Stetson University pitcher Daniel Paret was named the ASUN Freshman of the Year on Tuesday night at the league's post-season banquet, which was held in the Stetson Room at the newly renovated Carlton Union Building.
 
Paret, a native of Miami Lakes, Florida, was one of four Hatters named to the 2019 ASUN All-Freshman team. He was a unanimous selection in voting by the leagues' head coaches, as was fellow pitcher Danny Garcia, a Pembroke Pines, Fla., native.
 
Joining the two pitchers on the squad were outfielder Noah Dickerson (Windermere, Fla.) and utility player Mark Townsend (Sarasota, Fla.)
 
Paret (5-3, 3.47), who will take the mound for Stetson on Wednesday morning at 11 a.m. when the Hatters open the ASUN Tournament against regular season league champion Florida Gulf Coast, is the sixth player in Stetson history to be named ASUN Freshman of the Year.
 
Past Hatters to have earned the honor include: Bryan Zenchyk (2001), Braedyn Pruitt (2004), Chris Johnson (2005), Robert Crews (2008) and Patrick Mazeika (2013).
 
Stetson did not have any players named to the All-ASUN first team, but did have two players selected to the second team. Paret picked up that honor as well along with senior Jacob Koos, who has split time this year between center field and second base, was named to the second team for a second consecutive year.
 
A pair of Hatters were also named to the ASUN All-Academic team for 2019. Junior Andrew MacNeil (Gainesville, Fla.), who was named to the team for a second straight year, carries a 4.0 GPA as a Biology major, was joined on the team by sophomore pitcher Chris Gonzalez (Miami, Fla.), who carries a 3.86 GPA as a Finance major.
 
The Hatters come into their 20^th straight ASUN Tournament off a series victory over North Florida on the final weekend of the season. Stetson (24-30) swept two games from FGCU (34-19) in early May when the teams played at Melching Field. The final game of that series was rained out.
 
Gonzalez and Garcia combined to hand Mason Studstill (5-2, 2.31) his first loss of the year in a 2-1 series-opening win before Paret and Vlad Nunez combined for a 5-3 game two win over the Eagles. Studstill will be on the mound Wednesday morning for FGCU.
 

Stetson Notes

• This is the 31st appearance, in 32 years in the league, for Stetson in the conference tournament. Stetson began its run of conference tournament appearances in 1987 in Statesboro, Ga. The only year in which the Hatters failed to advance to the league championship was 1999. The Hatters have an overall record of 55-48 (.534) in the ASUN Tournament, including an 8-10 all-time record against the other five teams in the field this year.
• This is the 17th time for DeLand to play host to the ASUN Baseball Championship Tournament. The event has been played at 11 other sites in its history. Shreveport, La., is second to DeLand, having hosted the tournament four times.
• Stetson hosted at the old Conrad Park five times before the event was first played at Melching Field in 2002. Overall, Stetson is 29-26 in tournament games played in DeLand, winning the championship on the Hatters' home field three times (1989, 2005 and 2006). UCF (4 times) and Jacksonville (twice) are the only other programs to have won multiple ASUN Tournament titles in DeLand.
• In addition to the three tournament titles for Stetson in DeLand, the Hatters have captured the ASUN Tournament title in Shreveport (1988 and 1990), at JU (2000), at Lipscomb (2016) and at North Florida (2018).
• Stetson has now won six consecutive games against FGCU, and nine of 10 over the last four seasons, to close the all-time series to 22-16. FGCU also leads the series 13-7 in games played in DeLand.
• Paret got the Hatters off to a strong start in their crucial series win over UNF last weekend, working eight shutout innings against the Ospreys in a 2-0 Stetson win. He allowed just two hits and struck out nine in the game, which was closed by senior Vlad Nunez for his ASUN leading 12th save of the year.  Stetson now has 16 saves in its 24 wins this year.

 
About Stetson University Athletics: Stetson University's Athletics Program has a vision of developing a culture of champions athletically, academically and within the community. This vision is accomplished through a mission of recruiting and developing student-athletes, coaches and staff, creating a culture of champions, within and outside of competition. The department operates with five core values: Championship Culture, Integrity, Excellence, Pride/Tradition and Leadership. To learn more about the Vision, Mission and Core Values for Stetson Athletics, visit GoHatters.com and click on Mission Statement under the Inside Athletics tab.