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From the WIAC --

University of Wisconsin-Platteville’s Jonathan Kelso and UW-Whitewater’s Matt O’Sullivan were tabbed the Position Player of the Year and Pitcher of the Year, respectively, to headline the individuals chosen to the 2021 All-Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Baseball Team by the league coaches. In addition, UW-La Crosse’s Mac Born was selected the Newcomer of the Year and UW-Stevens Point’s Nat Richter was recognized as the Coach of the Year. 

Kelso, who claimed first team recognition in 2019, is the first Pioneer to secure the league honor. He leads the WIAC with a .442 batting average, .782 slugging percentage, .532 on-base percentage, 69 hits and 27 stolen bases, while ranking second with 55 runs scored and 122 total bases, third with 18 doubles, and fourth with four triples. Kelso’s 69 hits established a program single-season mark and his 196 career hits are a Pioneer record. He had at least one hit in 36-of-41 games, including multiple hits in 25 contests and a season-best four hits against UW-La Crosse on March 28. 

O’Sullivan was a first team honoree in 2019 and becomes the eighth Warhawk to capture the pitching award, including third in the last four seasons. He is first in the WIAC with 109 strikeouts, 73.2 innings pitched and nine victories, while ranking second with a 1.47 earned run average, and fourth with a .188 opponent batting average. O’Sullivan reached double-digits in strikeouts in five contests, including a career-high 17 against Finlandia University (Mich.) on March 26. The mark matched the second-highest single-game total in program history. 

Born is fourth in the conference with 50 RBI. He led the Eagles with 14 doubles, while finishing second with 59 hits and 21 walks, and third with five home runs. Born registered at least one hit in 35-of-42 contests. 

Repeat selections on the first team from the 2019 campaign included: UW-La Crosse’s Zach Pronschinske (Pitcher of the Year) and Brennan Schmitt; UW-Stevens Point’s Aaron Simmons; UW-Stout’s Kasey Bass; and UW-Whitewater’s Westin Muir, Nick Santoro and Connor Spear. 

Richter, in his first season at the helm of the program, claimed the coaching distinction after leading the Pointers to a share of the WIAC regular-season championship and a 32-11 record. The 32 wins were the most since the 2015 campaign. Richter is just the second coach in league history to win the award in his first season, joining UW-Whitewater’s John Vodenlich, who accomplished the feat in 2004. 

An All-Sportsmanship Team was chosen for individuals that displayed exemplary sportsmanship throughout the season. It included one member from each school. 

2021 All-WIAC Baseball Team 

Name, School, Year, Position, Hometown (High School) 
Kasey Bass, Stout, Senior, Firstbase, Sun Prairie, Wis. (Sun Prairie) 
Donovan Brandl, Whitewater, Freshman, Lefthanded Pitcher, Rudolph, Wis. (Wisconsin Rapids Lincoln) 
Zach Carney, La Crosse, Junior, Centerfield, Kimberly, Wis. (Kimberly) 
Bradley Comer, Stevens Point, Sophomore, Junior, Rhinelander, Wis. (Rhinelander) 
Sidney Ferry, Stevens Point, Sophomore, Righthanded Pitcher, Paw Paw, Mich. (Homeschooled) 
Tom Ginther, Eau Claire, Senior, Righthanded Pitcher, Rock Springs, Wis. (Baraboo) 
Jonathan Kelso, Platteville, Junior, Centerfield, Villa Park, Ill. (Willowbrook) 
Westin Muir, Whitewater, Junior, Righthanded Pitcher, Highlands Ranch, Colo. (St. Charles North, Ill.) 
Payton Nelson, Stevens Point, Senior, Outfield, Wausau, Wis. (West) 
Matt O’Sullivan, Whitewater, Senior, Lefthanded Pitcher, Sugar Grove, Ill. (Kaneland) 
James Palmer, Stout, Senior, Lefthanded Pitcher, Boyceville, Wis. (Boyceville) 
Zach Pronschinske, La Crosse, Senior, Righthanded Pitcher, Arcadia, Wis. (Arcadia) 
Nick Santoro, Whitewater, Senior, Shortstop, Naperville, Ill. (Waubonsie Valley) 
Jarrett Scheelk, Oshkosh, Senior, Outfield, New Franken, Wis. (Green Bay Preble)
Brennan Schmitt, La Crosse, Senior, Thirdbase/Utility, Middleton, Wis. (Middleton)
Aaron Simmons, Stevens Point, Senior, Outfield, Franklin, Wis. (Franklin) 
Connor Spear, Whitewater, Senior, Righthanded Pitcher, Highland, Ind. (Mount Carmel, Ind.) 
Hunter Staniske, Oshkosh, Senior, Secondbase, De Pere, Wis. (De Pere) 
Charlie Szykowny, Stout, Junior, Shortstop, Palos Heights, Ill. (Alan B. Shepard) 
Sam Vomhof, Whitewater, Sophomore, Secondbase, DeForest, Wis. (DeForest) 

Honorable Mention 

Mac Born, La Crosse, Freshman, Thirdbase/Outfield, Chaska, Minn. (Chaska) 
Donovan Brandl, Whitewater, Freshman, Firstbase, Rudolph, Wis. (Wisconsin Rapids Lincoln) 
Nick Carpenter, Stevens Point, Sophomore, Lefthanded Pitcher, Lake Mills, Wis. (Lake Mills) 
Shane Coker, La Crosse, Senior, Firstbase, Athens, Wis. (Athens) 
Tucker Criswell, Whitewater, Senior, Thirdbase, Tallahassee, Fla. (Lawton Chiles) 
Jacob DeMeyer, Whitewater, Sophomore, Outfield, Harshaw, Wis. (Rhinelander) 
Joe Galindo, Finlandia, Freshman, Infield, Lancaster, Calif. (Quartz Hill) 
Zack Haupt, Stevens Point, Senior, Righthanded Pitcher, Carlsbad, Calif. (San Dieguito Academy) 
Matt Korman, Whitewater, Sophomore, Outfield, Waterford, Wis. (Union) 
Alex Mach, La Crosse, Freshman, Lefthanded Pitcher, Farmington, Minn. (Farmington) 
Hunter Merrill, Stout, Senior, Outfield, Ripon, Wis. (Ripon) 
Connor Moroder, Whitewater, Senior, Righthanded Pitcher, Pewaukee, Wis. (Pewaukee) 
Connor Moroder, Whitewater, Senior, Utility, Pewaukee, Wis. (Pewaukee) 
Trevor Niedzwiecki, Oshkosh, Senior, Righthanded Pitcher, Hawthorn Woods, Ill. (Lake Zurich) 
Casey Pickering, Stevens Point, Sophomore, Righthanded Pitcher, Naperville, Ill. (Neuqua Valley)
Matt Scherrman, Oshkosh, Freshman, Shortstop, Wheaton, Ill. (Wheaton Warrenville South)
Brady Schmitt, La Crosse, Freshman, Lefthanded Pitcher, Middleton, Wis. (Middleton)
JD Schultz, Stevens Point, Sophomore, Righthanded Pitcher, Stevens Point, Wis. (SPASH)

All-Sportsmanship Team 
Zach Campbell, Whitewater, Sophomore, Outfield, Burlington, Wis. (Burlington) 
Dan Deis, Stout, Senior, Outfield, Plymouth, Minn. (Wayzata) 
Nik Geiser, Finlandia, Senior, Infield, Rome, Pa. (NE Bradford) 
Connor Giusti, Oshkosh, Freshman, Infield, Hoffman Estates, Ill. (Fremd) 
Lucas Luedkte, Stevens Point, Senior, Infield, River Falls, Wis. (River Falls) 
Shane Nolan, Platteville, Senior, Righthanded Pitcher, Lake Zurich, Ill. (Lake Zurich) 
Parker Plume, La Crosse, Senior, Outfield, Franklin, Wis. (Franklin) 
Chase Yaeger, Eau Claire, Freshman, Infield, Black River Falls, Wis. (Black River Falls) 

Position Player of the Year:  Jonathan Kelso of Platteville 

Pitcher of the Year:  Matt O’Sullivan of Whitewater 

Newcomer of the Year:  Mac Born of La Crosse 

Coach of the Year:  Nat Richter of Stevens Point 

Max Sparger Scholar-Athlete:  Brennan Schmitt of La Crosse

University of Wisconsin-La Crosse’s Brennan Schmitt has been selected recipient of the 2021 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Max Sparger Baseball Scholar-Athlete Award. 

A senior from Middleton, Wis. (Middleton), Schmitt is majoring in statistics with a minor in business administration and owns a 3.52 grade point average. He secured a spot on the 2020 NCAA Division III Academic All-District® Six Baseball Team, as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America. Schmitt is a three-time member of the WIAC Scholastic Honor Roll and been acknowledged on UW-La Crosse’s Dean’s List numerous semesters. 

Schmitt is a two-time All-WIAC first team selection and was selected to the American Baseball Coaches Association/Rawlings NCAA Division III All-Midwest Region Third Team in 2019. That year, he led the WIAC doubles, while ranking fourth in home runs, RBI and total bases. 

He is a member of UW-La Crosse’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, serving as co-President for two years. 

Also nominated for this year’s scholar-athlete award were:  Finlandia University’s Nathan Johnson (Sr., Nine Mile Falls, Wash./Lakeside); UW-Stout’s Dan Deis (Sr., Plymouth, Minn./Wayzata); and UW-Whitewater’s Westin Muir (Jr., Highlands Ranch, Colo./St. Charles North, Ill.). 

The WIAC Scholar-Athlete Award is named after Max Sparger, who served as commissioner of the Wisconsin State University Conference for 22 years from 1971-93. He oversaw the transition of the conference from NAIA to full NCAA membership. Sparger arrived at UW-Stout in 1959 and served the institution in a variety of capacities, including an assistant football and basketball coach, head wrestling coach and head football coach. He served as UW-Stout's athletics director from 1969-71 and was inducted into the WIAC Hall of Fame in 2012.

In order to be nominated for the scholar-athlete award, a student-athlete must have a minimum 3.50 grade point average. In addition, he must be in his last year of competition, or on schedule to graduate this academic year, and have competed for a minimum of two years. The award is based on academic achievements, athletics accomplishments and involvement in other campus activities, organizations and community service projects.