcher Vince Vannelle, and catcher Daniel Susac — earned All-America recognition from the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association recently.
The NCBWA tabbed Berry to the first team, Vannelle to their second team, and Susac to the third team squad. Three times the Wildcats have earned multiple NCBWA All-Americans, but three players in 2021 sets a program record from the publication. NCBWA membership includes writers, broadcasters and publicists. Designed to promote and publicize college baseball, it is the sport’s only college media-related organization, founded in 1962.
For the first time in program history, the Wildcats placed 3️⃣ players on the @NCBWA All-America teams! 🤩
Congrats to @berry_jacob_24, @vincevannelle, and @danielsusac10! 👏 #BearDown pic.twitter.com/zMoKSUAP7L
— Arizona Baseball 🏆 (@ArizonaBaseball) June 28, 2021
Berry hit .352 as a true freshman with 54 runs, 19 doubles, five triples, 17 home runs, and 70 RBI. His team — and Pac-12-leading 70 RBI are the most ever logged by an Arizona freshman and currently rank third in the nation. Berry tied for the team lead in 2021 with 28 multi-hit games and paced the program with 21 multi-RBI performances.
Vannelle worked the entire season as one of the Wildcats most trusted relievers, racking up a 5-3 record with a team-high eight saves and a 2.78 ERA. His eight saves tied for seventh-most in a single season in Arizona history, while his 12 career saves are eighth most in program history. Vannelle limited opposing hitters to a .268 batting average and posted a 10.58 K/9 rate across 26 appearances. He is the first Arizona pitcher to earn All-America status since Nathan Bannister in 2016.
Susac finished the season hitting .335 with 48 runs scored, 24 doubles, 12 home runs, and 65 RBI. His 24 doubles led the team, shattered the program’s previous freshman record, tied for first in the Pac-12, and ranked tied for fifth nationally. Defensively, Susac posted a .996 fielding percentage and threw out nine of 30 attempted base stealers from behind the dish. On the back of outstanding production, he was selected as the Pac-12 Freshman of the Year by the league’s coaches.
The Wildcats trio of NCBWA All-Americans helped lead the team to one of the most successful seasons in program history, highlighted by a 45-18 record and the program’s 18th trip to Omaha for the College World Series.
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