INDIANAPOLIS – Various organizations, including the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA), National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) and the Division II Collegiate Commissioner's Association (D2CCA), have released their postseason award winners.
The Great Midwest Athletic Conference was represented well through its member institutions with all-region and All-American selections on the ballot for their accomplishments on the field in 2019.
The ABCA/Rawlings Midwest All-Region Team had nine honorees, including five on the first team and four more honorees on the second team.
Great Midwest Player of the Year Andrew Czech of Walsh was named the ABCA/Rawlings Midwest Position Player of the Year. Czech and the Cavaliers led the conference in team batting average at .304 while the powerful corner infielder slugged 17 homers to go with 63 RBI. He was one of just three players to finish the spring with a batting average north of .400.
Joining Czech on the first-team list was Cedarville freshman batting king Payton Eeles, also the conference freshman of the year, at second base, Hillsdale's mashing lefty Steven Ring, two-time conference athlete of the week John Heckman from Tiffin and Great Midwest Pitcher of the Year Devin Smith out of Kentucky Wesleyan.
Second-team recipients to the ABCA/Rawlings Midwest All-Region Team included Ohio Dominican senior catcher Colin Kaucher, Hillsdale shortstop Jake Hoover, Hillsdale sophomore James Krick and Trevecca Nazarene's Javier Lopez.
Kaucher headlined the list of NCBWA awards, earning All-American honors for the second year in a row since Ohio Dominican joined the Great Midwest. The senior backstop was named to the honorable mention team after earning first team all-conference accolades two years in a row.
Czech was also named a First Team NCBWA All-American while the Kentucky Wesleyan ace Smith was the first pitcher in program history to land NCBWA All-American status on the honorable mention team.
Kaucher was third in the league in batting average (.410) and started all 53 games he appeared in. He was the overall league leader in hits with 84 and ranked among the conference's best in RBI with 51 and runs scored with 60.
Kaucher was also voted to the NCBWA All-Midwest Region First Team at his defensive position. Czech was also named a first-team honoree along with Smith. Heckman and Ring were on the second team along with Hillsdale's senior third baseman Colin Boerst.
The D2CCA All-Midwest Region Team included Cedarville's Eeles on the first team with the redshirt junior Czech and Smith once again. Ring was tabbed as a first-team selection at the utility position.
The second team included more familiar faces, including Kaucher and two of his ODU teammates along with senior outfielder Genesis Hillard and sophomore utility (pitcher) Tim Zeller.
ABCA/Rawlings All-Midwest Region Team
| 1B |
Andrew Czech (1st) (Position Player of the Year) |
Walsh |
RS Junior |
| 2B |
Payton Eeles (1st) |
Cedarville |
Freshman |
| INF |
Steven Ring (1st) |
Hillsdale |
Senior |
| OF |
John Heckman (1st) |
Tiffin |
Senior |
| SP |
Devin Smith (1st) |
Kentucky Wesleyan |
Junior |
| C |
Colin Kaucher (2nd) |
Ohio Dominican |
Senior |
| SS |
Jake Hoover (2nd) |
Hillsdale |
Junior |
| OF |
Javier Lopez (2nd) |
Trevecca Nazarene |
Senior |
| DH |
James Krick (2nd) |
Hillsdale |
Sophomore |
NCBWA All-American Team
| 1B |
Andrew Czech (1st) |
Walsh |
RS Junior |
| C |
Colin Kaucher (Honorable Mention) |
Ohio Dominican |
Senior |
| SP |
Devin Smith (Honorable Mention) |
Kentucky Wesleyan |
Junior |
NCBWA All-Midwest Region Team
| C |
Colin Kaucher (1st) |
Ohio Dominican |
Senior |
| 1B |
Andrew Czech (1st) |
Walsh |
RS Junior |
| SP |
Devin Smith (1st) |
Kentucky Wesleyan |
Junior |
| 3B |
Colin Boerst (2nd) |
Hillsdale |
Senior |
| OF |
John Heckman (2nd) |
Tiffin |
Senior |
| DH |
Steven Ring (2nd) |
Hillsdale |
Senior |
D2CCA All-Midwest Region Team
| 1B |
Andrew Czech (1st) |
Walsh |
RS Junior |
| 2B |
Payton Eeles (1st) |
Cedarville |
Freshman |
| SP |
Devin Smith (1st) |
Kentucky Wesleyan |
Junior |
| UT |
Steven Ring (1st) |
Hillsdale |
Senior |
| C |
Colin Kaucher (2nd) |
Ohio Dominican |
Senior |
| OF |
Genesis Hillard (2nd) |
Ohio Dominican |
Senior |
| UT |
Tim Zeller (2nd) |
Ohio Dominican |
Sophomore |
D2CCA All-American Team
| 1B |
Andrew Czech (1st) |
Walsh |
RS Junior |
| 2B |
Payton Eeles (3rd) |
Cedarville |
Freshman |