ENID, Oklahoma – In advance of the 2025 Great American Conference Baseball Championships, the league announced its year-end awards. Harding’s Maddox Long repeated as Pitcher of the Year. Southeastern Oklahoma State’s Wesley Mitchell won Player of the Year; Henderson State’s Jeremy Schork claimed Newcomer of the Year; Northwestern Oklahoma State’s Logan Sandoval earned Freshman of the Year. Arkansas Tech’s Dave Dawson captured Coach of the Year.
Long became only the second two-time GAC Pitcher of the Year. He equalled the feat first accomplished by Ouachita Baptist’s Davis Ward in 2013 and 2014. He led the conference in wins, ERA, strikeouts, WHIP, hits allowed per nine innings and opppoent’s batting average. He ranked in the top 10 nationally in wins, ERA and strikeouts. He allowed one earned run or less in 11 of his 13 starts and he registered at least eight strikeouts in 10 of the 13 appearances.
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Mitchell became the first Savage Storm player named GAC Pitcher or Player of the Year. He finished the regular season as the GAC leader in home runs, 19, and total bases, 137. His 54 RBI ranked second as did his .778 slugging percentage. Schork drove in one more run than Mitchell to pace the GAC. He slugged 16 home runs while hitting .330. Sandoval, the Rangers’ first Freshman of the Year, picked up four wins and a save in 14 appearances. He struck out 28 in 42.1 innings of work. Dawson garnered the second GAC Coach of the Year honor of his career after guiding the Wonder Boys to a regular-season title.
Long, Southern Arkansas starter Jeremy Adorno, Southwestern Oklahoma State designated hitter Bodi Wallar and the Savage Storm’s Chase Keeton made the First Team by unanimous vote. Adorno went 6-2 with a 3.32 ERA. His 97 strikeouts rank second in the conference. Wallar’s .392 average ranks third in the GAC. Keeton’s .792 slugging percentage led the league. He ranked in the top three in home runs, average and total bases.
SAU reliever Austin Adair and outfielder Trace Shoup gave the Muleriders three First-Team honorees. Adair collected seven wins and seven saves out of the bullpen. Shoup hit .351 with 11 home runs. Arkansas Tech, Henderson State and Arkansas-Monticello each placed two on the First Team. Tech’s Tyler Sardelli ranked in the top five in average, on-base percentage, runs and triples while Cole Dawson ended the regular season as the only GAC player hitting above. 400, at .401. He added 21 stolen bases. The Reddies Payton Byrd notched a GAC-best 13 saves. He struck out 45 in 34.0 innings. Luke Farrar added 14 home runs and 52 RBI. Weevil catcher Chaz Poppy produced the top on-base percentage, .495, to go along with a .391 average. He ranked in the top three in hits, RBI and triples. Outfielder Kirk Woolf led the league in triples and walks. He stole 15 bases and ranked third in runs scored.
Harding’s Logan Lacey, Northwestern Oklahoma State’s Will Kates, Ouachita Baptist’s Chase Oberle and SWOSU’s Gage Gaunt filled out the team. Lacey scored a league-high 57 runs and finished as one of just three GAC players with at least 10 home runs and 10 stolen bases. Kates’ 2.64 ERA and .216 batting average against and ranked second in the conference. Oberle logged the most innings, 87.1, and ranked third in ERA and strikeouts. Gaunt joined Lacey and SAU’s Brandon Nicoll in the 10 home run-10 stolen base club. He hit .357 with a .655 slugging percentage.
The league awarded its Elite Scholar Athlete Award - Presented By Conway Regional Health System to 13 student-athletes in Arkansas Tech’s Dayton Francis, Simon Murray and Kolby Webb; Harding’s Long, Jay Merritt and Chance Resetich; East Central’s Tanner Collins and Braden Williams, Oklahoma Baptist’s Jaxon McAuliff and Jonah Mahen, Southwestern Oklahoma State’s Garret Coiner and Eric Foufoulas and Northwestern Oklahoma State’s Jason McCarty . All 13 own a perfect 4.00 grade-point average
The All-GAC Second Team consisted of Schork, five from Ouachita Baptist - Garrett Graham, Luke House, Isaac Nowell, Tag Pacot and Wesley Scott; four from UAM - Connor Irvine, Maxim Mrakovcic, Justin Santoyo and Cam Tanner; Oklahoma Baptist’s Lucas Schaefer and D.J. Van Atten, Southern Arkansas’ Jayden Hill and Lee Matsuzaki, Arkansas Tech’s Daniel Hutchison, Harding’s Javier Lobo and Northwestern Oklahoma State’s Carson Wright.
The Honorable Mention All-GAC team featured Northwestern Oklahoma State’s Hagen Barcell, Dylan Bradford, Colby Grace , Chad Green and Connor Green; Henderson State’s Alex Galvan, Jaxson Gregg, Cole Rodriguez and Reese Weaks; SAU’s Beau Leonards and Brandon Nicoll, Harding’s Preston Tabor and Collin Helms, Arkansas-Monticello’s Nelson Mercado, Arkansas Tech’s Sawyer Duddleston and Ouachita Baptist’s Jaxson Jester.
Oberle, Poppy, Farrar, Lacey, Dawson, Bradford and Woolf added All-Defensive Teams honors to their postseason accolades. Two from UAM - first baseman Cade Cancilla and outfielder Roc Hawthorne - filled out the team.
A total of 152 standouts placed on the GAC Academic Honor Roll Team.