Baseball Garners Multiple Awards

COLUMBIA, Mo. – The American Midwest Conference (AMC) has announced the 2024 AMC Baseball All-Conference teams, season award winners, Academic All-Conference team, and the AMC Baseball Champions of Character Team. Columbia received a handful of accolades including two season awards, with six named to the First Team, and four named to the Second Team.

 Season Awards:

• Cayden Nicoletto – Player of the Year
• Dan Fick – Pitcher of the Year

Gold Glove Team:

• Brayden McGinnis
• Reece Clapp 
• Nick Fleckenstein 

First Team All-Conference 

• Dan Fick – in 12 appearances, Fick ranks fifth in the NAIA in wins (10-0). Recorded an ERA of 3.05 over 56 innings pitched. Added 37 strikeouts over the 12 game stretch.

• Reece Clapp – appeared in 13 games, holding a 3.70 ERA. Struck out 77 batters in 65 innings pitched, while recording a season-high of 11 strikeouts against William Woods (Mo.) (4/24/24).

• Indy Stanley – ranks fourth in the NAIA in batting average (.479), fifth in extra base hits (12 doubles, six triples, 11 home runs), and fifth in base running (29 runs, 136 total bases, and eight stolen bases). Added 79 hits over 45 games played.

• Tyler Renn – produced a fielding percentage of .875 in 48 games played, adding 65 assists. Accumulated a batting average of .421, collecting 69 hits, 64 RBI, 21 doubles, five triples, and five home runs.

• Braden DeSonia – recorded a fielding percentage of .985 and batting average of .354. Added 64 hits, 44 RBI, 71 runs, and a career-high of 28 stolen bases.

• Cayden Nicoletto – ranks third in the NAIA in home runs (25), fifth in RBI (75), 11th in batting average (.445), 11th in extra base hits (18 doubles, three triples, and 25 home runs) over 48 games. Also went on a 21-game hitting streak beginning 3/2/24 against Viterbo (Wis.)

Second Team All-Conference

• Pierce Hartmann – has gone 6-1 on the season with 13 total appearances. Struck out 77 batters over 53 innings pitched, accumulating an ERA of 5.06.

• Brayden McGinnis – produced a batting average of .333, securing 50 hits, 13 doubles, 55 RBI, and 16 home runs in 46 games played. Has maintained a fielding percentage of 1.000, securing 291 putouts. Added a career-high of seven RBI against Hannibal-LaGrange (Mo.) (3/29/24). 

• Nick Fleckenstein – connected on 56 hits, 13 RBI, and eight doubles over 47 games played. Accumulated a batting average of .376 while producing a fielding percentage of .971. Also went on a 16-game hitting streak beginning against Park (Mo.) (3/12/24).

• David Dell – recorded 45 hits, 14 doubles, 12 home runs, and 30 RBI in 42 games played. Has hit a career-best batting average of .381 on the season.

Champions of Character Team:

• Jimmy Layton was named to the Champions of Character Team. Each AMC school selects a member of their team to receive the NAIA Champions of Character Award. It is the student-athlete who they feel best exemplifies the NAIA ‘s five core values of integrity, respect, responsibility, sportsmanship, and servant leadership.

Academic All-Conference:

• Riley Poulton
• Braden DeSonia
• Jimmy Layton
• Duffin Makings
• Brett Mooney
• Clayton Schneider
• David Dell
• Chase McKague
• Kam Dohogne
• Alex Grellner
• Myles Jasper
• Ian Nolph
• Tyler Renn
• Koby Linder
• Noah Sperling
• Dan Fick
• Kaleb Richards
• Tom McKenna
• Indy Stanley
• Reece Clapp
• Nick Mullinax
• Brayden McGinnis
• Sutton Hanks
• Drew Voss
• Devyn Lopez
• Braydon Boyer
• Pierce Hartmann
• Danny Ortega
• Dylan Carlton
• Cayden Nicoletto
• Grant Burson
• Eli Cornish
• Jason Pearl
• Justus Martin
• Bailey Quint
• Joe Hoerchler
• Ray Schroeder