INDIANAPOLIS – Tiffin and Kentucky Wesleyan earned Great Midwest Athletic Conference Baseball Players of the Week recognition as the regular season concluded over the weekend.
 
The Great Midwest Championship is coming up next starting on Wednesday from Prasco Park in Mason, Ohio, as the eight of the league’s best teams face off in a double-elimination bracket for a trip to the NCAA Championship Midwest Regional. 
 
Player of the Week
John Heckman 
Tiffin
Utility 
RS Junior
Hamilton, OH (Hamilton HS)
 
Heckman had one heckuva week as the Dragons went from precarious positioning to playoff qualifier with a huge series victory to close the regular season vs. Walsh. 
 
The redshirt junior batted an even .500 while going 9-for-18 at the dish. He drove in eight, scored seven runs and sprayed four extra-base hits. 
 
Heckman mashed a pair of home runs and legged out a pair of doubles as Tiffin safely secured a spot in the conference tournament, its first year as a conference member. 
 
Heckman and his teammates are packing their bags for Prasco Park in Mason, Ohio, as the No. 7 seed in the eight-team bracket. 
 
Batting cleanup, Heckman homered and was one of three Dragons with at least three RBI in the game one victory on Friday that ended 12-8 in favor of Tiffin. In an extra-innings effort, he still went 2-for-4 with a double to finish game two.
 
Saturday was a sweep as Tiffin brought out the brooms against the Cavaliers. Heckman doubled in game one and his final game before the playoffs was a monster 4-for-5 game with 4 RBI with a two-run shot in his first at-bat. 
 
Pitcher of the Week
Devin Smith
Kentucky Wesleyan
RHP
Junior
Teutopolis, IL (Teutopolis/Lincoln Land CC)
 
Smith racked up his league-leading eighth win in dominant fashion as he turned in another gem against the conference regular-season champion Malone Pioneers. 
 
Smith struck out a season-high 13 batters and threw seven scoreless innings (1 unearned run) in his final turn through the rotation before the postseason. 
 
In an 8-1 win, Smith stymied the bats from Malone, giving up just two hits and walking one. 
 
This is his third conference pitcher of the week honor for the spring season. 
 
He sports a dazzling 8-0 win/loss record with a league-best 1.74 ERA and also paces the conference strikeouts with 86 in 67.1 innings pitched.