From Washington University Athletics
Senior John Howard and junior John Brinkman were rewarded for leading the Washington University in St. Louis baseball team to a 34-7-1 record with First Team All-America selection by the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) and Rawlings.
The pair of All-America First Team accolades is the first time in program history that a Bears duo has garnered the recognition in the same season. Both Bears were previously awarded All-America status by D3baseball.com, as Howard was named to the First Team and National Pitcher of the Year while Brinkman received an honorable mention by the website.
JOHN HOWARD
Howard finished the 2019 season with a career-best number of victories, 11, and strikeouts, 100 which both ranked in Division III's top-10. The win total ranked fourth and the strikeout total 10thwhile Howard also produced a spectacular 1.23 earned run average which was sixth in DIII. In addition, he had a 7.69 strikeout-to-walk ratio and 0.92 WHIP limiting opponents to 1.33 walks per nine innings.
The two-time All-America honoree concluded his career with some of the best marks in WashU history. He ranks second in ERA (1.78), seventh in wins (21), seventh in strikeouts (204) and 10th in innings pitched (223). In 2018, Howard posted the program's best ERA by a starting pitcher in program history (1.01).
JOHN BRINKMAN
Brinkman was selected to the First Team as a utility player after manning three positions for the Bears in 2019. He played both corner infield positions while also coming in to pitch as the WashU closer. The Worden, Ill.-native produced a .981 fielding percentage with 229 put outs and 31 assists in 265 total chances.
At the plate, Brinkman was the team leader in the majority of offensive categories while producing career-highs in hits (70), runs (35), home runs (three), runs batted in (51), stolen bases (nine), batting average (.417), on-base percentage (.464) and slugging percentage (.536). The 2019 University Athletic Association (UAA) Position Player of the Year made nine appearances on the mound clinching five saves and two victories in 11.2 innings of work striking out 17 batters while holding opponents without an earned run on six hits and two walks.