The Great Northern Conference baseball coaches recently announced their regular season awards and honors, with Escanaba and Gladstone players dominating the lists.
Eli Gardner, a senior infielder from Escanaba, was recognized for his outstanding defensive skills, earning a spot on the GNC All-Defensive Dream Team and the GNC First Team. Gardner maintained a .259 batting average, a .442 on-base percentage, and committed only four errors in 23 games.
Gladstone seniors John Soderman and junior Casey Alworden also made it to the All-Defensive Dream Team and First-Team lists. Soderman showcased a .263 batting average with 17 RBI and a fielding percentage of .923, while Alworden boasted a .411 batting average, an on-base percentage of .577, and an OPS of 1.029 with 31 stolen bases.
In addition to Gardner, Escanaba had three more players earning First-Team All-GNC honors. Senior Ben Johnson, sophomore Lennox Peacock, and freshman Mikaiden Hughes all showcased their skills and were recognized for their outstanding performances throughout the season.
Gladstone also had their share of First-Team honorees, including junior Gavin Frossard, senior Rex Kelly, and junior Isaac Ketchum. Frossard led the Braves with a .424 batting average, while Kelly maintained a .391 batting average and Ketchum displayed an impressive 1.46 ERA.
The GNC also announced the Team of the Year, Coach of the Year, Offensive Player of the Year, and Pitcher of the Year awards, with Kingsford taking the Team of the Year title and Joe Kriegl and Staff being named Coach of the Year. Bon LaChance from Escanaba and Andres Finley from Kingsford were recognized as the Offensive Players of the Year, while Isaac Sarles from Marquette and Gavin Trevillian from Kingsford were named Pitchers of the Year.