Reed, Sanders Garner ABCA Second-Team All-Region Honors

Anderson University baseball standouts Justin Reed (Martinsville, Ind./Martinsville) and Branton Sanders (Whiteland, Ind./Whiteland) garnered American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) second-team all-Mideast Region honors, which was announced by the ABCA on Tuesday.

It was also announced that Reed and Sanders earned D3baseball.com third-team all-Mideast Region recognition. The 2021 season marks the first year Reed or Sanders received all-region honors.

"Both Branton and Justin are very deserving of these honors and recognition," Coach Mathew Bair said. "Both players not only excelled on the field this year and were competitive nationally in their statistics, but they were also top flight in the classroom as well as their leadership. There is no doubt they have a bright future! It's been an honor coaching them."

Both Reed and Sanders collected first-team all-Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference (HCAC) honors this season. Earlier this season, Sanders was named to the D3baseball.com Team of the Week.

Sanders went 47-for-127 with a .370 batting average. The graduate senior first baseman from Whiteland produced 12 homers, 32 stolen bases, 60 runs, 40 walks, 22 hit by pitches, 12 doubles, two triples, a .571 on-base percentage and a .780 slugging percentage. He finished nationally ranked in several categories. Among NCAA Division III leaders, Sanders ranks T-3 in stolen bases, third in hit by pitches, T-4 in walks, sixth in hit by pitches per game (0.58), seventh in runs per game (1.58), eighth in on-base percentage, ninth in stolen bases per game (0.84), T-9 in runs, 11th in walks per game (1.05), T-24 in home runs, 35th in slugging percentage and 35th in home runs per game (0.32). Sanders leads the conference in home runs, stolen bases, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, home runs per game, hit by pitches, walks, hit by pitches per game and walks per game. Among HCAC leaders, Sanders ranks second in runs per game, third in runs and ninth in batting average. Sanders also put together a .988 fielding percentage on 248 chances.

Sanders is the first player in program history to record 10 homers and 30 stolen bases in the same season. He currently holds the Anderson Division III career stolen base record with 70. Among Anderson Division III single-season record holders, Sanders ranks second in stolen bases and runs.

Reed finished 64-for-173 with a .370 batting average. The sophomore shortstop from Martinsville notched 21 doubles, 23 stolen bases, 44 RBIs and 40 runs. Among NCAA leaders, Reed ranks sixth in doubles, 29th in doubles per game (0.51) and 35th in hits. In the HCAC, Reed ranks first in doubles, T-3 in stolen bases, T-3 in hits, sixth in RBIs, T-8 in runs and 10th in batting average. Reed is tied for second in program history with 21 doubles in a season.

Anderson compiled a 23-19 record with a 20-17 HCAC record to earn a No. 5 seed in the HCAC Playoffs. The Ravens swept sixth-seeded Hanover College (20-20) in a best-of-3 series to advance to the double-elimination round of the HCAC Tournament. Anderson went 1-2 during the double-elimination round of the conference tournament.