Spalding® DIII Pitcher of the Year awarded to Oakton's Crinigan

Oakton Community College sophomore Alex Crinigan has been named the 2018 Spalding® NJCAA Division III Pitcher of the Year after helping the Owls to their first national championship.

The righthander from Hampshire, Illinois, adds the honor to a growing list of individual postseason accolades that includes NJCAA DIII First Team All-American, NJCAA Region IV Division III First Team All-Region, and NJCAA Region IV Division III Tournament Most Valuable Player. Crinigan led all of NJCAA DIII with 12 wins, 107 strikeouts, and 98.1 innings pitched. He finished the season with a 12-2 record and one save, registering a 3.02 ERA, 9.79 strikeouts per game, and an opponent batting average of .215.

"Alex Crinigan has been great for our program. He has worked very hard to accomplish what he has achieved this past season," said Oakton Head Coach Bill Fratto. "He is a great leader and always wanted the ball in key situations. He is a coach's dream and I am so be proud to have had him in our program. Winning the national championship is a dream season, but the dream started with Alex Crinigan taking the mound as an Oakton Owl."

Crinigan, who threw a no-hitter against Joliet Junior College in the NJCAA Region IV Tournament, remains undecided about his baseball future.