BLOOMINGTON, Minn. – The Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference announced its 2019 baseball awards Tuesday and five Gusties were recognized. Sam Archer (Sr. Zimmerman, Minn.), Adam Stockwell (Sr., Apple Valley, Minn.), Cole Pengilly (So., Le Sueur, Minn.), and Matt Berkner (Sr., Sleepy Eye, Minn.) were named All-Conference, while Brad Baker was selected as the Jim Dimick Coach of the Year.
In his fifth season as head coach, Baker skippered the Gusties to their first MIAC championship since he was the starting shortstop and pitcher in 1980. The regular season title was clinched with a dramatic 10-6 comeback victory over St. Olaf in the last game of the season, which marked Baker’s 100th career win. Baker led the team to its first 25-win season since 2006 and first MIAC playoff championship game since 2004. He has now directed the Gusties to four consecutive 20-win seasons. Mike Carroll was the last Gustavus head coach to earn the MIAC’s top coaching award in 2002.
Archer caps his career with a third consecutive All-Conference nod after posting a 4-1 record on the mound with a 4.22 ERA in 49 innings. Archer made eight starts with two complete games and opponents hit .286. He struck out 25 batters compared to 13 walks. The Princeton product’s best performance on the mound this season was an eight-inning shutout at Saint John’s, resulting in a 2-0 victory on April 9. Archer finishes his career with an impressive 15-3 record, 2.63 seven-inning ERA, and 94 strikeouts in nearly 160 innings. His 40 appearances are tied for fifth in program history.
Stockwell makes his first appearance on the All-MIAC team after serving as the Gusties’ ace, compiling a 6-2 record and 2.80 ERA. Stockwell tossed a team-high 54.2 innings and made eight starts with 13 appearances, two complete games, and three saves. His 9.71 strikeouts per game ranked fourth in the MIAC and he led the team with 59 total strikeouts. The Eastview product’s final game was his first career nine-inning complete game in a 6-2 playoff victory over Saint Mary’s. Stockwell finished his career with a 12-11 record, 2.94 seven-inning ERA, and 125 strikeouts, which ranks eighth in program history. His 29 starts are sixth most, 39 appearances are tied for seventh most, and 169 innings are eighth in program history.
Pengilly earns All-MIAC honors as a shortstop after leading the Gustie offense all season with a .386 batting average. He led the team with 49 hits, 29 runs, eight doubles, two home runs, 65 total bases, and a .512 slugging percentage. Pengilly had 15 multiple hit games, including a four-hit performance, and went on a 10-game hitting streak midway through the season. In the field, the Le Sueur native made a team-high 91 assists with 35 putouts and 11 errors for a .920 fielding percentage.
Berkner also makes his first appearances on the All-Conference Team after starting all 38 games in left field. Berkner was second on the team with a .344 batting average and led the squad with 28 RBI and two triples. He tallied 43 hits, five doubles, one home run, and had a team-best .430 on-base percentage. In the field, Berkner had just two errors in 52 attempts for a .962 fielding percentage. The Sleepy Eye product finishes his career having started 108 games with 121 games played. He hit .301 with 103 career hits, 59 runs, 18 doubles, 62 RBI, and 37 walks.
As part of a conference-wide sportsmanship initiative, the MIAC announced the 13th annual All-MIAC Sportsmanship team for baseball. Members of the All-MIAC Sportsmanship team are selected by their coaches and teammates as individuals who demonstrate ideals of positive sportsmanship both on and off the field of competition. Gustavus’s representative this season is Drew Weidner (Sr., Cannon Falls, Minn.).