Rochester, MN –
The Minnesota College Athletic Conference (MCAC) office has announced the MCAC Baseball All-Division awards for the 2021 season.
MCAC Baseball is divided into three divisions – North, Central, and South. In the North Division, Rainy River Community College claimed the division championship, followed by Vermilion Community College and Itasca Community College, Mesabi Range College, and Hibbing Community College. The Central Division title went to St. Cloud Technical and Community College, with Central Lakes College, Minnesota State – Fergus Falls, and Northland rounding out the division. The division championship in the South Division was secured by Century College, with Rochester Community and Technical College, Riverland Community College, and Anoka-Ramsey Community College making that championship a tough one to win.
Following the conclusion of the regular season, MCAC baseball coaches nominated players and voted on the top ten for each division. The top 10 ranked players from each division were then named to the MCAC All-Division Team, with the top ranked athlete earning the Player-of-the-Year honor. A coach of the year was also selected for each division.
In the MCAC North Division, Rainy River Community College's John Michael Gonzalez Jr. was selected as the Player-of-the-Year and his coach, Josh Koenig, was selected as the Coach-of-the-Year. Gonzalez Jr. hit .468 on the season in his 128 at-bats and scored 38 runs while crushing 10 homers, 12 doubles, and two triples. The freshman outfielder from Tucson, AZ, drove in 63 runs and stole 8 bases. He led the conference in hits, home runs, RBI, and total bases, and he did not commit an error defensively for his Voyageurs. Rainy River, under the direction of Coach Koenig, finished the regular season with a 15-24 overall record and 10-6 in the division.
Eric Holloman, sophomore infielder at St. Cloud Technical and Community College, earned the MCAC Central Division Player-of-the-Year award, while his coach, Jason Fischer, was chosen as the Coach-of-the-Year. Holloman played in 23 games and hit .425 from the plate with 31 hits, 16 of which were for extra bases. He also drove in 24 runs and scored 34 times himself. Holloman was second in the MCAC in RBI and third in home runs. Coach Fischer led his Cyclones to a 20-3 overall record and 11-1 divisional record.
In unique style, the MCAC South Division saw a three-way tie for the Player-of-the-Year honor. Brandon Watkins (Anoka-Ramsey), David VanOrt (Century), and Justin Baehler (Century) each take home a share of the award. Century College's skipper, Josh Threlkeld, earned the Coach-of-the-Year honor. Watkins, a sophomore outfielder, went 49 for 108 at the plate (.454), scoring 25 runs for his Golden Rams and knocking in 6 home runs and 18 RBI. VanOrt, Century's sophomore lefty pitcher, was 6-1 in his eight appearances, throwing three complete games. He leads the conference in shutouts on the season. As Century's catcher/first basemen, Baehler played a perfect conference season defensively, and leads the nation in doubles with 13. Baehler hit .449 on the season driving in 31 runs, with three homers. Coach Threlkeld led his Wood Duck squad to a 26-6 overall record and 9-3 in the South Division.
The top teams in MCAC Baseball can be seen at the Region XIII Baseball Tournament beginning Friday in St. Cloud, MN.
Below is a complete list of the 2021 MCAC All-Division Teams:
MCAC North All-Division Team |
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| John Michael Gonzalez Jr. | Rainy River | North Division Player of the Year |
| Dawson Tweet | Mesabi Range | |
| Robert Rodriguez | Hibbing | |
| Hunter Herpel | Hibbing | |
| Jakob Wiirre | Vermilion | |
| Cade Marquardt | Itasca | |
| Terren Sugita | Vermilion | |
| Mason MacLeod | Itasca | |
| Mateo Sierras | Rainy River | |
| Jackson Bode | Mesabi Range | |
| Josh Koenig | Rainy River | North Division Coach of the Year |
MCAC Central All-Division Team |
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| Erik Holloman | SCTCC | Central Division Player of the Year |
| Gunnar Wicklund | Central Lakes | |
| Dylan Haskamp | SCTCC | |
| Justin Dykhoff | M State - Fergus Falls | |
| Drew Beier | SCTCC | |
| Phillip Zynda | Central Lakes | |
| Will Funk | SCTCC | |
| Hunter Yutrenzka | Northland | |
| Christian Rodriguez | Northland | |
| Jonathan Lerma | Central Lakes | |
| Jason Fischer | SCTCC | Central Division Coach of the Year |
MCAC South All-Division Team |
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| Brandon Watkins | Anoka-Ramsey | South Division Co-Player of the Year |
| David VanOrt | Century | South Division Co-Player of the Year |
| Justin Baehler | Century | South Division Co-Player of the Year |
| Isaac Benesh | Century | |
| Max Schumacher | Riverland | |
| Gabe Sepulveda | Rochester | |
| Drew Copley | Riverland | |
| T Mickelson | Rochester | |
| Chris Jacobs | Century | |
| Dan Foley | Anoka-Ramsey | |
| Josh Threlkeld | Century | South Division Coach of the Year |
This release sponsored by:
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About the Minnesota College Athletic Conference
The Minnesota College Athletic Conference is the organizational body for NJCAA-affiliated two-year technical and community college athletic programs in the Minnesota State system. The mission of the Minnesota College Athletic Conference is to advance intercollegiate athletics by providing an engaging and supportive environment for success of our student athletes and competition among member institutions. The MCAC is committed to the guiding principles of encouraging the development and success of student athletes, promoting the integrity, honesty and loyalty to member schools as well as upholding the sustainability of conference athletic programs.