EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The Great Lakes Valley Conference announced Wednesday that Quincy University sophomore catcher Nick Tindall and Saint Joseph’s College sophomore pitcher Jordan Peterson have been named the 2013 GLVC Player and Pitcher of the Year, respectively. The two conference standouts were selected by the league coaches and recognized for their efforts at an awards reception that preceded the 2013 GLVC Baseball Championship Tournament, which begins on Thursday in Evansville, Ind. In addition, Drury University designated hitter Payton Reed was named the GLVC Freshman of the Year, while Lewis University skipper Tim McDonough was recognized by his peers as GLVC Coach of the Year. A total of 72 student-athletes from both the GLVC East and West Divisions were also recognized as All-Conference honorees.
Tindall becomes the fourth GLVC Player of the Year in Quincy’s program history and the first since Kevin Sewell was honored in 2004. Derek Harlan was the Hawks’ first conference honoree in 1997, while Tindall’s current head coach Josh Rabe was selected as the league’s top player in 1999. Now Rabe has helped mentor his leader behind the plate to an impressive senior season. Tindall has started in all 44 games this season, leading the team with a .373 batting average and a 620 slugging percentage, 12 doubles, nine home runs and 50 RBI. His nine long balls, RBI total, and 98 total bases all rank second in the conference, while his slugging percentage rates third and batting average is fifth. The O'Fallon, Ill., native is the first sophomore to earn the league’s top player award since Bellarmine’s Patrick Brady was honored in 2008.
Peterson is the third Puma slinger to be tabbed as the conference’s Pitcher of the Year since the award’s inception in 2002. Mike Stitz garnered the first postseason accolade for Saint Joseph’s in 2005, while Blaine Cravens was the last to be honored in 2008. Peterson currently boasts an 8-1 record with one save in 12 appearances on the year, seven of which have come in complete-game efforts. He holds a 1.67 earned-run average, having allowed just 16 earned runs off 71 hits in 86.0 innings pitched. On the year, the Chesterton, Ind., native has fanned 79 hitters and held the opposition to a .224 batting average. His seven complete games are seventh-best in the nation, while his 7.18 strikeout-to-walk ratio sits 12th on the NCAA Division II charts this season. In addition, his ERA currently ranks 22nd in the country and his 1.15 walks allowed per nine innings is 23rd.
Reed is the third Panther rookie to earn the conference’s top newcomer honor as Joe Rohlfing was selected in 2007 and Caleb Cole was picked by the conference coaches in 2011. Reed leads Drury on the season with a .465 on-base percentage and conference-best 17 doubles, ranks second with a .553 slugging clip, and is tied for third with 36 RBI. The Springfield, Mo., native was just named the league’s final Player of the Week recipient after hitting .500 against Rockhurst and William Jewell. It was the second game of the initial series with the Hawks that Reed shined, as he went 4-for-6 with a double, two homers, and seven RBI against Rockhurst. The talented youngster was also one of three players to earn unanimous recognition on the All-GLVC squad. Quincy’s Tindall and Southern Indiana’s junior designated hitter Brent Weinzapfel were the other two unanimous nominees.
McDonough earns his first GLVC Coach of the Year accolade of his career, which has spanned the last six years at Lewis. Irish O’Reilly stakes claim to the other five GLVC Coach of the Year honors that Lewis has received. O’Reilly was named the league’s top skipper inb 1982, 1986, 1987, 1990, and 1994. This season, McDonough’s Flyers rolled through the GLVC East Division this season, earning the divisional title and the No. 2 seed in this week’s upcoming GLVC Baseball Championship Tournament. Lewis is 29-14 overall and 23-10 in conference play. During his tenure in Romeoville, Ill., McDonough has mentored 19 All-GLVC performers and can now add another eight to his list. Three of those eight are first-team selections out of the East Division, including junior second baseman Drew Buddle, junior outfielder Ben Albano, and junior pitcher Tom Helwich.
The East Division First Team is made up of 16 players, while ties in the voting extended the West Division’s First- and Second Teams to 18 honorees each. Multiple ties forced the East Division’s Second Team to include 20 recipients.
A complete list of All-GLVC performers and major postseason award winners can be found below.
FIRST-TEAM EAST DIVISION
C – Kolin Conner, Sr., SJC
1B – Jake Hartley, Sr., UINDY
2B – Drew Buddle, Jr., LEWIS
3B – Tyler O’Daniel, Sr., UINDY
SS – Jake Weinzapfel, Jr., UINDY
DH – Brent Weinzapfel, Jr., USI #
UT – Matt Bowles, Jr., USI
OF – Austin Crutcher, So., BU
OF – Ben Albano, Jr., LEWIS
OF – Hamilton Carr, Fr., USI
OF – Charlie Dennehey, Jr., SJC
SP – Kyle Grana, Sr., BU
SP – Matt Pate, So., UINDY
SP – Tom Helwich, Jr., LEWIS
SP – Jordan Peterson, So., SJC
RP – Ryan Dixon, So., BU
SECOND-TEAM EAST DIVISION
*C – Brian Norwood, Sr., LEWIS
*C – Colton White, Sr., USI
1B – Nathan Hedgepath, Jr., KWC
*2B – Scott Lawley, Sr., UINDY
*2B – A.J. Dokey, Jr., USI
*3B – Reece Rounder, Sr., USI
*3B – Jake Roberts, Sr., SJC
SS – Mike Barajas, So., LEWIS
DH – Rob Beatty, Sr., MCK
UT – Mike Schroeder, Sr., LEWIS
*OF – Anthony Asalon, Fr., UINDY
*OF – Jake Murray, Jr., LEWIS
*OF – Kyle Rutledge, So., MCK
*OF – Brad Wannemuehler, Jr., USI
*OF – Brandon Brian, Sr., SJC
SP – Jason Sterrett, Sr., BU
SP – Matt Frahm, Sr., LEWIS
SP – Brian Bayliss, Fr., SJC
SP – Ben Wright, So., USI
RP – Clint Seefeldt, Sr., UINDY
FIRST-TEAM WEST DIVISION
C – Nick Tindall, So., QU #
*1B – Colton Jones, Sr., DU
*1B – Michael Budka, Jr., UMSL
*2B – Mike Lockett, So., S&T
*2B – Tyler Gans, Jr., RU
3B – Jordan Eckley, Fr., RU
SS – Caleb Cole, Jr., DU
DH – Payton Reed, Fr., DU #
UT – Tyler Bunge, Jr., UMSL
OF – Nick Thimesch, Jr., DU
OF – Matt Borgschulte, Sr., DU
OF – Lucas Matecki, Sr., UMSL
OF – Mitchell Broughton, Jr., QU
SP – Trevor Richards, So., DU
SP – Will Landsheft, Jr., DU
SP – Zach Standefer, Jr., UMSL
SP – Nolan Clayton, Jr., UMSL
RP – Kyle Renaud, Sr., UMSL
SECOND-TEAM WEST DVISION
C – Paul Richmond, Jr., UMSL
1B – Lance Portwood, Fr., S&T
2B – Brett Neill, Sr., DU
3B – Mike Wilkinson, So., MU
SS – Kenny May, Jr., QU
DH – No Selection
UT – Blake Baker, Jr., UIS
OF – Spencer Wilmes, Fr., DU
OF – Patrick Chandler, Sr., RU
OF – Jordan Rice, Fr., WJC
OF – Drew Standefer, Sr., UMSL
*SP – Austin Faulconer, So., DU
*SP – Nolan Korn, Sr., S&T
*SP – Chris Bowe, Sr., S&T
*SP – Clayton Hicks, Sr., QU
*SP – Alex Seier, Sr., RU
*SP – Drew Mitrisin, Jr., WJC
RP – Tim Haley, Sr., QU
2013 GLVC Player of the Year: Nick Tindall, So., C, QU
2013 GLVC Pitcher of the Year: Jordan Peterson, So., SP, SJC
2013 GLVC Freshman of the Year: Payton Reed, Fr., DH, DU
2013 GLVC Coach of the Year: Tim McDonough, LEWIS
# Indicates Unanimous Selection
* Indicates Tie in Voting