KIAC Baseball All-Conference Teams & Awards
KINGSPORT, Tenn. -- The 2016 KIAC Baseball All-Conference Teams & Awards were recognized at the KIAC Baseball Tournament last week at Hunter Wright Stadium in Kingsport, Tenn.
IU Southeast led the awards presentation taking home KIAC Player of Year with catcher Trent Simpson, KIAC Pitcher of the Year with reliever Jarrod Messex and KIAC Coach of the Year with head coach Ben Reel. The Grenadiers (42-13), ranked No. 19 in the latest NAIA Baseball Top 25 Poll, went an impressive 27-1 in the KIAC and also received their award as KIAC Baseball Regular Season Champs.
Voted on and selected by the eight KIAC baseball head coaches, the KIAC Baseball All-Conference Teams & Awards included a first team, second team, gold glove team and a champions of character team.
IU Southeast's Trent Simpson was named KIAC Baseball Player of the Year after leading the conference in batting average at .429 (78 for 182), tying for the conference lead with 51 RBIs and ranking fourth in home runs with seven. He caught all 55 games for the Grenadiers and was one of two catchers on the KIAC All-Conference First Team.
IU Southeast's Jarrod Messex was the only relief pitcher on the KIAC All-Conference First Team, and he was selected the overall best pitcher in the conference as KIAC Baseball Pitcher of the Year.
Messex, a senior right-hander, has figured in 15 decisions and appeared in 19 games. He has nine saves to rank 10th in the NAIA, and he is also 6-1 in the win-loss category. Messex has a 1.53 ERA, 42 strikeouts versus six walks and a .192 opponent average.
IU Southeast coach Ben Reel earned KIAC Coach of the Year honors by leading the Grenadiers to their fifth KIAC regular-season title. In his eighth year, Reel has guided IU Southeast to a 27-1 conference record, an NAIA Top 25 ranking and several Top 25 victories.
The other individual awards had University of Rio Grande freshman catcher Dylan Shockley named KIAC Newcomer of the Year after hitting .336 with four homers and 35 RBIs in 59 games as catcher and Asbury University relief pitcher Joey Johnson named the KIAC Comeback Player of the Year after returning to field to go 2-0 with a 3.65 ERA in 22 appearances on the year.
The KIAC Baseball All-Conference First Team included four starting pitchers, one relief pitcher, two catchers, first base, second base, third base, shortstop, a fifth infielder, a designated hitter and four outfielders. The KIAC Baseball All-Conference Second Team followed with next vote getters at each position.
The KIAC Baseball Gold Glove team was the top defensive player at each position, as voted by the coaches.
New this year is the KIAC Baseball Champions of Character Team with one player from each school selected as the one who best exemplifies the five character values of the NAIA's Champions of Character initiative of respect, responsibility, integrity, servant leadership and sportsmanship.
IU Southeast's Ryne Underwood (5-0, 2.41 ERA) led the four starting pitchers on the first team. Other starting pitchers were Rio Grande's Zach Harvey (9-3, 3.26 ERA), Point Park's Jason Kim (5-3, 2.71 ERA) and WVU Tech's Austin Southcott (6-3, 3.06 ERA).
The first-team catchers were IU Southeast's Trent Simpson (.429, 7 HR, 51 RBI) and Rio Grande's Dylan Shockley (.336, 4 HR, 35 RBIs).
The first team had the right side of the infield from WVU Tech with first baseman Tanner LeVine (.400, 3 HR, 35 RBIs) and second baseman Brady Grosebeck (.325, 2 HR, 38 RBIs).
Point Park's Jake Horew (.392, 8 HR, 43 RBIs) was the first-team shortstop, and Rio Grande's Daryin Lewis (.427, 2 HR, 28 RBIs) was first team at third base. Lewis was also a second-team selection at starting pitcher as a dual-role player.
Rio Grande first baseman Lance Mantano (.346, 5 HR, 51 RBIs) also earned an infield spot on the first team after tying for the KIAC lead in RBIs. IU Southeast's Clay Benefield (.315, 4 HR, 42 RBIs) was named the KIAC's top designated hitter as the first-team DH.
The first-team outfielders were led by Rio Grande's Kirk Yates (.383, 8 HR, 49 RBIs), who finished second in the KIAC Player of the Year voting. Other outfielders were Point Park's Demetrius Moorer (.378, 4 HR, 23 RBIs), IU Southeast's Logan Coughlin (.357, 4 HR, 51 RBIs) and WVU Tech's Dylan Harvey (.410, 3 HR, 33 RBIs).
Below are the full list of KIAC Baseball All-Conference Teams & Awards with First Team, Second Team, Gold Glove and Champions of Character.
2016 KIAC BASEBALL ALL-CONFERENCE TEAMS & AWARDS
(Pictured with KIAC Commissioner Scott McClure)
KIAC Player of the Year—Trent Simpson, IU Southeast
KIAC Pitcher of the Year—Jarrod Messex, IU Southeast
KIAC Coach of the Year—Ben Reel, IU Southeast
KIAC Newcomer of the Year—Dylan Shockley, Rio Grande
KIAC Comeback Player of the Year—Joey Johnson, Asbury
KIAC BASEBALL ALL-CONFERENC FIRST TEAM
SP—Ryne Underwood, IU Southeast
SP—Zach Harvey, Rio Grande
SP—Jason Kim, Point Park
SP—Austin Southcott, WVU Tech
RP—Jarrod Messex, IU Southeast
C—Trent Simpson, IU Southeast
C—Dylan Shockley, Rio Grande
1B—Tanner Levine, WVU Tech
2B—Brady Groesbeck, WVU Tech
SS—Jake Horew, Point Park
3B—Daryin Lewis, Rio Grande
IF—Lance Montano, Rio Grande
DH—Clay Benefield, IU Southeast
OF—Kirk Yates, Rio Grande
OF—Demetrius Moorer, Point Park
OF—Logan Coughlin, IU Southeast
OF—Dylan Harvey, WVU Tech
KIAC BASEBALL ALL-CONFERENCE SECOND TEAM
SP—Kyle Sager, WVU Tech
SP—Greg Laughlin, IU Southeast
SP—Daryin Lewis, Rio Grande
SP—Josh Hudson, WVU Tech
RP—Jarrad Brown, Point Park
C—Sebastian Gomez-Herrera, WVU Tech
1B—Kyle Asher, IU Southeast
2B—Judah Wollenburg, Rio Grande
SS—Luis Jimenez, Rio Grande
3B—Cody Maloon, IU Southeast
IF—Andrew Moran, Asbury
OF—Carlos Flores, Rio Grande
OF—Matt Volz, IU Southeast
OF—Doug Prather, WVU Tech
OF—Ethan Skowronski, Ohio Christian
OF—Chris Ford, Rio Grande
KIAC BASEBALL GOLD GLOVE TEAM
P – Jason Kim, Point Park
C – Trent Simpson, IU Southeast
1B – Lance Montano, Rio Grande
2B – Brady Groesbeck, WVU Tech
SS – Jake Horew, Point Park
3B – Zach Johnson (Brescia)
LF – Logan Coughlin, IU Southeast
CF – Demetrius Moorer, Point Park
RF – Tyler Adams (IU Southeast)
KIAC BASEBALL CHAMPIONS OF CHARACTER TEAM
Asbury -- Andrew Moran
Brescia -- Chad Cox
Cincinnati Christian -- Austin Lenhardt
IU Southeast -- Tyler Adams
Ohio Christian -- Jordan Dicks
Point Park -- Jarrad Brown
Rio Grande -- Kameron Herring
WVU Tech -- Jayson Sykora