skip navigation

WIAC Baseball All-Conference and Awards announced

05/18/2022, 3:30pm CDT
By WIAC

From the WIAC --

University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point’s Aaron Simmons and UW-Whitewater’s Westin Muir were selected the Position Player of the Year and Pitcher of the Year to top the individuals selected to the 2022 All-Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Baseball Team by the league coaches. In addition, UW-Oshkosh’s Connor Brinkman was tabbed the Newcomer of the Year, while UW-Stevens Point’s Nat Richter received Coach of the Year honors. 

Simmons secured first team accolades for the third time in his career (2019, 2021) and becomes the ninth Pointer to receive the position award. He leads the WIAC with a .495 on-base percentage, 58 runs scored, and 38 walks, while tying for first with 18 home runs, placing second with a .799 slugging percentage, fourth with 54 RBI, and tying for seventh with 59 hits. Simmons has recorded at least one hit in 34 contests, including 16 multi-hit performances. He has produced four hits three times and multiple RBIs in 17 games. 

Muir collected first team honors for the third time (2019, 2021) and becomes the 10th Warhawk to claim the pitching award. He tops the conference with a 2.54 earned run average, nine victories and a .216 opponent batting average, while ranking second with 84 strikeouts and tying for third with 71.0 innings pitched. Muir recorded at least six strikeouts in nine games, including a season-high 11 strikeouts in two contests. 

Brinkman leads the WIAC with 78.1 innings pitched, while placing second with a 2.64 earned run average, third with seven wins and fourth with 74 strikeouts. A Newcomer of the Year is defined as a student-athlete who used his first season of participation in baseball this season. Transfers are not eligible unless they didn’t participate in baseball at their previous institution. 

Repeat selections on the first team from a season ago included: UW-Platteville’s Jonathan Kelso (Position Player of the Year); UW-Stevens Point’s Bradley Comer and Sidney Ferry; UW-Stout’s Charlie Szykowny; and UW-Whitewater’s Sam Vomhof. Kelso was also a first team pick in 2019. 

Richter secured the coaching honor for the second straight season after leading UW-Stevens Point to a 34-7 record and a berth in the NCAA tournament. The Pointers claimed the WIAC tournament title and the 34 wins are the most since the 2013 campaign. 

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

2022 All-WIAC Baseball Team 
Name, School, Year, Position, Hometown (High School) 

  • Cam Anfang, Whitewater, Senior, Righthanded Pitcher, Sullivan, Wis. (Jefferson) 
  • Cade Berendt, Whitewater, Sophomore, Lefthanded Pitcher, Germantown, Wis. (Germantown) 
  • Mac Born, La Crosse, Freshman, Utility, Chaska, Minn. (Chaska) 
  • Connor Brinkman, Oshkosh, Freshman, Lefthanded Pitcher, New London, Wis. (New London) 
  • Zach Campbell, Whitewater, Senior, Centerfield, Burlington, Wis. (Burlington) 
  • Bradley Comer, Stevens Point, Junior, Thirdbase, Rhinelander, Wis. (Rhinelander) 
  • Sidney Ferry, Stevens Point, Sophomore, Righthanded Pitcher, Paw Paw, Mich. (Homeschooled) 
  • Jonathan Kelso, Platteville, Senior, Centerfield, Villa Park, Ill. (Willowbrook) 
  • Ross Krist, Platteville, Senior, Rightfield, Sheboygan Falls, Wis. (Sheboygan Falls) 
  • Kade Lancour, Whitewater, Senor, Righthanded Pitcher, Nekoosa, Wis. (Nekoosa) 
  • Caleb Matl, La Crosse, Sophomore, Lefthanded Pitcher, Holmen, Wis. (Holmen) 
  • Westin Muir, Whitewater, Senior, Righthanded Pitcher, Highlands Ranch, Colo. (St. Charles, Ill./North) 
  • Jack Olver, La Crosse, Freshman, Thirdbase, DeForest, Wis. (DeForest) 
  • Casey Pickering, Stevens Point, Sophomore, Righthanded Pitcher, Naperville, Ill. (Neuqua Valley) 
  • Matt Scherrman, Oshkosh, Junior, Shortstop, Wheaton, Ill. (South) 
  • Aaron Simmons, Stevens Point, Senior, Rightfield, Franklin, Wis. (Franklin) 
  • Jake Surane, Oshkosh, Sophomore, Secondbase, Lincolnshire, Ill. (Stevenson) 
  • Charlie Szykowny, Stout, Senior, Shortstop, Palos Heights, Ill. (Alan B. Shepard) 
  • Sam Vomhof, Whitewater, Junior, Secondbase, DeForest, Wis. (DeForest) 
  • Nate Witte, Eau Claire, Sophomore, Outfield, Woodbury, Minn. (East Ridge) 

Honorable Mention 

  • Jacob DeMeyer, Whitewater, Senior, Rightfield, Harshaw, Wis. (Rhinelander) 
  • Jacoby Endreas, Stout, Junior, Firstbase, Sheboygan, Wis. (Sheboygan Falls) 
  • Michael Greco, Platteville, Senior, Lefthanded Pitcher, Bolingbrook, Ill. (Downers Grove South) 
  • Brady Hoppert, Platteville, Freshman, Righthanded Pitcher, New Berlin, Wis. (Martin Luther) 
  • Lucas Luedtke, Stevens Point, Senior, Designated Hitter, River Falls, Wis. (River Falls) 
  • Alex Mach, La Crosse, Sophomore, Lefthanded Pitcher, Farmington, Minn. (Farmington) 
  • Jacob Mead, Finlandia Univ., Sophomore, Outfield, Montgomery, Texas (Montgomery) 
  • Payton Nelson, Stevens Point, Senior, Centerfield, Wausau, Wis. (West) 
  • Harry Orth, Oshkosh, Senior, Righthanded Pitcher, Kenosha, Wis. (Tremper) 
  • Nick Paget, Whitewater, Junior, Firstbase, New Berlin, Wis. (West) 
  • Austin Syvertson, Stevens Point, Junior, Righthanded Pitcher, Randolph, Wis. (Randolph) 
  • Joel Thimsen, Stout, Senior, Thirdbase, Minnetonka, Minn. (Minnetonka) 
  • Anthony Tomczak, Stevens Point, Freshman, Catcher, Muskego, Wis. (Muskego) 
  • Ryan Venne, Eau Claire, Sophomore, Thirdbase, Eau Claire, Wis. (North) 

All-Sportsmanship Team 

  • Jake Andersen, Oshkosh, Junior, Catcher, Palatine, Ill. (Palatine) 
  • Matt Baumann, Stevens Point, Sophomore, Outfield, New Berlin, Wis. (Eisenhower) 
  • Sheridan Brady, Finlandia Univ., Senior, Designated Hitter, Estacada, Ore. (Estacada) 
  • Joe Gorden, Whitewater, Sophomore, Catcher, Ingleside, Ill. (Grant Community) 
  • Parker Hagebock, Stout, Freshman, Thirdbase, Apple Valley, Minn. (Eastview) 
  • Johnathon Hamann, Platteville, Freshman, Infield, Mount Hope, Wis. (River Ridge) 
  • Kendal Lecker, Eau Claire, Junior, Righthanded Pitcher, Seymour, Wis. (Seymour) 
  • Jack Mizgalski, La Crosse, Senior, Righthanded Pitcher, Sycamore, Ill. (Sycamore) 

Position Player of the Year:  Aaron Simmons of Stevens Point 

Pitcher of the Year:  Westin Muir of Whitewater 

Newcomer of the Year:  Connor Brinkman of Oshkosh 

Coach of the Year:  Nat Richter of Stevens Point 

Max Sparger Scholar-Athlete:  Westin Muir of Whitewater


University of Wisconsin-Whitewater’s Westin Muir has been selected recipient of the 2022 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Max Sparger Baseball Scholar-Athlete Award.  

A senior from Highlands Ranch, Colo. (St. Charles North, Ill.), Muir maintains a 3.717 grade point average and is majoring in environmental science. He is a two-time member of the NCAA Division III Academic All-District® Six Baseball First Team, as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America, receiving honors in 2021 and 2022. Muir is a four-time member of the WIAC Scholastic Honor Roll and been recognized on UW-Whitewater’s Dean’s List numerous semesters. He has been a UW-Whitewater Chancellor Scholars scholarship recipient each of the last three years. 

Muir was chosen the WIAC Pitcher of the Year this season and claimed first team honors for the third time in his career (2019 and 2021). He was selected All-America Second Team by D3baseball.com and the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA)/Rawlings a season ago. He also secured All-Region First Team accolades from both organizations. In 2019, Muir collected All-Region Second Team distinction from ABCA/Rawlings and D3baseball.com. He has helped the Warhawks to four NCAA appearances, four conference regular-season titles and two WIAC tournament championships. Muir owns the Warhawk career record with 271 strikeouts and ranks in the top 10 for earned run average and fewest walks allowed. 

UW-La Crosse’s Thomas Nelsen (Sr., St. Charles, Ill./North); and UW-Stout’s Jace Baumann (Sr., Mosinee, Wis./Mosinee) were also nominated for this year’s scholar-athlete award.
 
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.

Baseball News

Tag(s): News  News Archive  Travis Wilson