The Mules baseball team wrapped up the season with a 39-17 record and collected several individual accolades along the way.
The Mules entered the Division II Central Regional as the MIAA champions, but the team was eliminated from the postseason May 20 following an 11-6 loss to Southern Arkansas in Magnolia, Arkansas.
Recent graduate Colin Nevil said he will remember mentoring the younger players and teaching them what it means to play college baseball.
“Getting to share those experiences and teach those younger guys that were a big part of our season and what it means to be a Mule really meant more to me than I could have expected,” Nevil said.
Nevil, Mason Janvrin, Travis Able and Erik Webb were named All-Region selections.
Able was the only Mule on the first team ballot, being selected as the American Baseball Coaches Association first team designated hitter. Able collected 84 hits in 217 at bats. His 54 RBI ranked second on the team and he carried a .484 slugging percentage. Able was also named to the All-MIAA team in 2018 for the second time in his career.
Nevil was the only Mule to be named All-Region by both the ABCA and the National College Baseball Writer’s Association. He was selected All-Region second team for first base. Earning the title of being the team’s top power threat, Nevil ended his career slugging 17 home runs and driving in 61 runs. His 17 home runs were the most in MIAA this season.
Between balancing pre-med and five years of baseball, this was Nevil’s second straight year being named to All-Region team, earning him five total All-Region selections in his career. He is also a two-time first team All-MIAA selection.
Janvrin earned second team All-Region by the ABCA. Janvrin led the team with 92 hits and matched Able with a .387 batting average. Janvrin was also named second team All-MIAA outfielder and earned an MIAA Gold Glove.
Webb was chosen to the NCBWA second team All-Central Region as an outfielder. For the season, Webb hit .330 with a .429 on base percentage and a .641 slugging percentage. He finished third on the team this season with 46 RBI and second with 55 runs. Webb was named a second team All-MIAA outfielder for his second career all-conference honor.
Assistant coach Damian Stambersky said there was much to celebrate this season, both on and off the field. With the season over, Stambersky said he isn’t worried about losing key players on the team.
“The tradition of this place is something we really try to maintain and honor while we’re here,” he said. “They have to feel that connection with what it means to be a Mule and understand that it takes a special kind of person to put on the uniform.”