BLOOMINGTON, Minn. – The Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) announced its 2023 baseball awards Monday and seven Gusties earned All-Conference honors, highlighted by Mitch Casperson (Jr., Le Sueur) being named MIAC Pitcher of the Year.
Joining Casperson on the All-MIAC Team are Chris Knowles (Jr., New Ulm), Jack Hanson (Sr., Minnetonka), Bryce Novak (Sr., Cleveland), Drake Siens (Jr., Rogers), Adam Biewen (Jr., Golden Valley), and Luke Siegle (So., Blaine).
Against conference opponents, Casperson led the league with a 1.18 ERA and perfect 5-0 record. He also led the MIAC with two complete games, 38 innings, and 40 strikeouts. In all games, Casperson owned a 2.79 ERA in 58 innings with 60 strikeouts. Casperson is the first Gustie to earn MIAC Pitcher of the Year, which was first recognized in 1998.
Knowles earns his first All-Conference honor after posting a .309 batting average and starting all 42 games. Knowles hit 46-for-149 with 37 runs, 10 doubles, seven home runs, and 37 RBIs. At first base, Knowles made 357 putouts with 23 assists and 10 errors for a .974 fielding percentage.
Hanson garners his third consecutive All-Conference award, becoming the first Gustie to earn three All-Conference awards since Tony Konicek (2004, 06, 07). Hanson finished the season with a .368 batting average and played all 42 games. He had 60 hits with 43 runs, eight doubles, three triples, seven home runs, and 31 RBIs. At shortstop, Hanson made 111 assists with 46 putouts and seven errors for a .957 fielding percentage. Hanson also led the team with 23 walks.
Novak also earns his third consecutive All-MIAC honor after leading the team with a .428 batting average, which ranked second in the league. Novak started all but one game this season, accumulating a league-high 71 hits. He also had 49 runs, 11 doubles, one triple, two home runs, 28 RBIs, and a team-high .492 on-base percentage. In center field, Novak committed just one error with 63 putouts for a .983 fielding percentage.
Siens makes the All-MIAC Team for the first time after leading the league with 16 doubles. Siens ranked second in the conference with a .697 slugging percentage and had the fourth highest OPS at 1.122. Siens owned a .372 batting average in 34 games with 45 hits, 27 runs, seven home runs, and 39 RBIs, which ranked second in the MIAC. In the outfield, Siens made 37 putouts with four assists and one error for a .976 fielding percentage.
Biewen had the fourth-best ERA in conference games this season at 2.61, highlighted by a complete game shutout against Bethel on May 2. Biewen made eight appearances with six starts, boasting a 3-1 record and 3.86 ERA in 30.1 innings. He struck out 37 batters against seven walks.
Siegle posted a league-low 2.44 ERA in all games this season, making 12 starts with two complete games. Siegle pitched a team-high 59 innings with 58 strikeouts and finished with a 7-2 record. His seven wins were the most in the conference this season.
Gavin Baker (Sr., Lakeville) was named All-Conference honorable mention. This is Baker’s second recognition from the MIAC after earning All-Conference last season. Baker led the league with 11 home runs and 46 RBIs. Baker hit .329 in 41 games with 50 hits, 45 runs, four doubles, one triple, and a .586 slugging percentage, playing primarily as the designated hitter.
The MIAC All-Playoff Team includes Hanson, Novak, and Lane Glaser (Sr., Hutchinson). Novak highlighted the MIAC postseason at the plate, batting 11-for-20, including a MIAC single game record 7-for-7 against Concordia on May 12. Glaser made one relief appearance in the championship game, tossing 6.1 innings of no-hit and shutout baseball. He allowed just three base runners and struck out five batters.