BAY CITY, Mich. -- The Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) announced its 2016 All-GLIAC Baseball Teams and Postseason Awards in conjunction with the Conference's annual Baseball Tournament at the Athletes in Action Sports Complex in Xenia, Ohio. The awards were voted on by the conference baseball coaches and include the second annual recipient of the Troy Berry Award.
Hillsdale senior outfielder Luke Ortel turned in the greatest offensive season in program history during the 2016 campaign en route to capturing GLIAC Baseball Player of the Year accolades. He finished the regular season leading NCAA Division II with 103 total hits, which was also a GLIAC and school single-season record. He's ranked second in the NCAA with a .475 batting average and ranks in the nation's top 11 in doubles per game, slugging percentage and total bases. His 26 doubles, 8 triples and 63 runs scored are also single-season school records. Ortel is the first player in school history to be named GLIAC Baseball Player of the Year.
Ashland junior Brandyn Sittinger has been tabbed GLIAC Pitcher of the Year after he completed the 2016 regular season with a 10-0 record, a 2.36 earned-run average and 106 strikeouts in 72 1/3 innings, spanning 12 appearances (11 starts). He leads the GLIAC through the regular year in ERA, wins and strikeouts. A semifinalist for the D2 Baseball News' Brett Tomko Division II Pitcher of the Year and a COSIDA Academic All-District selection, Sittinger is fourth on AU's all-time single-season strikeout list.
Saginaw Valley shortstop Jordan Swiss has been selected GLIAC Freshman Player of the Year after he had an outstanding 2016 campaign to begin his career in a Cardinal uniform. The Petoskey, Michigan native led the Cardinals and all GLIAC freshmen with a .351 batting average, posting a team-high 59 hits with a pair of home runs, a team-high 12 doubles, a triple and 29 RBIs. Swiss scored 30 runs as well for SV while starting all 50 games.
Malone University starting pitcher Braun Miller was named 2016 GLIAC Freshman Pitcher of the Year after finishing his impressive rookie season with a 4-1 record on the mound and leading the Pioneers with a 3.57 ERA. Among GLIAC newcomers, Miller ranked 1st in ERA and 4th in strikeouts (37). The 6'4" southpaw finished 6th overall in ERA, 3rd in WHIP (1.21), and allowed the fewest hits per nine innings (6.62) of any pitcher in the conference.
Hillsdale skipper Eric Theisen was named GLIAC Baseball Coach of the Year after leading the Chargers to a 30-20 record and their first berth in the conference tournament in 13 years. The 30 wins are the most in program history, and the team's .600 overall winning percentage is its highest since 1949. The last GLIAC Coach of the Year from Hillsdale was the late Pat Riepma, who won the award in 1987.
Wayne State sophomore Josh Arndt was awarded the second annual Troy Berry Award for his character, leadership and integrity. The award is presented annually to the GLIAC baseball player who best combines outstanding character and leadership on the field, in the classroom and in the community. The honor is named after former Findlay head baseball coach Troy Berry. In August, Arndt traveled Uganda to volunteer with the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod (LCMS). The purpose of the trip was to offer medical care to people who have never had the ability or opportunity to receive proper medical care in the past. To achieve this, LCMS set up a medical clinic in Lira, which was open to and free to anyone in need. Arndt helped with the construction of the clinic, assisting with taking initial vitals, care, triage of patients and assisting in any way that was needed. It was the first medical trip to Uganda that the LCMS has performed, but previous trips to Africa resulted in the care of 1,500 people in the two week span of the clinics. You can read his blog from the trip by clicking
here. Wayne State's Christian Bilkovic won the inaugural award in 2015.
A complete list of the 2016 All-GLIAC baseball teams is below:
2016 GLIAC Baseball Postseason Awards
|
|
Player of the Year
|
Pitcher of the Year
|
|
Freshman Player of the Year
|
Freshman Pitcher of the Year
|
|
Troy Berry Award
|
Coach of the Year
|
|
2016 All-GLIAC Baseball First Team
|
|
Position
|
Name |
School |
Yr.
|
Hometown/Previous School
|
| DH |
Ethan Wiskur |
Hillsdale |
Jr. |
Clio, Mich. |
| C |
Luke Caple |
Walsh |
Jr. |
Naples, Fla. |
| 1B |
Mackenzie Hampshire |
Ashland |
Sr. |
Delphos, Ohio / Elida
|
| 2B |
Alex Walts |
Hillsdale |
So. |
Amherst, Ohio |
| SS |
Jordan Swiss |
Saginaw Valley |
Fr. |
Petoskey, Mich.
|
| 3B |
J.P. Sorma |
Ashland |
So. |
Seven Hills, Ohio / Independence |
| INF |
Brad Baldwin |
Wayne State |
So. |
Troy, Mich. |
| OF |
Luke Ortel |
Hillsdale |
Sr. |
Troy, Mich. |
| OF |
Lucas Raley |
Lake Erie |
Jr. |
Hinckley, Ohio / Medina Highland
|
| OF |
Jason McPeek |
Walsh |
Sr. |
Stow, Ohio / Munroe Falls |
| OF |
Griffin Harms |
Wayne State |
R-Jr. |
Bingham Farms, Mich. / Birmingham Groves |
| SP |
Brandyn Sittinger |
Ashland |
Jr. |
LaGrange, Ohio / Marshall U.
|
| SP |
Alex Kinch |
Wayne State |
R-Sr. |
Ann Arbor, Mich. / Pioneer |
| SP |
Tim Tarter |
Grand Valley State |
R-Sr. |
Batavia, Ill. |
| SP |
Mike Ellenbest |
Saginaw Valley |
So. |
Medina, Ohio
|
| RP |
Matt Williams |
Grand Valley State |
Jr. |
Geneva, Ill. |
| RP |
A.J. Cecil |
Findlay |
Jr. |
Oak Harbor, Ohio
|
|
2016 All-GLIAC Baseball Second Team
|
|
Position
|
Name |
School |
Yr.
|
Hometown/Previous School
|
DH
|
Lance Myers |
Ashland |
Jr. |
Evansville, Ind. / F.J. Reitz / Vincennes C.C.
|
| C |
Cody Kuzniczci |
Northwood |
Sr. |
Madeira, Ohio / Madeira / NKU
|
| 1B |
Chris McDonald |
Hillsdale |
Sr. |
Livonia, Mich. |
| 2B |
Alec McCurry |
Tiffin |
So. |
Olentangy, Ohio |
| SS |
Richie Mast |
Malone |
Sr. |
Winesburg, Ohio / Berlin Hiland |
| 3B |
Nick Hueneburg |
Tiffin |
Sr. |
Peru, Ill. / St. Bede's |
| INF |
Andrew Stalnaker |
Walsh |
So. |
Canton, Ohio / Jackson |
| OF |
Connor Bartlett |
Hillsdale |
Sr. |
Lansing, Mich. |
| OF |
Brenden Wells |
Malone |
Jr. |
Beloit, Ohio / West Branch |
| OF |
Alex Young |
Grand Valley State |
Jr. |
Bloomingdale, Ohio |
| OF |
Mike Lewandowski |
Ashland |
Sr. |
Hudson, Ohio
|
| SP |
Austin Rodesky |
Findlay |
Jr. |
Bowling Green, Ohio
|
| SP |
Kyle Lawson |
Grand Valley State |
Jr. |
Muskegon, Mich. |
| SP |
Jake Baldwin |
Ashland |
Sr. |
Madison Heights, Mich. / Lamphere
|
| SP |
David Lemasters |
Lake Erie |
So. |
Cortland, Ohio / Lakeview
|
| RP |
Chris McDonald |
Hillsdale |
Sr. |
Livonia, Mich. / Stevenson |
| RP |
Alex Smith |
Ashland |
Sr. |
Piqua, Ohio / Lehman Catholic
|
| 2016 All-GLIAC Baseball Honorable Mention Team |
| Position |
Name |
School |
Yr. |
Hometown/Previous School |
| OF |
Nick Edwards |
Ashland |
Sr. |
Mason, Ohio / Archbishop Moeller
|
| OF |
Greg Ludwig |
Ashland |
So. |
Lombard, Ill. / Glenbard East
|
| P |
Colin Gossard |
Findlay |
So. |
Lima, Ohio / Bath
|
| P |
Mason Mayberry |
Findlay |
Sr. |
Bowling Green, Ohio
|
| 3B |
Anthony Villar |
Grand Valley State |
Jr. |
Hartland Twp, Mich. / Grand Rapids C.C
|
| OF |
Jason Ribecky |
Grand Valley State |
Sr. |
Muskegon, Mich. / Muskegon C.C.
|
| C |
Joe Gentile |
Hillsdale |
Sr. |
Defiance, Ohio / Defiance |
| OF |
Tad Sobieszczanski
|
Hillsdale |
Sr. |
Holland, Ohio / St. Francis de Sales
|
| 1B |
Cale Giddings |
Lake Erie |
Sr. |
Pickerington, Ohio / North / Akron
|
| C/3B |
Nigel Williams |
Lake Erie |
Fr. |
Cincinnati, Ohio / La Salle
|
| 3B |
Jon Crank |
Malone |
Sr. |
Louisville, Ohio |
| OF |
Keanan Locke |
Malone |
Jr. |
Minerva, Ohio |
| P |
Shawn Larner |
Northwood |
Jr. |
Gladwin, Mich. / Gladwin / Alma
|
| 3B |
Dan Pulver |
Northwood |
Jr. |
Mt. Pleasant, Mich. |
| INF |
Jacob Horsley |
Ohio Dominican |
Sr. |
Thornville, OH / Sheridan
|
| OF |
Colman Fitzgerald |
Ohio Dominican |
Sr. |
Centerville, Ohio / Lourdes |
| P |
Scott Sency |
Saginaw Valley |
Jr. |
Medina, Ohio |
| OF |
Adam Fitzgibbon |
Saginaw Valley |
R-Fr. |
Midland, Mich. / H.H. Dow |
| P |
Mike Cooperider |
Tiffin |
Sr. |
Massillon, Ohio / Jackson
|
| INF |
Isaac Perry |
Tiffin |
Jr. |
Norwalk, Ohio |
| P |
Logan Bowles |
Walsh |
So. |
Canton, Ohio / South |
| 1B/3B |
Tyson Lautanen |
Walsh |
So. |
Painesville, OH / Fairport Harbor / EKU
|
| P/1B |
JT Conti |
Wayne State |
R-So. |
Trenton, Mich. |
| INF/OF |
Ryan Mergener |
Wayne State |
So. |
Grand Rapids, Mich. / Portage Central |
