St. Paul, Minn. –– The Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) announced its 2021 baseball awards on Monday afternoon. The Eagles were rewarded for their first-place finish in the regular season and the conference tournament with the Pitcher of the Year, Coach of the Year, and four other players on the All-Conference list.
Owen Boerema (Litchfield, Minn./Litchfield) was named Pitcher of the Year, while Head Coach Dave Hieb was named Coach of the Year. Boerema, Bryce Crabb (Des Moines, Iowa/Grand View Christian), and Keegan Vercoe (Queen Creek, Ariz./Poston Butte) landed on the UMAC's First Team, while Carlton Lindow (Cannon Falls, Minn./Cannon Falls) and Philip Wall (Juneau, Alaska/IDEA) received an Honorable Mention. In addition to being named an Honorable Mention, Lindow was Northwestern's recipient of the Individual Sportsmanship Award.
View the complete UMAC All-Conference release HERE.
Owen Boerema (Litchfield, Minn./Litchfield) was fantastic on the mound all year and was a significant force behind Northwestern winning its first conference championship since 1996. The sophomore left-hander ranked in the top-four in every major UMAC pitching category, which led to him being just the second Eagle named Pitcher of the Year, matching Andy Peterson (Rogers, Minn./Rogers) in 2014. In UMAC play, Boerema threw 35 innings, only surrendered one earned run (0.26 ERA), struck out 51, and threw three complete games in his four starts. Each of those stats, besides innings, led the conference. His most impressive outing came against Crown College, as he threw 11 innings and struck out 15 to help Northwestern secure the regular-season title. Conference opponents hit .148 against him, which helped guide him to four consecutive UMAC Pitcher of the Week Awards.
Northwestern's pitching dominated the UMAC all season, and Bryce Crabb (Des Moines, Iowa/Grand View Christian) was another major part of that puzzle. The sophomore right-hander started four games on the bump and threw three complete games. He had a 1.09 ERA, which was third in the conference while limiting opponents to a .182 batting average, fourth in the conference. He only walked five while striking out 24. The two sophomores helped guide the Eagle pitching staff to a combined ERA of 2.15 in UMAC play. In addition to his exploits on the mound, Crabb led the team with a .418 average in conference play, which was good for seventh in the conference. Hitting second for most of the conference schedule, the sophomore recorded a .451 on-base percentage and a .597 slugging percentage.
Keegan Vercoe (Queen Creek, Ariz./Poston Butte) was the big bat that helped to power the Eagle offense. The senior transfer immediately stepped into the three-hole for Northwestern and provided a major power source for the team. He tied the single-season school record for home runs with 12 and finished second in the conference with eight during conference play. His 21 conference RBIs led the team and placed him fourth overall thanks to his .918 slugging percentage. The outfielder was second on the team with his .473 on-base percentage and ignited the offense on many occasions throughout the year. One of his highlights came against St. Scholastica in the team's second game of the UMAC Tournament, when he hit his 12th home run, which landed at the base of the flag outside of the Ericksen Center that gave Northwestern a 6-2 lead in the second inning.
In addition to the three first-team all-conference honorees, Carlton Lindow (Cannon Falls, Minn./Cannon Falls) was named an Honorable Mention. Lindow was an anchor for the Eagles as he caught six of the sixteen conference games. An ill-timed quarantine limited his opportunities, but the senior captain shined when the lights were the brightest. In the three games in the conference tournament, he went five for eleven with seven RBIs and scored five runs. His offensive outburst helped to bring the Eagles its first-ever UMAC Tournament Championship and NCAA Regional appearance. In addition to what he did at the plate, he guided one of the best pitching staffs in all of Division III Baseball behind the dish. The 2.15 staff ERA was easily the lowest in the conference, and Lindow's ability to call games and block pitches in the dirt is a primary reason why the staff was so successful. Lindow has been recognized in all three of his seasons with an honorable mention in 2019 and a first-team selection in 2018.
The final all-conference honoree is Philip Wall (Juneau, Alaska/IDEA). Wall finished sixth in the conference with a 2.14 ERA in conference play as he threw 21 innings over his three starts. He threw one complete game and kept hitters off-balance with his ability to mix pitches. The senior finished up an exceptional career by adding another award to his two first-team selections in 2018 and 2019. Wall also hit .360 during conference play as he primarily played first base while he wasn't pitching. The senior drove in eleven runs against conference opponents, which tied for fifth on the team. In addition to his regular-season accomplishments, Wall was recognized as the UMAC Tournament MVP thanks to his nine innings of work on the mound against St. Scholastica to secure the title and his two-run home run (the first of his career) the night before, which was also against the Saints.
In recognition of all of his player's accomplishments, Head Coach Dave Hieb was named Coach of the Year for the fifth time of his illustrious career. Hieb has guided Northwestern to the most wins in program history at 32, and the team hopes to add even more to that total in the regional. Much of that success is due to the pitching staff with its 3.26 season ERA. That is 23rd in the nation, but only five teams ahead of it have thrown more than Northwestern's 344.2 innings. Northwestern's success this season is due to the culture that Coach Hieb has instilled and the competitive spirit that he preaches to his players. Coach Hieb's goals extend beyond the diamond to helping teach his player's how to be better men and Christ-followers, and this award shows the respect that his fellow coaches have for him and this program.
To stay up-to-date on all things UNW Baseball, fans should visit www.unweagles.com.
