Beeker, Hallquist and Johnson Take Home Specialty Awards
May 21, 2024
By: Justin Borowitz
The Ball State baseball team had student-athletes take home MAC Pitcher of the Year, Freshman Pitcher of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year honors, and five total landed on All-Conference teams, the Mid-American Conference office announced Tuesday morning.
Junior left-handed pitcher Merritt Beeker was named the Pitcher of the Year in a vote of the league's head coaches after leading the league in strikeouts (116) and tying for the lead with eight wins (8-3 overall record). Beeker posted a 4.50 ERA in 72.0 innings on the year while sporting a 7-0 record, 3.12 ERA and 95 strikeouts in 57.2 innings against MAC opponents. The lefty ranks No. 8 in NCAA Division I in total strikeouts and No. 7 in strikeouts per nine innings pitched (14.5).
Senior shortstop Michael Hallquist got a First Team All-Conference recognition in addition to a Defensive Player of the Year honor. Hallquist tied for the league lead with 20 home runs, hitting a MAC-best 14 in conference play, while also pacing the MAC and ranking No. 33 nationally with 153 total bases. The transfer infielder began the year as the team's starting third baseman before moving over to shortstop in mid-March and posted a .971 fielding percentage (.977 in MAC play) while making multiple highlight reel plays throughout the season.
Left-handed pitcher Keegan Johnson was voted the Freshman Pitcher of the Year and First Team All-Conference after working an 8-2 record with a 4.68 ERA and 77 strikeouts in 59.2 innings pitched during the regular season. The lefty went 6-1 against MAC teams and allowed only a .228 batting average against them to finish in a tie for first amongst league starting pitchers. Johnson's 11.6 strikeouts per nine innings ranks No. 41 nationally.
Sophom*ore first baseman Blake Bevis received Second Team All-Conference honors thanks to hitting .311 with 15 doubles, 12 homers, 53 RBI and 46 runs scored on the season. The right-handed slugger finished tenth in the MAC in home runs, eighth in RBI and twelfth in runs scored as one of the league's most productive batters. Bevis led MAC first basem*n in homers and RBI in his second year at Ball State.
Junior catcher Hunter Dobbins also got a Second Team All-Conference recognition after hitting .292 with 17 doubles, 18 home runs and 52 RBI. The homer tally ranked fifth in the league and No. 62 in NCAA Division I, while he finished in a tie for second in doubles. Dobbins' .676 slugging percentage was fourth-best in the MAC, and he led conference backstops in slugging, doubles and sac flies, while his 12 home runs against conference pitching was six more than the next closest catcher.
"It is always special to have our players recognized for their great effort on the field," head coach Rich Maloney said. "There were so many outstanding players throughout the league that deserved All-Conference honors and several that were left off due to the great competition at each position.
"To have three of our boys win specialty awards (Beeker, Hallquist and Johnson) is amazing! All three of those boys were named to the All-MAC First Team. We also had Dobbins and Bevis receive Second Team All-MAC recognition. Hats off to these outstanding players on this outstanding achievement."
The Cardinals open the MAC Tournament at 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday against Toledo at Crushers Stadium in Avon, Ohio.
2024 MAC Baseball Postseason Awards & All-MAC Teams
Coach of the Year: Kyle Hallock, Bowling Green
Player of the Year: Nathan Archer, Bowling Green
Pitcher of the Year: Merritt Beeker, Ball State
Freshman Player of the Year: Garrett Wright, Bowling Green
Freshman Pitcher of the Year: Keegan Johnson, Ball State
Defensive Player of the Year: Michael Hallquist, Ball State
All-MAC First Team
C – Garrett Wright, Bowling Green
1B – Cade Sullivan, Western Michigan
2B – Sam Seidel, Bowling Green
SS – Michael Hallquist, Ball State
3B – Ryland Zaborowski, Miami
OF – Nathan Archer, Bowling Green
OF – Zach MacDonald, Miami
OF - Garret Pike, Toledo
OF - Josh Johnson, Kent State
DH – CJ Richmond, Western Michigan
SP – Jared Schaeffer, Akron
SP – Merritt Beeker, Ball State
SP – Keegan Johnson, Ball State
SP – Calvin Bickerstaff, Kent State
SP – Grant Umberger, Toledo
RP – Carson Byers, Miami
All-MAC Second Team
C – Hunter Dobbins, Ball State
C – Collin Summerhill, Northern Illinois
1B – Blake Bevis, Ball State
2B – Eric Erato, Northern Illinois
SS – Tyler Ross, Bowling Green
3B – Leighton Banjoff, Bowling Green
OF – Jack Krause, Bowling Green
OF – Jacob Donahue, Central Michigan
OF – Gideon Antle, Ohio
OF – Dylan Nevar, Western Michigan
DH – DJ Newman, Bowling Green
SP – Nic Good, Bowling Green
SP – Bobby Jones, Eastern Michigan
SP – Adam Brouwer, Northern Illinois
SP – Nolan Vlcek, Western Michigan
RP – Jacob Tabor, Toledo
All-Defensive Team
C – Garrett Wright, Bowling Green
1B – Cade Sullivan, Western Michigan
2B – Eric Erato, Northern Illinois
SS – Michael Hallquist, Ball State // JR Nelson, Ohio
3B – Ely Staurt, Central Michigan
OF – Nathan Archer, Bowling Green
OF – Zach MacDonald, Miami
OF – Garret Pike, Toledo
P – Nic Good, Bowling Green
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