BISMARCK, N.D. (NSAA) – The North Star Athletic Association announced its postseason baseball awards Tuesday. The NSAA Baseball All-Conference teams, postseason awards and Gold Glove team were voted on by the league’s coaches. The Champions of Character recipients were also announced.
The NSAA Baseball First-Team All-Conference consists of 18 recipients. The Second Team All-Conference have 16 selections. Bellevue landed a total of eight selections to the All-Conference teams, with five athletes being named to First Team and three athletes on the Second Team.
Josh Vaughan of Bellevue and Jorun Hamre of Valley City State were named as Co-North Star Baseball’s Player-of-the-Year. Corey Jackson of Bellevue was voted as the conference’s Pitcher-of-the-Year, while his teammate McGrane McPledger was selected as its Newcomer-of-the-Year.
BU’s Duane Monlux and Mayville State’s Scott Berry were picked as the conference’s Co-Coach-of-the-Year. The Bruins won their second straight league regular-season title with a 15-5 record. The Comets defeated the Bruins 16-2 in the winner-takes-all game in the NSAA baseball postseason tournament championship held at Charlie Brown Stadium in Valley City, N.D. on May 10.
Mayville State, 33-15 overall record, received the league’s automatic bid to the NAIA Baseball National Tournament Opening Round scheduled for May 17-20. Bellevue will also compete in the national tournament, as they were awarded as one of the host sites for the opening round.The NAIA’s opening round champions will advance to the NAIA World Series in Lewiston, Idaho on May 28-June 4.
Each team have two honorable mention recipients to the NSAA Baseball All-Conference list.
Below are the complete listings of All-Conference Teams selections, postseason awards and Gold Glove team:
2021 North Star Athletic Association Baseball All-Conference First Team
Position | First Name, Last Name | Year | School | Hometown |
C | Ryan McDaniel | Freshman | Dakota State (S.D.) | Firestone, Colo. |
C | Derrick Calvillo | Sophomore | Dickinson State (N.D.) | Tucson, Ariz. |
1B | Jorun Hamre | Senior | Valley City State (N.D.) | Leonard, N.D. |
2B | Chris Kropuenske | Senior | Dakota State (S.D.) | Beresford, S.D. |
3B | Dustin Mertz | Freshman | Valley City State (N.D.) | West Fargo, N.D. |
SS | Josh Vaughan | Junior | Bellevue (Neb.) | Boise, Idaho |
INF | Darrian Escobar-Winter | Sophomore | Viterbo (Wis.) | Falcon, Colo. |
DH | Mathias Dufner | Freshman | Dickinson State (N.D.) | Glendive, Mont. |
OF | Conner Barnett | Freshman | Bellevue (Neb.) | Papillion, Neb. |
OF | Samuel Drummond | Senior | Dakota State (S.D.) | Melbourne, Australia |
OF | Jared McCorrister $ | Junior | Mayville State (N.D.) | Bossevain, Man., Canada |
OF | JT Reed | Junior | Valley City State (N.D.) | Greenfield, Wis. |
SP | Corey Jackson | Senior | Bellevue (Neb.) | Calgary, Alberta, Canada |
SP | McGrane Pledger | Junior | Bellevue (Neb.) | Walnut Creek, Calif. |
SP | Parker Stohr | Senior | Mayville State (N.D.) | Yakima, Wash. |
SP | Graham Cahill | Senior | Bellevue (Neb.) | Omaha, Neb. |
SP | Jake Kleszczynski | Senior | Viterbo (Wis.) | Thornton, Colo. |
RP | Kenneth Stewart | Senior | Mayville State (N.D.) | San Diego, Calif. |
2021 North Star Athletic Association Baseball All-Conference Second Team
Position | First Name, Last Name | Year | School | Hometown |
C | Marcus Wohl | Senior | Mayville State (N.D.) | West Fargo, N.D. |
C | Justin Nock | Freshman | Waldorf (Iowa) | Anaheim, Calif. |
1B | Jack Muhleck | Senior | Waldorf (Iowa) | Clarkston, Mich. |
2B | Cody Banks* | Senior | Bellevue (Neb.) | Duvall, Wash. |
3B | Angel Mojica | Senior | Waldorf (Iowa) | Denver, Colo. |
SS | Alejandro Gonzalez $ | Senior | Waldorf (Iowa) | Maracay, Venezuela |
INF | David Demeter | Senior | Valley City State (N.D.) | Santa Barbara, Calif. |
DH | Mason Macaluso | Freshman | Dakota State (S.D.) | Gilbert, Ariz. |
OF | Thomas Capllonch | Junior | Waldorf (Iowa) | Kailua, Hawaii |
OF | Jacob Clinton | Freshman | Dickinson State (N.D.) | Lewistown, Mont. |
OF | Gedeon Ellis | Sophomore | Valley City State (N.D.) | West Hills, Calif. |
OF | Cade Ostenson | Sophomore | Dickinson State (N.D.) | Newcastle, Wyo. |
SP | Charlie Patterson | Junior | Bellevue (Neb.) | Eugene, Ore. |
SP | Heath Chapman | Senior | Waldorf (Iowa) | Phoenix, Ariz. |
SP | Phil Almanza* | Senior | Valley City State (N.D.) | Santa Maria, Calif. |
RP | Alexandro Celiceo | Sophomore | Bellevue (Neb.) | Chula Vista, Calif. |
* – 2019 NSAA Baseball All-Conference First Team
$ – 2019 NSAA Baseball All-Conference Second Team
2021 NSAA Baseball Postseason Awards
Co-Player-of-the-Year: Josh Vaughan – Bellevue (Neb.) and Jorun Hamre – Valley City State (N.D.)
Pitcher-of-the-Year: Corey Jackson – Bellevue (Neb.)
Newcomer-of-the-Year: McGrane Pledger – Bellevue (Neb.)
Co-Coach-of-the-Year: Duane Monlux – Bellevue (Neb.) and Scott Berry – Mayville State (N.D.)
2021 North Star Athletic Association Baseball Gold Glove
Position | First Name, Last Name | Year | School | Hometown |
C | Justin Nock | Freshman | Waldorf (Iowa) | Anaheim, Calif. |
1B | Riley Baasch | Senior | Bellevue (Neb.) | Grand Island, Neb. |
2B | Cody Banks | Senior | Bellevue (Neb.) | Duvall, Wash. |
3B | Angel Mojica | Senior | Waldorf (Iowa) | Denver, Colo. |
SS | Alejandro Gonzalez | Senior | Waldorf (Iowa) | Maracay, Venezuela |
LF | Braxton Ghelfi | Senior | Viterbo (Wis.) | West Salem, Wis. |
CF | Michael Theisen | Senior | Mayville State (N.D.) | Danville, Calif. |
RF | Mathias Gonzalez | Freshman | Presentation (S.D.) | Guayaquil, Ecuador |
P | Conner DiNaro | 5th Year Senior | Mayville State (N.D.) | San Jose, Calif. |
2021 North Star Athletic Association Baseball All-Conference Honorable Mention
Bellevue (Neb.): Riley Baasch (1B), Derek Browne (RP)
Dakota State (S.D.): Jace Pribyl (1B), Chris Burke (OF/SS)
Dickinson State (N.D.): Angel Faras (3B), Jacob Scully (SP)
Mayville State (N.D.): Theo May (1B), Michael Theisen (OF)
Presentation (S.D.): Zach Edwards (C), Carson Dobias (SP)
Valley City State (N.D.): Will Hlady (RP), Tyler Kliniske (SP)
Viterbo (Wis.): Ryan Ellingson (2B), Cole Benson (1B)
Waldorf (Iowa): Nic Tebeau (RP), TarQuin Daley (OF)
2021 North Star Athletic Association Baseball Champions of Character Recipients
Bellevue (Neb.): Grant Guse
Dakota State (S.D.): Samuel Drummond
Dickinson State (N.D.): Karson Backer
Mayville State (N.D.): Marcus Wohl
Presentation (S.D.): Kyle Angieski
Valley City State (N.D.): Gage Gellner
Viterbo (Wis.): Justin Maxted
Waldorf (Iowa): Matt Ferreira