INDIANAPOLIS – The Great Lakes Valley Conference announced Wednesday that Drury University senior utility player Ryan Colombo has been named the GLVC Player of the Year for the 2017 season, while University of Southern Indiana senior Lucas Barnett was selected as GLVC Pitcher of the Year. The two Conference standouts were selected by the league coaches and recognized for their efforts at an awards reception that preceded the 2017 GLVC Baseball Championship Tournament, which begins on Thursday in Ozark, Missouri. In addition, Missouri S&T newcomer Matt Knickerbocker was tabbed as GLVC Freshman of the Year and Saint Joseph’s College head coach Rick O’Dette was recognized by his peers as GLVC Coach of the Year. A total of 65 student-athletes from both the GLVC East and West Divisions were also recognized as All-Conference honorees.
Colombo earned the top honor after finishing a regular season in which he displayed true utility. The senior, though he did not lead the GLVC in any one category, did record top-10 stats in 13 different categories for GLVC-only games. Offensively, he was a top-10 player for sac flies (3, t-1st), hits (41, t-3rd), batting average (.398, 5th), hits per game (1.46, t-6th), total plate appearances (121, t-7th) and on-base percentage (.458, 9th). On the mound, his numbers for innings per game (7.33, 2nd), innings pitched (51.1, 2nd), hits allowed per game (7.71, t-4th), strikeouts per game (0.25, t-6th), opposing batting average (.229, 6th) and batters struck out (38, 10th), along with fielding double plays (17, t-5th) were good for top-10 marks. His efforts on the diamond assisted Drury to a West Division title and the No. 1 West seed for the GLVC Baseball Championship Tournament with a 33-17 overall mark and a 19-9 league record. The product of Topeka, Kan., is the second Panther to ever earn the league’s top honor, as Nick Thimesch was recognized as the GLVC’s best player in 2014. Colombo also picked up unanimous First Team West Division accolades.
Barnett ranked among the top-10 best pitchers in the GLVC in 18 categories through 49.0 league innings pitched with a 5-1 record. His highest marks were in earned run average (1.29), walks allowed (6), home runs allowed (1), walks allowed per game (1.10), where he ranks second in the loop. He is third for wins (5), runs allowed (12), doubles allowed (3), doubles allowed per game (0.55), earned runs allowed (7), runs allowed per game (2.20) and homers allowed per game (0.18). Additionally, he is fourth with a .221 opponent batting average and 7.71 hits allowed per game, while seventh for innings pitched and innings per game (7.00), as well as tied for eighth with 13 batters struck out looking. The GLVC Pitcher of the Year award was first established in 2002, and Barnett is the second Screaming Eagle to earn it, as Matt Chavarria shared the honor in 2015. The senior also was voted to the All-GLVC East Division squad.
Knickerbocker was selected by the coaches as the league’s top freshman after compiling a .350 batting average in 80 at bats in 26 starts where he registered 28 hits, 10 RBI, three home runs and 16 runs scored. He also slugged .475, compiled a .402 on-base percentage and fielded a near-perfect .975 from second base. The Miners newcomer was also recognized as a second-team All-GLVC West honoree and becomes the second Missouri S&T player to be named GLVC Freshman of the Year with the first being Thomas McCormick in 2006.
O’Dette earns his second GLVC Coach of the Year laurel and is the fourth Puma skipper to be voted as such by his peers. With a 32-18 overall record, which includes a 14-14 mark in league play, Saint Joseph’s enters the Conference tournament ranked second in the GLVC in pitching and third in hitting, respectively, as they boast a 4.57 team ERA and a .305 team batting average. O’Dette, in his 17th and final season at Saint Joseph’s, mentored senior third baseman Josh Handzik to first-team All-GLVC accolades as well as senior first baseman Riley Benner and senior pitcher Tasker Strobel to second-team distinction.
The East Division First and Second Teams, as well as the West First Team, are made up of 16 players, while ties in the voting extended the West Second Team to 17 selections. Including Colombo, four players from the West Division were named unanimous selections to their positions on the First Team, including Drury junior first baseman Nic Perkins, Quincy junior designated hitter Troy Wehde and Rockhurst senior shortstop Brett Marr.
The league also recognized 16 GLVC James R. Spalding Sportsmanship Award honorees. The student-athletes chosen are individuals who have distinguished themselves through sportsmanship and ethical behavior. These individuals must also be in good academic standing and have demonstrated good citizenship outside of the sports-competition setting. The honorees are now eligible to become one of their school’s two Spalding Sportsmanship Award winners, which will be announced next week.
A complete list of All-GLVC performers and major postseason award winners can be found below.
2017 Player of the Year: Ryan Colombo, Sr., UT, DU
2017 Pitcher of the Year: Lucas Barnett, Sr., SP, USI
2017 Freshman of the Year: Matt Knickerbocker, 2B, S&T
2017 Coach of the Year: Rick O’Dette, SJC
FIRST TEAM ALL-GLVC – EAST DIVISION
Eddie Mathis, So., SP, BU
Brady Pfaadt, Jr., C, BU
Hunter Spencer, Jr., SP, BU
Trey Hannam, Sr., OF, UIS
Michael Rothmund, Jr., 1B, UIS
Cole Taylor, Jr., SS, UIS
Kyle Orloff, So., OF, UINDY
Dylan Stutsman, Jr., RP, UINDY
Brandon Collins, Sr., OF, LEWIS
Josh Handzik, Sr., 3B, SJC
Lucas Barnett, Sr., SP, USI
Jake Fleming, So., 2B, USI
Kyle Griffin, Jr., SP, USI
Drake McNamara, Jr., OF, USI
Kyohei Makita, Sr., DH, UWP
Max Widmar, Jr., UT, UWP |
SECOND TEAM ALL-GLVC – EAST DIVISION
Drew Greenwood, Jr., SS, BU
Griffin Neuer, Jr., OF, BU
Alex Phillips, So., OF, BU
Zac Wiley, So., DH, BU
Adam Gregory, So., SP, UIS
Myles Hann, Jr., 2B, UIS
Ethan Howard, Jr., SP, UIS
Austin Muench, Sr., OF, UIS
Storm Joop, Jr., 3B, UINDY
Connor Rutherford, So., OF, LEWIS
Riley Benner, Sr., 1B, SJC
Tasker Strobel, Sr., SP, SJC
Logan Brown, So., C, USI
Sam Griggs, Jr., UT, USI
Justin Watts, Sr., RP, USI
Nate Stolte, So., SP, UWP |
FIRST TEAM ALL-GLVC – WEST DIVISION
Ryan Colombo, Sr., UT, DU#
Nic Perkins, Jr., 1B, DU#
Garrett Woods, Sr., SP, DU
Eli Miller, Sr., OF, S&T
J.C. DeMuri, Jr., OF, QU
Hunter Haynes, Fr., SP, QU
Dominic Miles, Sr., OF, QU
Graham Spraker, Sr., SP, QU
Jake Walters, Sr., 2B, QU
Troy Wehde, Jr., DH, QU#
Michael Lydon-Lorson, Sr., SP, RU
Brett Marr, Sr., SS, RU#
Jason Priest, Sr., 3B, TSU
Peter Young, Jr., RP, TSU
Garrett McKinzie, Sr., C, WJC
Drew Standifer, Sr., OF, WJC
# Unanimous Selection |
SECOND TEAM ALL-GLVC – WEST DIVISION
Alex Austin, So., RP, DU
Ryan Kayhill, So., OF, DU
Mitch Carriger, Sr., OF, MU
AJ Dean, Jr., SP, MU
Matt Knickerbocker, Fr., 2B, S&T
Kaleb Reid, So., OF, S&T
Adam Richter, Sr., 3B, S&T
Tom DeCero, So., SS, UMSL
Kevin Smith, Sr., SP, UMSL
Jake Morsch, Jr., OF, UMSL
Nick Ulrey, Sr., C, UMSL
Cooper Vinz, Jr., 1B, UMSL
Brynn Martinez, Jr., SS, QU
Mark Niebrugge, Sr., SP, QU
Andrew Ellwanger, Sr., SP, RU
Henry Weiler, Jr., UT, RU
Chris Iliopoulos, Sr., DH, TSU
*Extra Member due to tie |
2017 GLVC BASEBALL JAMES R. SPALDING SPORTSMANSHIP AWARD NOMINEES
Drew Greenwood, BU
Devan O'Bryan, DU
Zach Patterson, UIS
Jake Shaw, UINDY
Brandon Collins, LEWIS
Troy Payton, MU
Brad Groleau, MCK
Kyle Hix, S&T
Tanner Hudson, UMSL
Brynn Martinez, QU
Michael Lydon-Lorson, RU
Josh Handzik, SJC
Jaylen Quarles, USI
Austin Tinsley, TSU
Jake Kolasinski, UWP
Robbie Colburn, WJC