By Alan Grosbach, Manager of Communications and Sports Information
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) has announced the 2015 Baseball All-America Teams, selected by the NAIA-Baseball Coaches Association All-America Committee. National Player of the Year Ty Abbott of Georgia Gwinnett headlines the group of 34 individuals named to the first and second team. An additional 34 student-athletes received honorable mention recognition.
Abbott, a native of Milton, Ga., was awarded the Association of Independent Institutions Player of the Year after leading the Grizzlies to a 50-14 record – their second-consecutive season with 50-or-more wins – and an appearance in the NAIA Baseball National Championship Opening Round for the second-straight year.
The senior first baseman concluded the year ranked among the top 50 nationally in 16 statistical categories, including leading the NAIA in at-bats (248), RBI (93) and hits (106). Abbott ended the season on a 12-game hitting streak and recorded multi-hit performances in 33-of-63 games. He is the first individual from Georgia Gwinnett to receive the honor.
World Series qualifier Oklahoma Baptist led all institutions with four All-Americans – Yariel Gonzalez (2B; first team), Kelvin Rivas (SP; first team), Landon Coon (3B; second team) and Joey Szczepanski (OF; second team). This is the second-straight year that the program has boasted the most honorees.
Orlando Olivera of Missouri Baptist and Mitch Peschon of Northwestern (Iowa) are the only repeat selections. Olivera – a first team outfielder – ended the season with a team-best .395 batting average and ranked No. 2 in the NAIA in home runs with 20. Peschon, who is on the second team as an outfielder, registered 119 total bases and a .360 batting average for the Red Raiders. He also stole a team-high 16 bases and had 10 assists.
For more information on NAIA baseball, click
here.
2015 NAIA Baseball All-America Teams
|
First Team |
|
|
|
|
|
Position |
First |
Last |
Year |
School |
Hometown |
|
C |
Jesse |
Baker |
Sr. |
Edward Waters (Fla.) |
Sebring, Fla. |
|
C |
Osvaldo |
Gonzalez |
Sr. |
Bellevue (Neb.) |
Miami, Fla. |
|
1B |
Ty |
Abbott |
Sr. |
Georgia Gwinnett |
Milton, Ga. |
|
2B |
Yariel |
Gonzalez |
Jr. |
Oklahoma Baptist |
San Sebastian, P.R. |
|
SS |
Clayton |
Brandt |
Sr. |
MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.) |
Stewardson, Ill. |
|
3B |
Ridge |
Hoopi-Haslam |
Sr. |
Tennessee Wesleyan |
Hilo, Hawaii |
|
INF |
Randy |
Santiesteban |
Sr. |
Peru State (Neb.) |
Hialeah, Fla. |
|
DH |
Keivan |
Berges |
So. |
Northwood (Fla.) |
Wellington, Fla. |
|
OF |
Jordan |
Tescher |
Sr. |
Dickinson State (N.D.) |
Beach, N.D. |
|
OF |
Orlando |
Olivera+ |
Sr. |
Missouri Baptist |
Miami, Fla. |
|
OF |
Chris |
Madera |
Sr. |
Faulkner (Ala.) |
Santo Domingo, D.R. |
|
OF |
Alex |
Bautista |
Sr. |
Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) |
Brooklyn, N.Y. |
|
SP |
Adam |
Panayotovich |
Sr. |
St. Francis (Ill.) |
Palos Park, Ill. |
|
SP |
Corey |
Hale |
Sr. |
Mobile (Ala.) |
Luverne, Ala. |
|
SP |
Adam |
Hines |
Jr. |
LSU Alexandria (La.) |
Bunkie, La. |
|
SP |
Kelvin |
Rivas |
Sr. |
Oklahoma Baptist |
Guaynabo, P.R. |
|
RP |
Tyler |
Mark |
Jr. |
Concordia (Calif.) |
Los Angeles, Calif. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Second Team |
|
|
|
|
|
Position |
First |
Last |
Year |
School |
Hometown |
|
C |
Daniel |
Comstock |
Jr. |
Menlo (Calif.) |
Petaluma, Calif. |
|
C |
Scott |
Morton |
Jr. |
Briar Cliff (Iowa) |
Ventura, Calif. |
|
1B |
Seth |
Brown |
Jr. |
Lewis-Clark State (Idaho) |
Medford, Ore. |
|
2B |
Jake |
Morgan |
Jr. |
Sterling (Kan.) |
Salt Lake City, Utah |
|
SS |
Aaron |
Stubblefield |
Jr. |
Sterling (Kan.) |
Kansas City, Mo. |
|
3B |
Landon |
Coon |
Jr. |
Oklahoma Baptist |
Dale, Okla. |
|
INF |
Wesley |
Hoskins |
Sr. |
Menlo (Calif.) |
Johannesburg, South Africa |
|
DH |
Daniel |
Bolanos |
Sr. |
Kansas Wesleyan |
Miami, Fla. |
|
OF |
Joey |
Szczepanski |
Sr. |
Oklahoma Baptist |
Bloomington, Calif. |
|
OF |
Romer |
Portes |
Sr. |
Indiana Tech |
Orlando, Fla. |
|
OF |
Preston |
King |
Jr. |
Bryan (Tenn.) |
Kingston, Tenn. |
|
OF |
Mitch |
Peschon% |
Sr. |
Northwestern (Iowa) |
Spirit Lake, Iowa |
|
SP |
Andrew |
Bergmann |
Sr. |
Judson (Ill.) |
Hanover Park, Ill. |
|
SP |
Kenny |
Kudsen |
Sr. |
Bryan (Tenn.) |
Suger Hill, Ga. |
|
SP |
Steve |
Sarcone |
Sr. |
Bellevue (Neb.) |
Utica, N.Y. |
|
SP |
Griffin |
Glaude |
Sr. |
Lyon (Ark.) |
Beebe, Ark. |
|
RP |
Zac |
Grotz |
Sr. |
Embry-Riddle (Fla.) |
San Bruno, Calif.
|
+ - 2014 First Team All-American
% - 2014 Second Team All-American
|
Honorable Mention |
|
|
|
First |
Last |
School |
|
Zach |
Close |
AIB (Iowa) |
|
Sean |
Baumes |
Bacone (Okla.) |
|
Stephen |
Meyer |
Bellevue (Neb.) |
|
Curtis |
Taylor |
British Columbia |
|
Andrew |
Redman |
Clarke (Iowa) |
|
Brendan |
Bender |
Davenport (Mich.) |
|
Jonathan |
Cheshire |
Davenport (Mich.) |
|
Liam |
Bedford |
Doane (Neb.) |
|
Liam |
Goodall |
Embry-Riddle (Fla.) |
|
Robert |
Llera |
Faulkner (Ala.) |
|
Victor |
Arche |
Faulkner (Ala.) |
|
Houston |
Looser |
Freed-Hardeman (Tenn.) |
|
Jacob |
Lanning |
Holy Cross (Ind.) |
|
Evan |
Bickett |
IU Southeast (Ind.) |
|
Logan |
Coughlin |
IU Southeast (Ind.) |
|
Luke |
Rojas |
Judson (Ill.) |
|
Max |
Whitt |
Lewis-Clark State (Idaho) |
|
Cabe |
Reiten |
Lewis-Clark State (Idaho) |
|
Christian |
Cavaness |
Lindenwood-Belleville (Ill.) |
|
Jami |
Rachal |
LSU Alexandria (La.) |
|
Braxton |
Hamil |
Mobile (Ala.) |
|
Jinny |
Parra |
Oklahoma Baptist |
|
Keach |
Ballard |
Oklahoma Baptist |
|
Willi |
Martin |
Southeastern (Fla.) |
|
Jordan |
Espino |
Sterling (Kan.) |
|
Dustin |
Hurlbutt |
Tabor (Kan.) |
|
Wardy |
Polanco |
Tennessee Wesleyan |
|
Ashly |
Morris |
USC Beaufort (S.C.) |
|
Jose |
Rojas |
Vanguard (Calif.) |
|
AJ |
Arroyo |
Webber International (Fla.) |
|
Alex |
Bush |
Westmont (Calif.) |
|
Russell |
Hamening |
Westmont (Calif.) |
|
Will |
Barring |
Westmont (Calif.) |
|
Blake |
Matthias |
Westmont (Calif.) |