INDIANAPOLIS - University of Illinois Springfield junior Zion Pettigrew was named the 2021 Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) Player of the Year for baseball on Wednesday, while Quincy University southpaw Riley Martin earned Pitcher of the Year and Lewis University righty Jake Karaba was dubbed Freshman of the Year. Illinois Springfield mentor Ryan Copeland was also voted as the league's Coach of the Year.
In addition, 41 student-athletes were honored as All-GLVC performers, while 15 garnered James R. Spalding Sportsmanship distinction, and Truman State University was named the sportsmanship team recipient.
Per GLVC policy, the All-Conference teams are determined by the league's 15 head coaches, who are not permitted to submit votes for their own players.
Pettigrew was the lone unanimous All-GLVC selection this spring, as the junior wrapped up his first full regular season in the league last weekend. The Chicago, Ill., product produced video-game numbers this spring, slashing .472/.554/1.046 with 15 homers, 41 runs batted in (RBI), and 41 runs scored in 130 plate appearances. In all, the junior tallied 51 hits - 31 for extra bases - and totaled 113 bases during his 28 league games. For the spring, Pettigrew led the GLVC in the following categories: batting average, home runs, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, and total bases, while ranking in the top five of doubles (), hits (), RBI, and runs. Pettigrew collected 20 multi-hit games this season with three four-knock performances and also drilled a dinger on 14 occasions with two over the fence three times. Entering this weekend's GLVC tournament, Pettigrew is 13 for his last 23 at the dish with five homers. He is the first GLVC Player of the Year from UIS in league history.
Martin displayed pure dominance on the bump this season, logging 66 innings from the left side in 10 starts to also garner All-GLVC First Team honors. The Salem, Ill., native punched out 130 opponents - 119 strikeouts in 59 league frames - on his way to finishing the regular season with a 3.00 earned run average (ERA), .224 opponent batting average, and three complete games. Martin recorded double-digit strikeouts in all but one start this spring, piling up 16 or more on five occasions to become the first Quincy hurler to be named GLVC Pitcher of the Year since Brandon DeJaynes in 2003. In his last regular season start, Martin sent 19 opponents down on strikes in just seven innings, earning his second GLVC Pitcher of the Week award of the season. His 19-K performance came against the top seed in the GLVC Championship Tournament, Illinois Springfield, while two of his 16-K starts were against two other postseason qualifiers this weekend in Rockhurst University and University of Southern Indiana.
Lewis' ace Karaba was voted the league's top rookie, finishing the regular season with a 2.76 ERA in eight GLVC starts. Due to the 2020 campaign being cut short because of the COVID-19 pandemic - Karaba's true freshman season - the hurler was eligible for the award this season. The righty out of Naperville, Ill., sent down 61 opposing batters in 49 innings during league play this spring, allowing hitters to bat .225 against him. Karaba earned the first GLVC Pitcher of the Week distinction of the 2021 season and the second of his career, tossing five scoreless innings of one-hit ball. Karaba logged three complete games this season, including a one-hitter this past weekend against University of Indianapolis when he struck out six over seven innings. Karaba is the first Lewis player to be named Freshman of the Year since Jeff Johnson in 1997.
Copeland was recognized by his peers as Coach of the Year for the first time in his career - and second in program history - rafter taking over as UIS head coach prior to the 2020 season. He guided the Prairie Stars to a 34-5 overall record this spring, including a 30-5 mark within Conference play to earn the top seed in this weekend's GLVC Championship Tournament. In addition to Pettigrew being named Player of the Year, Copeland coached eight All-Conference players, including six First Team honorees. Illinois Springfield also appeared in last week's NCAA Midwest Regional rankings, looking for its third straight National Tournament appearance.
In addition to Pettigrew, Martin, and Karaba, 17 others were named All-GLVC First Team, including Illinois Springfield's Chris Monroe, Kal Youngquist, Austin Alderman, Chad Saner, and Mason Coon; Drury University's Jackson Dierenfeldt, Nikko Calabro, and Clayton Engel; UIndy's Trey Smith and Reid Werner; Rockhurst's Tyler Stamer and Jack Eisenbarger; William Jewell College's Jake Wilcox and Anthony Hansen; Lewis' Michael O'Brien; Lindenwood University's Justin Taylor; and Quincy's Dayson Croes.
The league also recognized Truman as its GLVC Baseball James R. Spalding Sportsmanship Award team recipient, as well as 15 GLVC James R. Spalding Sportsmanship Award Individual nominees. 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.
Below are the complete 2021 All-GLVC baseball teams and major award winners.
GLVC Player of the Year: Zion Pettigrew, Jr., 3B, Illinois Springfield
GLVC Pitcher of the Year: Riley Martin, Sr., SP, Quincy
GLVC Freshman of the Year: Jake Karaba, SP, Lewis
GLVC Coach of the Year: Ryan Copeland, Illinois Springfield
All-GLVC First Team
Chris Monroe, Jr., 1B, UIS
Jackson Dierenfeldt, So., 2B, DU
Zion Pettigew, Jr., 3B, UIS #
Michael O'Brien, Jr., SS, LEWIS
Dayson Croes, Jr., UT, QU
Jake Wilcox, Fr., UT, WJC
Kal Youngquist, Jr., DH, UIS
Nikko Calabro, So., C, DU
Anthony Hansen, Jr., OF, WJC
Trey Smith, Jr., OF, UINDY
Tyler Stamer, Gr., OF, RU
Austin Alderman, So., OF, UIS
Clayton Engel, Gr., OF, DU
Riley Martin, Sr., SP, QU
Jack Eisenbarger, Sr., SP, RU
Chad Saner, Fr., SP, UIS
Reid Werner, Gr., SP, UINDY
Jake Karaba, Fr., SP, LEWIS
Mason Coon, Jr., RP, UIS
Justin Taylor, Sr., RP, LWU |
All-GLVC Second Team*
Michael Ward, Sr., 1B, S&T
Ethan Hunter, Jr., 2B, USI
Aaron Mann, So., 3B, DU
Gino D'Alessio, Fr., SS, QU
Austin Tittle, Gr., UT, LEWIS
Steven Bradbury, Sr., UT, TSU
Joey Polak, Gr., DH, MU
Jacob Kalusniak, Sr., C, QU
Bryce Krizan, Jr., OF, USI
Chris Mathieu, Gr., OF, UIS
Ryan Hutchinson, Sr., OF, MCK
Ethan Owens, Gr., OF, DU
Zack Ehlen, Fr., OF, SBU
Kory Carter, Sr., OF, TSU
Ryan Louck, Jr., SP, MU
Colton Hale, So., SP, UIS
Ryan Carmack, Fr., SP, SBU
Blake Beckmann, Sr., SP, LWU
Tyler Cassmeyer, Jr., SP, LWU
Niko Marshall, So., RP, LWU
Carter Stamm, Fr., RP, USI |
# Unanimous selection *Additional member due to a tie
GLVC James R. Spalding Sportsmanship Team Award
Truman State
GLVC James R. Spalding Sportsmanship Honorees
Balyer Hinz, DU
Brandon Bannon, UIS
Alex Vela, UINDY
Anthony Rios, LEWIS
Austin Schmitt, LWU
Reese Snyder, MU
Jared Timmermann, MCK
Braden Mahurin, S&T
Josh Shoemaker, UMSL
Jacob Kalusniak, QU
Tommy Kraus, RU
Sammy Barnett, USI
Blake Lutgen, SBU
Kory Carter, TSU
Anthony Hansen, WJC