Horizon League Releases 2022 #HLBASE All-League Awards
INDIANAPOLIS – Wright State’s Alec Sayre has been named the Horizon League Baseball Player of the Year and Youngstown State’s Matt Brosky was selected as the #HLBASE Pitcher of the Year, while Milwaukee’s AJ Blubaugh collected his second Relief Pitcher of the Year award and Oakland’s Brandon Nigh was tabbed Freshman of the Year as the Horizon League announced its #HLBASE All-League honors on Tuesday. In addition, Coach of the Year went to Oakland’s Jordon Banfield as voted on by the League’s head coaches.
Sayre is the fourth consecutive WSU player to win Player of the Year and the ninth Raider all-time to take home the honor. The native of Dover, Ohio hit .340 on the year with nine home runs and 45 RBIs to help the Raiders clinch the regular season title for the fourth-straight season. He leads the League with 49 runs scored, while also ranking top-5 in hits, RBIs and total bases. During Horizon League play, Sayre hit .357 and led the HL in runs scored (32), RBIs (32) and total bases (73). He is also tied for the League-lead in home runs with eight and is top-5 in hits and slugging percentage.
Brosky is the fourth Youngstown State pitcher and the second in a row to win Pitcher of the Year. The junior posted a League-best 2.91 ERA and led the HL with 89.2 innings pitched. He finished tied for the most wins in the Horizon League with five victories in 14 starts and added four complete games. He also ranks second in the League in strikeouts (92) and opposing batting average (.243). Nationally, the Strongsville, Ohio native is third in complete games, 13th in starts and top-50 in strikeouts. During Horizon League play, Brosky finished 4-4 with a 3.72 ERA in nine starts with three complete games. He tossed 58.0 innings and tallied 57 strikeouts compared to just 14 walks.
Blubaugh becomes the first back-to-back Relief Pitcher of the Year since Wright State’s Andrew Elliott (2014-15). The Bellville, Ohio native registered a 3.25 ERA in 16 appearances, including nine out of the bullpen, for the Panthers and tallied six saves. While in relief, he recorded 19 strikeouts in 13.2 innings of work compared to just four walks and held batters to a .149 batting average. In Horizon League play, Blubaugh made six relief appearances and tallied four saves as he totaled 10 strikeouts in 9.1 innings of work.
Nigh is the first Oakland player to be selected Freshman of the Year since joining the League in 2014. The native of Temperance, Mich. made 28 starts for the Golden Grizzlies and hit .355 in his first year with seven home runs, five doubles and 32 RBIs. Heading into postseason play he leads the Horizon League in slugging percentage and on-base percentage. In League contests, he batted .333 with a .608 slugging percentage while driving in 18 runs and ranked top-2 in on-base percentage at .469.
Banfield earns Coach of the Year honors after just his second year at the helm for the Golden Grizzlies. He led Oakland to 29 wins during the regular season, breaking the program record at the Division I level set back in 2000. The Golden Grizzlies earned the No. 2 seed at the upcoming Horizon League Baseball Championship with a record of 18-11, its best mark since joining the HL. Oakland has been led by its offense this season and leads the League in team batting average, on-base percentage and total hits.
Wright State led the way with seven selections on the All-Horizon League First and Second Teams followed by UIC with six, including a League-best four players on the first team and Oakland with four. Milwaukee finished with three All-League honorees while Northern Kentucky, Purdue Fort Wayne and Youngstown State each finished with two.
The Raiders also paced the HL with three selections on the All-Freshman Team, while Milwaukee, Oakland, Purdue Fort Wayne and UIC each had one.
The 2022 Horizon League Baseball championship will take place at Nischwitz Stadium on the campus of Wright State from May 25-28. Every game of the championship will be streamed live on ESPN+.
For complete championship information, go to the #HLBASE Championship Central page
here.
2022 #HLBASE Award Winners
Player of the Year: Alec Sayre, Wright State
Pitcher of the Year: Matt Brosky, Youngstown State
Relief Pitcher of the Year: AJ Blubaugh, Milwaukee
Freshman of the Year: Brandon Nigh, Oakland
Coach of the Year: Jordon Banfield, Oakland
All-Horizon League First Team
C: Cole Conn, UIC
1B: Gehrig Anglin, Wright State
2B: Braeden O’Shaughnessy, Youngstown State
3B: Manny Vorhees, Northern Kentucky
SS: Brad Goulet, Oakland
OF: Bryan Rosario, UIC
OF: Julian Greenwell, Wright State
OF: Alec Sayre, Wright State
DH/Flex: Brandon Nigh, Oakland
SP: Tyler Ingram, UIC
SP: Nate Peterson, UIC
SP: Matt Brosky, Youngstown State
RP: AJ Blubaugh, Milwaukee
All-Horizon League Second Team
C: Cade Fitzpatrick, Purdue Fort Wayne
1B: Breck Nowik, UIC
2B: Jared Miller, Oakland
3B: Jack Lang, Purdue Fort Wayne
SS: Ryan Lin-Peistrup, UIC
OF: Luke Seidel, Milwaukee
OF: Brennan Gick, Northern Kentucky
OF: Brenton Phillips, Oakland
DH/Flex: Zane Harris, Wright State
SP: Riley Frey, Milwaukee
SP: Jake Shirk, Wright State
SP: Alex Theis, Wright State
RP: Jay Luikart, Wright State
Horizon League All-Freshman Team (alphabetical by school)
Justin Hausser, Milwaukee
Brandon Nigh, Oakland
Rex Stills, Purdue Fort Wayne
Breck Nowik, UIC
Sebastian Gongora, Wright State
Andrew Patrick, Wright State
Justin Riemer, Wright State