HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – On the eve of the 2022 Great American Conference Baseball Championships, the league announced its All-Conference teams, its academic award recipients and its All-Defensive team. The coaches unanimously selected Southern Arkansas’ Jeremy Adorno as Pitcher of the Year. He also took home Newcomer of the Year. Oklahoma Baptist’s Dan Pruitt won Player of the Year and Ouachita’s Wyatt Core earned Freshman of the Year. SAU’s Justin Pettigrew claimed the second Coach of Year award of his career.
2022 ALL-GREAT AMERICAN CONFERENCE BASEBALL TEAM?
Adorno finished the regular season with a perfect 13-0 record. He owns two more wins than any pitcher in all of college baseball. He ranks second in the country with 119 strikeouts and seven complete games. He recorded six double-digit strikeout performances and threw a no-hitter against Missouri Western State on February 6. He became the third Mulerider lauded as GAC Pitcher of the Year as he matched the feat accomplished by Doug Shields in 2012 and Hunter Vasquez in 2018.
Pruitt made program history by becoming the program’s first GAC Player of the Year. He led the conference in home runs, RBI, runs scored and triples. His 159 total bases ranks in a tie for first in Division II. He added 17 stolen bases in 19 attempts.
Core helped the Tigers record their first 30-win season since 2012. He hit .318 with seven home runs, 41 RBI and 14 stolen bases. He became the first Tiger recognized as the league’s Freshman of the Year since John Franklin Matros in 2016.
Adorno and Pruitt each made the All-GAC First Team by unanimous consent. The Bison led the league with five First-Team honorees as starting pitcher Bo Dallas, outfielders Walker Keller and Isiah Lissade plus designated hitter Kade Self joined Pruitt. Dallas went 6-4 with a 3.46 ERA and 74 strikeouts; Keller ranked fourth in the league with 17 stolen bases; Lissade hit 16 home runs and stole 14 bases; Self finished the regular season with an even .400 average and .800 slugging percentage.
The regular-season champion Muleriders finished with four First-Team selections. Catcher Brett McGee ranked fifth in both on-base percentage and RBI. In addition, he threw out 57.1 percent of stolen base attempts. Shortstop Riley Orr posted a .509 on-base percentage and added 11 steals; outfielder Ty Manning stole a league-leading 21 bases and hit .344.
Henderson State and Arkansas Tech each placed a pair of teammates on the First Team. Reddies starting pitcher Spencer Taack made the First-Team for the second-straight season after posting an 8-1 record, a 3.65 ERA and 71 strikeouts. Their closer, Brayden Bebee, earned the nod as First-Team relief pitcher. In addition to his six saves, he boasted a 2.23 ERA and limited the opposition to just a .124 average.
Like Taack, Wonder Boy starter Patrick Miner claimed a repeat appearance on the First Team. His 84 strikeouts ranked second in the conference to go alongside a 7-3 record. Tech outfielder Yadier Medina hit .380 with seven home runs.
Arkansas-Monticello’s second baseman Cade Thompson, Southern Nazarene third baseman E.J. Taylor and Southeastern Oklahoma State utility man Reid Rice filled out the First Team. Thompson hit 12 home runs and stole 12 bases; Taylor stands to set the conference’s single-season record for batting average with his .438 mark. He also led the GAC in hits and on-base percentage. Rice’s 18 home runs ranked third in the conference.
Five from Harding headline All-GAC Second Team. Starting pitchers Joel Barker and Carter McCall, outfielders Cody Smith and Chris Witzke plus shortstop David Butterfield represented the Bisons. Three from SAU - starting pitcher Jacob Womack, third baseman Brandon Nicoll and designated player - made the team as did Henderson State’s first baseman Greyson Stevens and outfielder David Vilches. The team also consisted of Arkansas-Monticello utility player Jordan Johnson, Arkansas Tech reliever Ty Van Meter, Northwestern Oklahoma State second baseman Yugo Hamakawa, Oklahoma Baptist catcher Alex Schroeder, Ouachita starting pitcher Cooper Timmons and Southeastern Oklahoma State outfielder Matt Miles.
Core also made the All-GAC Honorable Mention Team. Arkansas-Monticello placed three on the team in starting pitchers Mason Philley and Derek Potts plus shortstop Chase Cripps. Arkansas Tech first baseman Shelby Quiggins and outfielder Josh Detweiler, Harding reliever Kyle Lane and first baseman Coulton Doyle, Henderson State outfielder Bryson Haskins and utility player Cade Tucker, Southeastern Oklahoma State starting pitcher Cole Canuteson and outfielder Blake McQuain, Southern Arkansas’ Wyatt Marr and Chris Sutton, Northwestern Oklahoma State catcher Hayden Priest, Ouachita’s 3B G. Allen, Southern Nazarene second baseman Brian Brown and Southwestern Oklahoma State designated hitter Enzo Bonventre rounded out the team.
The league also recognized its top scholar athletes. Henderson State’s Stevens received the Elite Scholar Athlete award
Harding’s Michael Dewald, McCall, Smith and Caleb Stull; Southeastern Oklahoma State’s Jordan Compton, Jacob Potter, Conner Priest and Jackson Sioson; Arkansas Tech’s William Horton, Logan Schwenke and Austin Terrell; Ouachita’s Jacob Bowman, Andrew McDonald and Carter Wade; Southern Arkansas’ Burton, Jack Liddell and Evan Schroeder; Arkansas-Monticello’s Thompson and Henderson State’s Alex Day all received the Distinguished Scholar Athlete award.
Bedard also earned a spot on the league’s All-Defensive Team. Harding led the conference with four All-Defensive selections in Kelly, Smith, David Butterfield and Luke Van Dover. Arkansas Tech’s Cox and Matt Robbins, Northwestern Oklahoma State’s Johnson and Arkansas-Monticello’s Aaron Gaela filled out the team.
Pruitt, Taack, McGee, Taylor, Manning and Witzke added GAC All-Defensive Team honors to their postseason recognition. Southeastern shortstop Dylan Herd plus SAU’s second baseman Chris Sutton and outfielder Jacob Martinez rounded out the team.