Kanas City, MO - The NAIA national office announced the 2021 preseason All-American team on Monday. The NAIA-Baseball Coaches Association (NAIA-BCA) All-America Committee annually selects 17 players, and Thomas Gutierrez earned a spot on the list.

Out of the 19 conferences sponsoring baseball in the NAIA, only 10 seen a player on the list. Gutierrez is the lone Mid-South athlete featured on the list. The list featured four starting pitchers and one relief pitcher.

The Los Angeles, CA native is the first Patriots player to be mentioned on the list in the past 6 years. Last season Gutierrez earned NAIA All-American Honorable Mention, MSC Pitcher of the Year, and MSC First Team All-Conference honors. As the Patriots starting pitcher, Gutierrez notched a team-best 10-0 record in his 13 appearances. In his first six outings, he held opponents scoreless four times. He had a 2.18 ERA with 74 strikeouts. He became the first pitcher in Patriot's history to have 10 wins without a loss that pitched 66.0 innings, and limited opponents to a .277 average and allowing only 16 earned runs. Gutierrez finished the season ranked 14^th in the NAIA in both wins and earned runs allowed. He also came away with two 10 strikeout games against Bethel and Shawnee State.

Cumberlands will open their season at home on February 5, on a double-header against the University of Cincinnati-Clermont starting at 1 PM. They will be in action again on the following day, February 6, host another double-header against Cincinnati-Clermont starting at 1 PM as well.

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