Ottawa is 42-8 overall and earned the program's eighth KCAC regular season championship with a record of 29-4 in 2022. OU has qualified for the program's second NAIA Opening Round and for the first time in program history, has the no. 1 seed.
The Braves finished the KCAC Tournament with a record of 1-2, falling in its last game to eventual tournament champion, Kansas Wesleyan.
Through 50 games, OU has scored 442 runs and hit 78 home runs. The Braves have a .321 batting average, a .433 on base percentage, and a .553 slugging percentage.
The Braves have three pitchers that have struck out 100 or more batters this season for the first time in program history.
Stephen Norrell has 106 strike outs,
Tyler Bryant has 112 strike outs, and
Hector Sepulveda has 109 strike outs. It is the second time that Norrell has struck out 100 or more batters in a season. He finished 2021 with 125 strike outs. Only two other OU pitchers has struck out 100 or more batters in a season: Eric Cordell (107) in 2009 and Brian Woods (102) in 2005. Â
OU had nine players named to the All-KCAC Teams. Head Coach
Gabe Grinder was named KCAC Coach of the Year,
Holland Boan was named KCAC Player of the Year, and
Tyler Bryant was selected KCAC Pitcher of the Year. First Team:
Holland Boan (1B),
Jonah Weisner (2B),
Tyler Bryant (SP),
Hector Sepulveda (SP), Creed Jeffers (RP). Second Team:
Nicholas Sizemore (C),
Connor Jeffers (LF),
Stephen Norrell (SP). Gold Glove:
Nicholas Sizemore (C) and
Tyler Farnham (CF).
Holland Boan leads the Braves with a .427 batting average and 68 RBI.
Hector Sepulveda leads the Braves with a 2.35 ERA and
Tyler Bryant is the team's leader in strike outs with 112.
Holland Boan is tied for second in the NAIA in home runs with 26,
Tyler Bryant is ranked 15th in the NAIA in strike outs (112), and
Hector Sepulveda is ranked 23rd in the NAIA in ERA (2.35).
Jonah Weisner has 30 stolen bases in 2022 which ties him for 26th in the NAIA. He is three stolen bases away from breaking the school record of 32 that was set in 2003 by Jeff Strack. As a team, OU has a school record 149 stolen bases. That is ranked seventh in the NAIA.
Ottawa's 42 wins are the most in program history and it is the first time that a Brave baseball team has won 40 or more games. It is just the fifth time that the program has won 30 or more games in a season and the second time under head coach,
Gabe Grinder.
Reinhardt University is 35-21 overall and finished second to Tennessee Wesleyan University in the Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) with a record of 21-9.
The Eagles are on a two game losing streak after falling twice to Bryan College, 7-6 and 4-3 in 10 innings, at the AAC Tournament in the semifinal game. Dawson Johns and Tucker Zdunich were named to the ACC All-Tournament Team.
Through 56 games, the Eagles have scored 376 runs and hit 38 home runs. Reinhardt has a .292 batting average, a .402 on base percentage, and a .422 slugging percentage.
Tucker Zdunich leads RU in batting average (.378) and RBI (63). Ethan Foley is the team's leader in ERA (2.24) and strike outs (84).
Reinhardt had four named to the All-AAC Teams. First Team: Pablo Barquero (LHP), Ethan Foley (RHP), Tucker Zdunich (RF). Second Team: Jarrett Burney (3B). Zdunich and Foley were named to the AAC Gold Glove Team.
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