St. Paul, Minn. –– The Northwestern Eagles Baseball team has received many awards throughout their program-best 2021 season. D3 Baseball, ABCA/Rawlings, and the NCCAA have all released their All-Region Team, and the Eagles had multiple representatives on each list.
D3 Baseball released their Midwest All-Region teams, and Bryce Crabb (Des Moines, Iowa/Grand View Christian) and Keegan Vercoe (Queen Creek, Ariz./Poston Butte) were both named to the Second Team. Owen Boerema (Litchfield, Minn./Litchfield) was named to the third team, and Coach Hieb was named the Midwest Region Coach of the Year.
ABCA and Rawlings also released their Midwest All-Region teams, and Crabb and Vercoe were once again named to the Second Team. Joining them on the Second Team was Owen Boerema (Litchfield, Minn./Litchfield), while Aaron Severson (Columbia Heights, Minn./Columbia Heights) was named to the third team.
Finally, the NCCAA has released their North Central All-Region Teams and All Americans. Crabb was named a First Team All-American, to the All-Region Team, and the North Central Pitcher of the Year. Vercoe was recognized as a Second Team All-American and on the All-Region Team. Boerema and Philip Wall (Juneau, Alaska/IDEA) were also named to the All-Region team. Finally, Coach Hieb was awarded the North Central Coach of the Year. Rounding out the NCCAA awards, Carlton Lindow (Cannon Falls, Minn./Cannon Falls) was recognized as the 2021 Hank Burbridge Award recipient.
Bryce Crabb (Des Moines, Iowa/Grand View Christian) grabbed multiple awards as one of the top two-way players in the country. He was named to the D3 Baseball and ABCA/Rawlings Midwest Second Team and an NCCAA First Team All-American, the North Central Pitcher of the Year, and the All-Region team. Crabb led the team in both average (.373) and ERA (1.52). His 1.52 ERA places him twenty-second in the nation. Of the twenty-two people ahead of him, only two threw more than his 83 innings. In addition, his 1.52 ERA is the fourth-best in program history, and his 83 innings is the third-best. In addition, he set the Northwestern single-season wins record with nine and threw six complete games, which is tied for fifth nationally. He is the tenth NCCAA All-American in Northwestern Baseball history. Crabb is the third NCCAA First Team All-American for the athletic department this year, joining Sydney Schwitters and Ellie Ronning.
Keegan Vercoe (Queen Creek, Ariz./Poston Butte) set the Northwestern single-season home runs record at 13 and the total bases record at 111. As a result of his outstanding season at the plate, he was recognized on the D3 Baseball and ABCA/Rawlings Midwest Second Team, as an NCCAA Second Team All-American, and on the NCCAA North Central All-Region Team. Vercoe led the team in on-base plus slugging (OPS), triples, home runs, runs batted in, total bases, slugging percentage, and tied for the lead in walks and hit by pitches. His 48 runs would have also set a school record, but Andrew Simonson (Hudson, Wis./East Ridge) set the record first and finished with 56 runs scored. The senior transfer helped push Northwestern's offense over the top as he added a huge power threat in the middle of the lineup.
Owen Boerema (Litchfield, Minn./Litchfield) was the other ace for Northwestern this year. He, along with Crabb, shut down offenses all year. He was named to the ABCA/Rawlings Midwest Second Team, D3 Baseball Midwest Third Team, and the NCCAA North Central All-Region Team. His 2.08 ERA was second on the team and is tied for 57th in the nation. Of the 56 people ahead of him, only five (including Crabb) threw more than his 82.1 innings. His 92 strikeouts sits second in school history and is tied for eleventh in the nation. The left-hander held opponents to a .208 batting average against and started two games in the NCAA Regional Tournament. He also threw six complete games, which is tied for fifth nationally.
Aaron Severson (Columbia Heights, Minn./Columbia Heights) was named to the ABCA/Rawlings Midwest Third Team on the strength of his strong freshman season. He hit .322 as the clean-up hitter for most of the season with a .431 on-base percentage and 14 doubles. In addition, he pitched 21 innings in his eleven appearances and had a 2.57 ERA with four saves as the closer for the Eagles. He struck out a batter per inning and showed a lot of poise in challenging situations on the mound.
Philip Wall (Juneau, Alaska/IDEA) was recognized on the NCCAA North Central All-Region Team for the second consecutive time. He finished the year with a 3.46 ERA in his twelve starts and threw the third-most innings on the team at 75.1. He also hit .306 and played excellent defense at first base when he was not on the mound. He finishes his career with sixteen wins on the mound, the fifth-most innings in school history at 218.1, and a .300 average at the plate.
The man pushing all the right buttons all year was also honored with a couple of awards. Head Coach Dave Hieb was named the D3 Baseball Midwest Region Coach of the Year and the NCCAA North Central Coach of the Year. Coach Hieb guided the Eagles to the best season in program history and arguably the best team in UMAC history. After the loss to Johns Hopkins in the Regional Championship Game, Coach Hieb described his team this way: "These seniors have made this program. This program is at the point that it's an envy. People want to be here. These guys have made that happen… The biggest thing with these guys is how much they love each other, and I'll take with me that the entire senior class plays for an audience of One." That is the program that he has built, and the players all know that Coach Hieb is there to not only help them develop as baseball players but more importantly to become better men and stronger Christ-followers.
Wrapping up the awards, Carlton Lindow (Cannon Falls, Minn./Cannon Falls) was recognized as the 2021 NCCAA Hank Burbridge Award recipient. The award honors the NCCAA's Outstanding Christian Baseball Player of the Year with potential in Christian service through baseball. Lindow was chosen due to his achievements on the baseball field, in the classroom, and in service to others. On the field, the two-time captain finished his career with a .304 average at the plate. Behind the plate, he threw out an impressive 42% (45 of 108) of base stealers in his three full seasons. In addition, he was named First Team Upper Midwest Athletic Conference All-Conference (2018), Honorable Mention (2019), and Northwestern's Individual Sportsmanship Award in 2021.
In addition to his success on the diamond, Lindow graduated with a degree in elementary education boasting a 3.88 GPA and has been honored as Academic All-Conference and NCCAA Scholar-Athlete. The senior is a leader among his teammates and has been active in Fellowship of Christian Athletes throughout high school and his time at UNW. He has also served in various ways with Feed My Starving Children, the Hospitality House, and campus clean-up programs. Lindow shared that he has learned how to use baseball as a mission field to build relationships and witness to others.
"His steady leadership and commitment to excellence have made a huge impact in my life," stated Head Coach Dave Hieb. "What Carlton brings every day is the heart of a servant-leader. He has the ability to connect and speak into the lives of coaches and teammates."
Carl summed up what it means to be an Eagle when after the team's loss to Johns Hopkins in the Regional Championship game, he stated: "I'm so thankful to have had the privilege to serve as captain for the last two years in a program that's unlike any other in the nation. We get to use baseball as our platform to serve Christ and to be men of God."
